My Yorkie mix is gaining weight, losing hair, and has dark skin. Why?

The bumps could be cysts, lipomas, or benign tumors. These need to be checked out by a vet, especially since one has become larger. The highlights could be her fur has lightened from being out in the sun.

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!

Hair loss and increased appetite are common causes of an endocrine disorder called Cushings disease. This is a common problem in older dogs and they usually are drinking more water then normal as well. I would highly encourage you to consider having Diamon evaluated by a veterinarian soon. They may recommend blood work to help determine the diagnosis. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Cushings can definitely cause changes to the skin such as symmetric hair loss and black/dirty patches or other color changes. If home care hasn't helped such as the wipes or adhering to diet, it would be a good idea to bring Trixy into your vet for a full exam and bloodwork to see if her condition has progressed and requires additional treatment.

I am sorry your dog is not feeling well. The information provided and picture don't really match. If a patient is drinking more and losing weight I would be concerned about endocrine diseases like diabetes and cushings disease. However the picture looks more like possible skin mites or an underlying autoimmune disease I would recommend taking her to a veterinarian to help you resolve the issues. They most likely will need to run basic bloodwork and possible a skin scrape to determine if mites are present.

Jax is very cute! In dogs HYPERthyroidism is very rare. However HYPOthyroidism is much more common and can certainly cause hair loss or unusual hair patterns. It would be a good idea to have Jax's thyroid levels checked. Cushing's disease can also cause hair loss so it may be a good idea to have him rechecked for Cushing's. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and best to you and Jax!

As you know, Cushing's disease causes excessive cortisol (steroid) production, which can lead to an increased appetite. With the cortisol levels under control, Lucy's appetite may have regulated, but 13 pounds is a pretty significant weight loss. Normally, you should be able to easily feel (but not see) a dog's ribs and see a waistline when looking down on them from above. We can easily become accustomed to seeing overweight dogs as "normal" and can perceive a healthy weight as being too thin. (Without examining Lucy, I can't comment as to if she is truly underweight, or if her weight is appropriate.) Since her appetite has become picky and her Cushing's disease seems to be well controlled, there is also a chance that she has developed some primary intestinal issues (such as inflammatory bowel disease) chronic pancreatitis, or intestinal parasites. At this point, I recommend taking Lucy to her vet for another exam to assess her overall body condition and consider additional diagnostic testing (CBC, chemistry and abdominal ultrasound) to try to get to the bottom of this issue. I hope that all goes well!