Why is my Great Dane's hair thinning on her sides without itching?

Hi! It's possible that Poseidon may be showing signs or symptoms of an underlying allergy or systemic disfunction. You'll wan to take into account any changes in your pets environment to rule out any allergy. If you haven't noticed anything different, you'll want to visit your local Veterinarian and request a CBC and Blood Panel. There are several conditions and diseases that can cause hair loss/thinning in our pets.

It may be due to true skin problems like allergy or skin infection. However, if she doesn't show excessive skin itchiness or redness she may have hormonal problems (diabetes, underactive thyroid gland, overactive adrenal gland etc). You shoud get her checked by your vets. They are likely to recommend skin testing and blood test to find out what is going on.

Dogs that are hypothyroid have a deficiency of thyroid hormone which can cause the symptoms you describe as well as lethargy, weight gain, etc. Replacing with thyroid hormone is the only way to treat the problem, and it is necessary to confirm that she is indeed hypothyroid before starting treatment. Unfortunately there is nothing that can be given at home.

Please post a picture of your pets hair loss so that we can better help you with recommendations and possible causes for her hair loss. Hair loss in general can be caused by: Flea allergies (always a possibility if your pet is not on a high quality flea flea preventative), thyroid disease, allergic dermatitis (environmental or food related), seasonal Alopecia (due to genetics), or even a bacterial or skin infection. Starting with a skin scrape and skin impression through your vet, along with a thyroid test (if your pet meets the criteria) is usually the best place to start when trying to find out the cause. We look forward to hearing back from you soon with pictures of your Sadie. Or a consultation can be requested for a more in depth and personal response. Best of luck and take care.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to us concerning your pets hair loss. Yes, hypothyroidism can be a cause of an older dogs hair loss. The clinical signs of hypothyroidism are no itchy hair loss, panting, constantly seeking out vents or shady places because the heat bothers them, etc. but this condition usually begins between the ages of two and five but there are some situations in which happens at an older age. There are many other diseases that can also cause hair loss so it is in your best interest To take him to a veterinarian to have a full physical examination performed. The vet will be able to run tests such as blood work up, thyroid testing, skin scraping, etc. to be able to make a diagnosis and put him on the correct treatment. I hope this information has helped. Have a great day.

Well, it certainly could just be the temperature change, but here is what I would look for. If she is itchy, any bald spots or scabs, any redness or odor to the skin. Any hair loss around the head. If you see any of these signs then I would definitely recommend an examination by a veterinarian. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hair loss can have a variety of causes. One of the first things to determine is whether he is scratching himself in that area or not. Dogs often scratch themselves at night when we are sleeping so it is harder to see. If he is scratching, the hair loss could be due to parasites such as fleas or mites, a bacterial infection, yeast overgrowth, or skin allergies. If he does not seem to be itchy, hair loss can be caused by hormonal changes or certain endocrine diseases. These are just some of the possibilities. In order to determine what is most likely, I recommend taking him to your local veterinarian for a thorough exam and an initial skin test if needed to determine the cause.