Why is my dog scratching and pulling hair, causing bald spots?

Itchy skin and hair loss is often due to the following things: 1) Allergies - this can happen suddenly and is usually due to an environmental (i.e pollen) cause. 2) External parasites - fleas, lice and mites can all cause intense itching. It's good to check him for fleas and get treatment if needed. The permethrin shampoo is only temporary, so it's possible that he is getting re- infested. He may have mites, which are microscopic and require a vet to find. 3) Over-bathing, or using the wrong product for bathing - Bathing too often can cause the skin to get dry and irritated. Dogs should normally be bathed no more than once a month with a shampoo that is labeled for dogs. If you bathe more than that, or use a shampoo or soap that is meant for people, then you could be damaging the normal protective barrier of the skin. One thing you can do for itchy skin, is give a bath with cool water using an oatmeal or aloe shampoo. You can get these shampoos at the pet store. I hope this helps you to identify the problem. If not, then it would be worth taking him to the vet. We can usually discover the cause quickly and provide the most effective treatment. Below are some links to articles that should be helpful for you: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-has-allergies/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/4-great-strategies-for-relieving-your-dog-s-allergies/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/skin-allergies-vs-food-allergies/

This behavior in Buster could actually be due to separation anxiety. I would recommend crating him when you are gone. The crate will provide him a small space where he can feel safe in it when you are gone. You will have to slowly train him to get used to a crate. Start putting him in it when you are home and sitting nearby so he doesn't think you are abandoning him, and slowly increase the time he is in it. He can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that he has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can also fill a Kong toy with peanut butter and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to him in the crate. That will keep him occupied for a while. Finally, you can get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety.

Poor Remy! It sounds like he's quite unhappy for some reason. Behavior like this can be caused by anxiety, stress, boredom, or can even be a compulsive behavior in some cases. It's important to figure out the underlying problem causing him to do this in order to treat it effectively. I would recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist for an in-person evaluation of Remy - he/she can help you understand why this is happening and give you a step-by-step plan to address the behavior. Medication may also be helpful if the problem is stress or anxiety-related. In the meantime, I would suggest providing him with plenty of things to do so that he isn't so tempted to scratch things. Bully sticks, cow or pig ears, rawhide chews, or puzzle toys such as a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter can often be helpful to help keep him busy and encourage him to settle. You can also try a DAP pheromone collar along with a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure to see if this helps.

Poor Remington! It looks like Remington has a bit of a skin infection. The patch on his face appears to be superficial moist dermatitis (commonly called a "hot spot"). These skin infections are generally secondary to the dog scratching from something else. I would make sure you used a high product flea prevention (many over-the-counter options don't work very well). I prefer the oral options such as Bravecto and Nexgard, but there are many reputable topical products such as Advantix, Frontline, or Revolution as well. The scratching could also be due to allergies or (with the sore on his face) an ear infection, so I recommend having Remington seen by a vet to help determine what is causing the scratching in the first place, and to get him started on the appropriate treatment. He will likely need a course of antibiotics to clear up his skin. In the meantime, keep all of those areas clean and dry. You may gently clean them with warm soapy water (Dawn dish soap works well), then pat them thoroughly dry with a clean towel. Hope this helps.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. If your at home treatments have not been effective, then it is time to see his veterinarian. He will likely need skin testing to look for mites or ringworm. If these tests are negative, allergies may be a possibility. He will need prescription medications to control the itchy and allow the hair to grow back. I hope this information helps!

Skin problems can have a variety of causes, sometimes more than one. Allergies, parasites, bacterial or fungal infections, even contact with some surfaces or substances will cause itching, rash and/or hair loss. It is important to have the problem checked by your vet to determine if there is a medical cause for your pet’s skin issues and treat accordingly. In pets of all ages, fleas, food allergies and exposure to chemical irritants such as cleaners and soaps can be a cause. Any one of these may not be enough to trigger the breakouts, depending on how sensitive your pet is, but a combination can be enough to start the itch-scratch cycle. Finding out the cause and eliminating it is the best course of action. With flea allergies, if your pet is sensitive enough, a single bite can cause them to break out scratch enough to tear their skin. Check for fleas with a flea comb. Look for fleas and/or tiny black granules, like coarse black pepper. This is flea feces, consisting of digested, dried blood. You may find tiny white particles, like salt, which are the flea eggs. Applying a good topical monthly flea treatment and aggressively treating your house and yard will help break the flea life cycle. If you use plastic bowls, this is a possible cause for hair loss, though this tends to be on the chin, where their skin touches the bowl while they eat. If you suspect this to be the culprit, try changing the bowls to glass, metal or ceramic. Food allergies are often caused by sensitivity to a protein in the food. Hill's Science Diet offers some non-prescription options for sensitive skin as well as prescription hypoallergenic foods for more severe cases. Royal Canin carries limited protein diets that may also offer some relief. Your vet can recommend a specific diet that will help. If there is no relief or not enough, consider getting your pet checked by a veterinary dermatologist and having allergy testing done.

You are absolutely correct that mange or allergies are possible. The doctor may recommend a diagnostic called a skin scrape to check for mites. For now just protect the area from any itching. It doesn’t look really inflamed so I’m not sure there’s much you can do at this point. As a general recommendation, starting Lexi on an omega 3 fatty acid for dogs can help improve skin health and it certainly won’t hurt anything. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.