My senior dog is not jumping and losing hair after having puppies. Why?

This may be caused by excessive licking due to pain or itching, or could also have a hormonal cause. I do see a skin lession on the first photo, so you may want to review your regime of flea control. If you observe your dog and/or the puppies itching, check for fleas. You may also take her and the litter to a veterinarian for an exam if this continues or expands.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor Betsy! She is very cute! Hormones from pregnancy and lactation can affect the skin and hair. If the puppies are all weaned and have new homes, then I would suggest full blood work. Low thyroid and Cushing's disease can cause thin hair coats and pigment changes in the skin. Starting an Omega 3 fish oil (http://vrshealth.com/canine-products/omegadog/) won't hurt. Be sure she is on a good balanced commercial diet and if she is still nursing be sure it is puppy food. She should also be dewormed, pregnancy and nursing activates "sleeping" round worms. Parasites can cause a dull, thin hair coat. I also suggest having Betsy spayed. At 7 years old I worry about being intact impacting her health (pyometra, mammary cancer) and that is a bit old to have puppies again. I hope this helps and I wish Betsy the very best!

That's a good question. The hormonal changes, the energy drain of having puppies and nursing them and the additional stress are all reasons female dogs lose their coats after having puppies. This is normal and once the pups are done nursing and she starts relaxing and gaining back weight the fur will come back in. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Jimmy.

Hello, and thank you for your question. Possible causes of itching and hair loss in dogs include parasites (fleas, mites), skin infections (bacterial, fungal), or allergies (food, environmental). If she is very uncomfortable due to itching, this may explain her low appetite. I would suggest a vet visit in the morning to help determine the cause of her skin problems. They may perform a skin scraping, skin cytology, or culture. They may be able to provide medication to provide her some relief and comfort from her itching, and treat the source of the problem as well. I hope this helps, and that Sophie is feeling better soon!

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.

Hi there! There are many things that can cause these symptoms, especially in an older dog, so it's hard to say what might be going on without being able to examine her and run some tests. This is probably not related to her vaccine two months ago, as these are not typically signs of a vaccine reaction or other vaccine-induced problem. Shivering can be caused by any kind of pain or discomfort - arthritis, nausea, back pain, etc. It can also be due to anxiety, a hormonal problem like hypothyroidism, or even just being cold due to her shorter hair coat. Hair loss can be caused by allergies, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). I would recommend taking Lacy to the vet for an exam when you are able to. He/she can do some diagnostic testing if needed to help determine the problem and get her started on appropriate treatment.

Hello. It is not unusually for a bitch to blow her coat while nursing. There is such a great demand for nutrients to go into the milk that often a mother dog's weight & coat will suffer. Dogs can spot for up to 12 weeks after whelping, so as long as the discharge is not getting worse, I would not worry. I do not know why she is favoring her left side. Arthritis is a possibility if she is an older dog, but it certainly can be other things like tick disease to a sprain/strain. If you have not wormed her or the puppies, do so. Pyrantal pamoate is usually started when the puppies are just 2 weeks old. This does not get all the worms, but is safe for mom & the puppies. If the blood spotting or the limp gets any worse, please have her seen by your veterinarian. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.