Why is my healthy, active dog's fur so thin? Genetic or health?

Poor Kieren! Without seeing her it is difficult to say for sure what it is. This could be secondary to allergies, yeast infection, bacterial infection, mange, and more. I would have your vet take a look at her and see if she needs any antibiotics or anti-fungal medicine. Catching certain infections early and treating them will help have a better outcome. This could be a genetic defect but less likely than the causes listed above. I hope this helps!

That could be completely normal, unless there are any lesions on her skin that you can notice and describe to us. A picture as well would be of great help to understand the underlying nature of it. Pictures can be uploaded by requesting a consultation. Please do not hesitate to write to us again on the forum with more details about any possible skin abnormality.

Minor skin and coat changes can be normal in older dogs, however it is always best to rule out anything underlying such as a metabolic issues, especially if you are seeing any other changes such as weight gain/loss, irritation of the skin, increases in thirst/urination, or changes in eating habits as these can all indicate a metabolic rather than an aging problem. If he checks out healthy, it may just be that he got the genetics for having a thinner coat, whereas some dogs may go gray faster or not at all, etc. Keeping the area groomed and free of mats may help keep any remaining hair from being pulled out, and in some cases a supplement such as fish oil or vitamin E may help with overall skin and coat health.

Hi, I'm Dr. Johnson. I think I just answered a question about Aysha! The tail tip doesn't worry me, a lot of dogs get the hairless area. My own dog has it. The other picture of the moth eaten appearance to her fur is not normal. A lot of skin conditions looks the same unfortunately. The hair loss could be form a skin infection (bacteria or yeast), from demodex (a non contagious mite) or ring worm. Also I know we were discussing her being over weight and a low thyroid. A low thyroid can predispose dogs to skin infections. Also food allergies can also. I think you have a few reasons to see your Vet now! Good luck!

Thinning hair in a young dog like Pocholo may be due to environment allergies, seasonal changes, nutritional deficiencies (namely vitamins and minerals) or less commonly for a young dog, an endocrine condition like Cushing's disease. I would assess Pocholo's diet carefully, make sure that he isn't being exposed to anything out of the ordinary, and if not, consider having him looked at by your vet for any other problems. Hope this makes sense.

I would try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid to see if this helps. If it isn't improving or if the hair loss is getting worse, I would have your vet take a look. Your vet may decide to check her thyroid to ensure it isn't low. I hope this helps!

Can you please post again with some photos of the fur? It is not likely that any interaction or ingestion of rodents has anything to do with it. The color change is mostly likely due to temperature changes.