Is my 8-week puppy's hair loss due to his food or normal shedding?

It would not be normal for a 4 week old puppy to lose a lot of hair. If it seems excessive and/or he has bald areas then he could have mites. ringworm, or a skin infection. Your vet can do some testing to help determine the cause and treat.

It is not normal for a pet to have bald spots, but it is normal for a pet to shed. If Cookie has bald spots, then the top causes for this are: Flea allergies or Demodexx mites. It is best to have him examined by your vet to determine which is the cause and to start treatment. I hope that Cookie's hair issues resolve soon! Best wishes and take care.

When you say he hasn’t eaten in 2 days I am not clear if you mean he hadn’t eaten in the days before you got him, or if he hasn’t eaten with you the last 2 days. Puppies want to eat. If he is being offered food but not eating then I would be very concerned and recommend that he be evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible. The hairless spots on the skin can be multiple problems, but most common would be a mite called demodex. It is usually seen when the immune system is weak. If there are just a few spots often they will resolve as the puppy grows and gets stronger. But if there are many areas or large areas there is a treatment available. I am more concerned about the eating than the skin at this point. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Cute pups! Its hard to say whether this isa problem that will persist, as its hard to know if the puppies are doing this as behavioral playing, or because they have an itchy skin condition. So the short (ish) answer is "maybe" there is an underlying problem that could persist. Take the puppy to the vet when you get him/her. They may recommend doing a skin scrape to look for mites, and may also recommend testing for ringworm. It my be that they have a tendency to be allergic as well, and unfortunately there's just not a way to know this for certain at this time; you just have to see what happens over time. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach, and good luck with the new pup!

From the description provided, your pet may be suffering from allergies secondary to fleas, environmental allergens such as dust, pollen, grass, or even a protein source in his diet. In addition to the food trial, it is imperative to administer the flea prevention on time every month. Even one flea bite can set off a reaction that can ultimately lead to a secondary skin infection.

Your dog should be on puppy food for at least the first year of his life. I worry that he's not getting the right balance of nutrient in the diet you're giving him now and that can lead to a number of health problems now and in the future. If you want to continue to make his food at home, ask your veterinarian for advice, find out if there is a veterinary nutritionist you can consult with for a recipe that will meet his nutritional needs or go to the website for the American College of Veterinary Nutritionists and consult with one there. http://www.acvn.org/

Shedding large amounts of hair at one time in a puppy at any age between 4-8 months is going to be normal. There are estimates to when a pet should shed, but again you have to take into account that there is a bell curve with any estimate, so some dogs fall to the left or right of this. Dogs can also shed at multiple intervals, because the entire shedding process can be broken up into phases. You know you are dealing with an actual skin issue when you see patches of bald areas on the skin. As long as she doesn't have alopecia areas then this is considered to be a normal shedding process. Good luck with your new pup!