Why is my Golden Retriever puppy losing hair and will it grow back?

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is a variety of reasons that can explain alopecia or hair loss. The causes can easily be differentiated by the clinical signs associated with it and the physical exam findings. If Cookie is only showing some hair loss without scratching or overgrooming then it could conditions such as alopecia areata that can affect dogs and cats and usually resolves on its own. If there is evidence of scratching and you start noticing some redness or irritation associated with it, then other conditions such as allergies are possible. If you notice her overgrooming herself in that area then it could be something like psychogenic alopecia which is more of a behavioral issue. I think that since she is not having overt clinical signs and it is mostly hair loss, I think it is possibly transient and could resolve on its own. You can monitor this closely and if it does not resolve or it worsens then have her examined by your veterinarian. Good luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! yes dogs can shed or blow their undercoat in the summer. It is hard to predict what Austins adult coat with be. I agree it's a bit wiry. If he is pure bred gold and not a doodle mix I see no reason why his coat won't look like his parents. I think is just a bit underweight. I would increase his puppy food by 25%. Be sure he has been dewormed well and is on a high quality commercial puppy food. Diet and intestinal parasites can affect the coat as well as body weight. I wish you the best!

There are a number of reasons why he could be losing hair. If his skin seems fine and he's not scratching, his skin looks normal (no redness, scaling, oozing, etc.) it could be part of the natural shedding cycle or due to his age and developing his adult coat. If the shedding seems abnormal, if the skin is involved, if he is losing hair in patches, itching, etc., I recommend you get him seen by a vet who can examine the skin, possibly do some labwork and., based on these results, will be better able to advise you on the cause of the shedding and how best to manage and treat it.

It will probably take a few months for the hair to grow back completely. If he is young and healthy, his hair should be able to grow normally and I wouldn't be concerned that he will look like this for the rest of his life!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. This looks normal to me based on the circumstances. I would recommend you apply this mousse product which may help the hair to re-grow faster and will moisturize the skin. ( http://www.allivet.com/p-5668-dermoscent-essential-mousse-for-dogs-150-ml.aspx ) Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Hello. Hair loss in dogs can be normal (shedding) if it is being replaced by new hair growth. This is normal and will occur, and clean up can be controlled by brushing your dog's hair every day. If patches are being lost and the skin is showing, you should check for fleas/mites. A skin scraping may be necessary. If that is not the cause it could be due to infection, allergies, or other causes.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Tayson! There are many causes for hair loss. With out seeing a picture or examining Tayson I can't be sure of the cause specifically for him. Possible causes are: normal shedding (shouldn't have bare spots of skin), fleas, bacterial or yeast skin infection, demodex mites, scabies mites and ring worm. If Tayson has bare patches on his coat he should see a Vet for a diagnosis. I wish you both the best!