German Shepherd bald spots: Can coconut oil treat fungal infection?

Hair loss 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 your puppy in the picture with severe hair loss, 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 the affected puppies 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. Good luck!

Is it getting worse? How long has it been there? I would recommend if it has been there awhile then asking for a biopsy of the area. That way you can get a definitive answer of what that spot is. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Those spots on Dakota could be several things including allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Simparica. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. 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 her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Dakota wear an elizabethan collar at all times.The bad odor also likely indicates either a bacterial infection or fungal infection. She will need treatment for this as well. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a focal infection. You can try to use chlorhexidine containing shampoo to bathe her twice weekly for 2 weeks. You may find these online or at your local pet store. If there is no improvement or in the meantime this appears to be getting worse, have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good day!

Hi and thanks for your post! It is hard to say exactly what the cause of Ben's skin lesions may be due to without examining Ben first, but some possibilities may include a fungal infection, bacterial infection, mites, a food or environmental allergy, or evidence of an underlying endocrine disorder such as Cushing's disease or a thyroid problem. Your veterinarian can diagnose these potential conditions with a fungal culture, skin scraping, and some blood work. I would recommend Ben visit another veterinarian or perhaps a board certified veterinary dermatologist soon to have the possibilities above ruled out and a definitive diagnosis made so he can get the most appropriate treatment. Best to you and Ben and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

You can rub a tiny dab of organic coconut oil on the lesion (wear gloves in case it's ringworm) onto the lesion twice a day. Coconut oil can condition the skin and has antimicrobial properties. If the lesion is still present in 1 week or if it starts looking worse, have her examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps.

Place an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent further licking or chewing. This may be enough to allow healing, but if the underlying cause is not treated then it may not help. Ideally, Ceaser should be examined by a veterinarian to diagnose infection (bacterial, fungal or parasites) or an allergy. Antibiotics may be needed if the skin is broken. If not, steroids and/or antihistamines may provide relief from the itch.