My German Shepherd puppy has a hairless patch near ears. Is it normal?

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!

This may be a so-called hot spot, i.e. a spot where Nerys is constantly licking , first because it may have itched or hurt, then because it became a habit. The constant licking prevents it from healing. You will need to take Nerys to your vet for an exam. Your vet may inject some steroid under the lesion and put Nerys on a long course of antibiotics and she will need to wear an e-collar to keep her from licking. It is important that she be kept busy with walks, playing etc, as boredom makes it worse.

It is a little hard to tell based on these photos, and a closer look in person might make a difference, but this could definitely be a scar. If it is a scar, I'd hate to see what the original injury looked like! A veterinarian could take a closer look at the tissue, hair follicles, and how it feels, and make a better assessment on whether it appears to be a scar or diseased skin. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thanks for posting this question. Certainly there can be many causes for this, but young dogs commonly will have a mite called demodex mite. I suspect by the age and description that this may be the problem. I would recommend that he be seen by a veterinarian. They will likely do a skin scraping to look for mites. If positive they will discuss treatment options. I hope this helps and thanks for using Pet Coach!

The skin itself has a scaly and bump appearance to it, which often means there is a bacterial or fungal infection present. I would recommend taking Snow in to your vet to have the area tested to determine which infection is present so that the proper medication is prescribed. I hope that Snow’s spot heals well soon. Best wishes and take care.

Hair falling out can be pathological if it is related to an infection or fleas. It can also be due to normal shedding, which German Shepherds tend to have a thick under coat and the hair often falls out in clumps. I recommend to check the skin for redness, scaling, excessively dry skin, fleas or bleeding. If you see this, then you know it's pathologic. If there are not skin abnormalities, then hopefully it's normal shedding but without being able to see it, its hard to say. Your veterinarian or a groomer would be a good resource to know if this is normal hair loss or not. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction. Please feel free to post any additional questions!

Poor Raven! It sounds like she has a bacterial skin infection and ear infection, possibly secondary to allergies. If bathing her does not help, than she needs to be examined by a vet for treatment. She may need an oral antibiotic, anti-histamine, corticosteroid, and ear medications to treat the problem. If needed, your vet can do a skin scrape, cytology, culture, or skin biopsy to help determine the exact cause. Hope she feels better soon!