Why is my dog's hair falling out symmetrically with skin bumps?

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Bacterial or sometimes fungal infections of the skin can cause the hair to come out in clumps along with a scab. Certain endocrine disorders like hypothyroidism and autoimmune diseases can cause similar symptoms as well. It is hard to say exactly what the bump on the neck may be. This could be sebaceous cyst, an abscess, or small mass. It would be a good idea for TImberlynn to have an exam and evaluation done with her veterinarian. Your veterinarian may take a small sample of the mass to determine if it is concerning and needs to be removed. Your veterinarian may recommend antibiotics and/or blood work be done to rule out endocrine diseases as a cause as well. I hope this helps and thanks again for posting!

The bald spots and pimples may indicate minor infection or may be a symptom of a broader underlying condition. Skin problems can have a variety of causes, sometimes more than one. It is important to have the condition addressed by your veterinarian to determine if there is a medical cause for your pet’s skin issues and treat accordingly. Young dogs can get skin infections, commonly referred to as 'puppy pyoderma'. This usually occurs on the belly and inside the hind legs. This type of infection usually resolves without treatment as the puppy gets older. [*Staph* infections](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/staphylococcal-pyoderma-1/) are common in dogs of all ages and may requires antibiotic therapy to treat. In pets of all ages, [fleas](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/flea-allergy/), [food allergies](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/food-allergies/) and [environmental allergies](https://www.petcoach.co/article/food-allergies-vs-environmental-allergies-whats-the-difference) (contact or inhaled) 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 or cause a [hot spot](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/hot-spots/). Diagnosing the cause of allergies may require [allergy testing](https://www.petcoach.co/article/allergy-testing-immunotherapy-in-dogs) and [food elimination trials](https://www.petcoach.co/article/food-trials-for-allergies-in-pets-what-to-expect). [Check for fleas](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-check-your-pet-for-fleas-and-ticks) 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](https://www.petcoach.co/article/all-about-protein-in-pet-food). Hill's Science Diet offers some non-prescription options for sensitive skin as well as [prescription hypoallergenic foods](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dog/dog-food/prescription-dog-food-and-treats) for more severe cases. Royal Canin carries limited protein and [novel protein](https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-is-a-novel-protein-pet-food) diets that may also offer some relief. Your vet can recommend a specific diet that will help.

Hi there! I'm so sorry to hear about Leo's troubles. Dogs can get itchy and lose hair for a variety of reasons. When a dog comes into the office to see me for itchy skin and hair loss, the first thing I do is make sure they don't have any mites or parasites, or a skin infection of some kind, like a bacterial infection, or even something like ringworm. It's really important to check these things as ringworm and some mites can be contagious to people. Once I make sure these things aren't an issue, I can start considering allergies (which can develop really any time throughout a dog's life), and even some metabolic diseases. Certain hormonal issues can cause hair loss, especially symmetrical hair loss. Therefore depending on the dogs age, and what I'm able to do in one visit, I may run skin tests and labwork all at once. Until you get in to see a veterinarian, the vetericyn plus products are very nice for cleaning the skin. That may help alleviate some discomfort if there is any of that as well. I hope Leo feels better very soon! Best of luck!

It could be a pyoderma (skin infection). See your veterinarian for an exam. He or she may diagnose bacterial or fungal skin infection and can prescribe the appropriate medication afterwards. Treatment may be topical, systemic or a combination. Consider adding an essential fatty acid supplement, such as DermCaps or EicosaCaps, to her diet to promote healthy skin and coat. Place an e-collar (cone) on your dog if she is licking or chewing excessively.

Lesions like those in the pictures can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. In dogs like yours with hair loss and itchiness, one common cause can be infection by mites that can live in the hair follicles and lead to hair loss, and secondary bacterial and fungal infections that can develop. I recommend making an appointment to have your dog seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the hair loss as soon as you can. The vet will likely want to look at a sample from the area (taken by a procedure known as a skin scraping) and examined under the microscope to determine what kind(s) of infection may be present and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment. I hope that helps!

Scrappy needs to go to your veterinarian for an exam and skin scraping to determine the cause of this skin condition. It looks like a bacterial infection but he also could have mites, a fungal infection or it could be an autoimmune disease or tumors. If it's a severe bacterial infection with antibiotics and medicated baths this should improve. The longer he has these lesions the more likely the skin can become damaged and his fur may not grow back in. In addition to the skin scraping they may recommend a thyroid level test and perhaps a blood panel to check for other underlying disease. Scrappy will feel better once they get a diagnosis and the proper treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Scrappy.

Lesions like this could be several things including allergies, skin mites, ringworm (which humans can get) or endocrine disease. 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. Protect the areas from licking or scratching and he may need to wear an Elizabethan collar at all times. If the lesions don't start looking better within about a week or if they get worse, have him examined by the veterinarian who may prescribe medications or recommend some bloodwork. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.