Dog Hair Loss

Like people dogs need to be healthy to get the most out of life. Dogs are our friends companions and sometimes watch dogs and they look to us to provide for their health and well being we should make sure to take the proper steps to maintain their good health. Here you will read about products and techniques that might help help you keep a happy and healthy dog for many years.

Hair Loss in Dogs

Just like humans dogs can experience hair loss. This kind of hair loss is more than the normal shedding that most dogs do. This is hair loss that occurs either all over the body or in patches on your dog's body. With most dogs hair loss means that there is something wrong with your dog. If you notice patchy or significant hair loss in your dog it is important to get them to the vet so that the problem can be diagnosed and treated.

Hair loss in dogs is usually one of two types. If it is symmetric meaning that it occurs on both sides of their body in relatively the same place it is generally a hormone related problem. If it is patchy and asymmetric meaning that it occurs in different places on the sides of their body it means that it is probably due to some sort of parasite or something similar.

Some of the most common kinds of hormone related problems that cause hair loss in dogs include having too much cortisone in their body growth-hormone responsive alopecia which usually happens during puberty and to younger dogs hyperestrogenism which is an overabundance of estrogen in their bodies and can occur in both male and female dogs. The opposite of this is hypoestrogenism which means that the dog's body is not producing enough estrogen and can lead to hair loss. This problem most commonly occurs in older spayed females. Hair loss in dogs can also signify hypothyroidism which means that their thyroid is not working properly. This problem should definitely be suspected if the dog is losing hair but does not seem to be having trouble with itching. While this is only a small list of some of the hormone related things that can cause hair loss in dogs it is some of the most common problems for dog hair loss.

There are lots of other things that are not hormone-related that can cause hair loss in your dog. These diseases usually cause hair loss from parasites that are infesting your dog. For instance Dachshunds often get a parasite called Acanthos Nigrans which can cause significant hair loss. Color mutant alopecia makes a dog look moth eaten with hairless patches all over their bodies. Demodetic mange is a localized type of hair loss however this usually only 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 which causes their hair to fall out.

Another cause of hair loss in dogs can be nervousness and stress. If a dog is very stressed it can exhibit symptoms with a dog scratching itself until their hair falls out. The good news is that dogs once the problem is taken care of usually begin to grow the lost hair back. Hair loss in dogs is often indicative of a serious problem that means they need to be seen by their vet.

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