Why is my 11-month-old pug losing hair? What could be the cause?

This is probably due to a severe allergy, although it could also be fleas or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat Lila with a high quality flea treatment (e.g. advocate or advantage), then get her to the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try discovering the cause of the allergy. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics). simultaneously you should start her on a prescription hypoallergenic diet for at least 2 months. Hopefully you will see some results after all this, if not you and your vet should consider putting her on a long term allergy treatment (Atopica or Apoquel).

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Chubby! He is SOO cute! I think Chubby should see a vet. I am not familiar with an incurable fungal skin infection in pugs. Possible causes are: bacterial skin infection, demodex, or ring worm. I would have a skin scrape done to check for mites and then put him on an oral flea and tick medication like Nexgard, Simparica and Bravecto which also kills demodex. I would submit sample for a fungal culture to rule out ring worm. If he has a bacterial skin infection then antibiotics are used. I hope this helps and I wish Chubby a speedy recovery!

Lesions that are getting worse could indicate skin mites which could get worse with her hormone changes. Sometimes changes in the hair coat can be due to her hormones. I recommend to have Rosie examined by the veterinarian who can test for mites easily. I hope this helps.

Those spots on Pugsy could be several things including fleas (even if you don;t see them, they could be present), allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection or endocrine disease. Because these lesions are pretty wide spread, I recommend to have him examined as soon as the vet can get him in. Until then, there are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesions once a day (not his whole body, just the lesions). Also protect the area from trauma by having your pup wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I would have this checked by a vet. It sounds very much like ringworm. Although the name suggests otherwise, ringworm is not caused by a worm at all-but a fungus. This highly contagious infection can lead to patchy areas of hair loss on a pet, and can spread to other animals-and to humans, too. Classic symptoms of ringworm include lesions that typically appear on a pet’s head, ears, paws and forelimbs. These lesions can cause patchy, crusted circular “bald spots” that sometimes look red in the center. In mild cases of ringworm, there may be just a few broken hairs, while bad cases of ringworm can spread over most of a pet’s body. It’s also possible for a pet to carry the fungus and not show any symptoms whatsoever. Treatment of ringworm depends on the severity of the infection. A veterinarian may prescribe a medicated shampoo or ointment that contains miconazole or a dip such as lime sulfur to kill the fungus. In some cases, oral medications are necessary to cure ringworm. In severe cases, it may be necessary to use a topical and oral treatment, in addition to clipping away the fur. Once treatment begins, lesions should begin to heal in about one to three weeks. Please note, it is important to treat your pet for as long as recommended by your veterinarian. Even though the skin lesions may have cleared up, this doesn’t mean your pet is cured or can’t infect another animal or person. Certain diagnostic tests may need to be repeated in order to ensure cure. And unfortunately, there is no guarantee that reinfection won’t occur!

One of my favorite breed books has a great line about Pugs. In describing how much they shed, it says, "A LOT...Yes, a lot!" Pugs shed much more than you would expect based on their size and coat. If Harley is developing area of hair loss, certainly have your vet examine her, but otherwise her shedding may just be normal. I do not expect a vitamin supplement will help with her shedding, but you could certainly try something like Missing Link (https://missinglinkproducts.com) just to be on the safe side. I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

It sounds like your fur baby has what's called a "hot spot". This is an infection on the skin that is typically initially caused by some kind of trauma or nick on the skin. If she is eating and drinking well, that means the infection is just on her skin and not systemic, which is good. You can try treating this with a topical hot spot spray to see if this gets better within a few days. Clean the area with Betadine diluted 50;50 with warm water and let it air dry first. Shaving the hair also helps b/c hair carries a lot of dirt and debris that can delay healing. IF there is no improvement within 3-4 days, then it is best to get Lola seen by your vet for oral antibiotics to help this heal well. Another common cause of "hot spots" is fleas, so make sure to keep her on monthly flea prevention. I hope this heals up well for Lola. Best wishes and take care!