Look Young Again!

Hair Loss in Dogs

Dog fur is hair. Dogs can experience hair loss just like humans. This is more than normal shedding. This is hair loss that occurs either all over the body, or in patches on your dog's body. Hair loss with dogs usually means something is wrong. If you notice patchy or significant hair loss in your dog, it is essential to have the dog diagnosed and treated by a veterinarian. It is not a cosmetic issue.

Dogs experience two types of hair loss.

• Symmetrical hair loss occurs on both sides of their body in relatively the same place. This generally indicates a hormone related problem.
• Asymmetrical hair loss is patchy in different places on the sides. Most often this indicates a parasite or similar cause.

There are a variety of hormone related causes of hair loss in dogs. This short list of hormone related causes of hair loss in dogs includes some of the most common problems encountered.

• Too much cortisone
• Growth-hormone responsive alopecia  usually happens during puberty and to younger dogs,
• Hyperestrogenism is an overabundance of estrogen and can occur in both male and female dogs.
• Hypoestrogenism means that the dog's body is not producing enough estrogen, and can lead to hair loss. This occurs most often in older spayed females.
• Hypothyroidism is suspected when the dog is losing hair but does not seem to be itching. This is from a malfunctioning thyroid gland.

Many other causes are not related to hormones. Some diseases cause hair loss from parasites that are infesting your dog.

• Dachshunds often get a parasite called Acanthus nigrans, which causes significant hair loss.
• Color mutant alopecia makes a dog look moth eaten, with hairless patches
• Demodetic mange is a localized type of hair loss that usually occurs in puppies.
• Ringworm is a fungal problem that can cause hair loss in your dog.
• Another parasitic infection causes seborrhea, which is a type of dry skin that leads to heavy dandruff and causes hair loss.

Nervousness and stress is another cause of hair loss in dogs. A stressed out dog may scratch itself until hair falls out. With this origin, once the stress is reduces and the scratching behavior is resolved the hair usually begins to grow back.

Hair loss in dogs often indicates a serious problem and the dog should be examined by a veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.