Why is my French Mastiff losing hair on his neck and leg?

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask 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 to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Hair loss in dogs can be caused by many conditions including bacterial or fungal skin infections, skin mites, allergies, hormonal imbalances, or nutritional deficiencies. You may need to take her to a different veterinarian for a second opinion and additional tests such as blood work. You can also make an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist who can work with you and Alexzi to find to cause of her hair loss.

Hi there. Many things could be causing it. It could have been a good scratch, or it could be early signs of a mite infection called demodex. If it spreads or doesn’t seem to be improving then I would recommend having him examined by your veterinarian. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon.

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.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the pictures you have provided, I would suspect that Princess is suffering from a skin allergy, skin infection or skin parasite infection. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. The veterinarian can check her skin for skin parasites and see if there is a bacterial or fungal infection as well. If you are unable to get to a veterinarian right away, I would recommend the below products, which can be found online quite easily. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Welactin omega 3 fish oil capsules for dogs 2. Douxo PS Chlorhexidine combination shampoo and bathe twice weekly until resolved 3. Douxo PS Calm mousse and apply once daily until resolved 4. Malacetic conditioning spray and apply to the affected areas twice daily until resolved 5. Essential 6 spot on by Dermoscent and apply as directed

I am sorry to hear about Arabelle. The most common cause of these symptoms in this area would be a flea allergy dermatitis with a secondary bacterial skin infection. We can also have hair loss due to environmental or food allergies, or endocrine diseases (such as hypothyroidism). I would recommend making an appointment for her vet to examine her as these cases often require oral antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication to get the infection and itch under control. You can read more about this at https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952662