Is hair loss normal for senior dogs, or should I worry about baldness?

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.

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.

Hello, thank you for your question. I would not be concerned about it, as dogs age they may develop thinning hair and hair loss. If she is not bothering at the area by scratching it, then you may continue to monitor her. If you note any additional hair loss, scratching, or redness then you should have her evaluated by a veterinarian. Hope this helps and best of luck.

At Punkin's age, I'd want to rule out a couple of things. First, I'd want to make sure there are no fleas present, as they really "like" to hang out in the area you describe. Typically dogs are itchy with fleas, but I'd want to check even though Punkin doesn't seem to be itchy. If there aren't any parasites causing the hair loss, I would then definitely want to look for hormonal diseases, like hypothyroidism and Cushing's which commonly cause hair loss in older dogs. Make an appointment with your vet to get this sorted out.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If the hair thinning seems to be on the tail and the rest of his body and he is not itching, licking, or scratching the hair loss, then it may be due to an underlying endocrine disease such as Cushing's disease, diabetes, or hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone). I would recommend Hugo see his veterinarian soon for this. Your veterinarian will do a physical exam and may recommend blood work to check for any underlying health conditions such as the ones mentioned above among others to help determine a cause so he can get treated most appropriately. I hope this helps and thanks again for posting!

Jax is very cute! In dogs HYPERthyroidism is very rare. However HYPOthyroidism is much more common and can certainly cause hair loss or unusual hair patterns. It would be a good idea to have Jax's thyroid levels checked. Cushing's disease can also cause hair loss so it may be a good idea to have him rechecked for Cushing's. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and best to you and Jax!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I recommend a vet visit for Toby to assess the cause of his hairloss. Hairloss can be from allergies, parasites, endocrine disorders or breed related alopecia. Depending on what the veterinarian finds during Toby's exam they may recommend diagnostic testing to look for a primary skin disorder or bloodwork to check for endocrine (such as thyroid or adrenal gland) abnormalities. I hope this helps.