My 5-month-old puppy is losing hair. What should I do to help her?

I am sorry to hear about your puppy. Many different things can cause hair loss, also known as alopecia, in dogs. Parasites of the skin such as mange mites and fleas can cause this. Bacterial or yeast infections of the skin can also be a cause, as well as some genetic disorders. I would recommend an examination at a veterinarian to determine the cause of the hairloss which will help guide treatment recommendations, which may include medication to treat for mange, antibiotics or medicated shampoos.

Hello. In a 7 month old pup, my first guess is Demodex mange. But, this could also be a simple bacterial infection. Let your veterinarian do a simple skin test to see if the mites are present. There is a very specific treatment for this & usually results in a cure within a few months. I do hope you can have her seen soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Lily Cruz! Is Lily scratching? I would have her seen by your Vet. The most common causes of excessive shedding and areas of balding are: demodex (non-contagious mite), ring worm and a skin infection. Demodex can be easily treated with one of the oral flea/tick preventatives (Nexgard, Simparica or Bravecto). Skin infections are treat with antibiotics or anti-fungals if it is yeast. Ring worm can be a bit more complicated. I do not think it is normal shedding because she shouldn't have areas that are thin or balding. I wish you the best!

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.

Buddy may have a mite infection (demodicosis) or a bacterial/fungal skin infection. I suggest you make an appointment with your veterinarian for a skin exam, possibly some diagnostics (skin swab, culture or biopsy) and relevant treatment.

Hello and thank you for your post! A patch of hair loss could indicate multiple things. I am assuming that she is quite Young since you are calling her a puppy. If she is very young, she might have a patch of hair loss due to skin mites called Demodex. This patch could also be infectious, bacterial or fungal. I would suggest getting her seen by her veterinarian to have diagnostic tests performed to see what the primary cause of this patch of hair loss is. Your veterinarian will likely scrape the skin in that affected area as an initial test. Depending on the cause, that will be able to prescribe the most appropriate treatments for this. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any other concerns that you may have. I am also available via text or phone consultation.

Puppies are at risk for mites like demodex, ring worm, bacterial infections. I would recommend an exam with your vet and a skin scrape to look for mites. Some mites are contagious to people like sarcoptic mange. Some mites are not. Hope that helps