Ask the Vet About Hair Loss in Dogs and Cats
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

While efforts are made to answer all questions as quickly as possible, if an immediate answer is required or if your pet is in need of urgent or emergency care, contact your pet's veterinarian immediately.
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

You will receive an answer from Dr. Lindsay and our vet/tech team as soon as possible, usually the same day.
All answers are provided for informational or educational purposes only, and are intended to be a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise and professional judgment of your pet's veterinarian.
It may be necessary to consult your pet's veterinarian regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your pet's symptoms or medical condition.
CloseDoctor of Veterinary Medicine

An error has occurred, please reload the page and try again.
CloseDoctor of Veterinary Medicine

While efforts are made to answer all questions as quickly as possible, if an immediate answer is required or if your pet is in need of urgent or emergency care, contact your pet's veterinarian immediately.
There is no answer related to your question

Got questions? Ask Dr. Lindsay & our Vet Team
While efforts are made to answer all questions as quickly as possible, if an immediate answer is required or if your pet is in need of urgent or emergency care, contact your pet's veterinarian immediately.
Submit Your Question
I adopted a 4 year old German Shepard, who seems to have a infected looking area above his tail on his lower back. I believe it's a staph infection, but he's making it worse. What medication would you give him?
Hey! German Shepherds are prone to skin infections and hot spots and you most likely need antibiotics such as Clavamox 375mg twice a day for 14 days or Simplicef 200mg once a day for 10 days to clear this up. Please go to the vets online at Vetster.com and they can prescribe you medication through PetMeds.com. I hope this helped! Dr. Lindsay Butzer

what do you think that is?
There are so many causes of alopecia (allergies, hypothyroidism, demodex, ringworm, pyoderma, etc etc) you really need to determine an underlying cause because all of these are treated very differently. Here is a link to our article about hair loss, various causes and potential treatment options, both over-the-counter and prescription: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/dog-cat-hair-loss-18.html

I have a dog that had itchy skin and the skin gets peels off and the hair loss. looks like eczema and I tried to give omega to help him but did not work, one of the vet gave me the shampoo and medicine to treat him but did not work and it got worse after use. He is now losing weight and he is too skinny. I fed him meat base and he does eat well but not gain any weight. I tried many dry foods too just in case if he has allergy. But did not work. Again, he eats well but does not gain weight. He wants to drink water consistently. Please help me.. I can't afford hospital bills.. But I love my dog and wants to help him...
He has so many different things going on (skin issues, weight loss, increased thirst, etc.) he may have many different things going on so your veterinarian really needs to run some some tests so that you know what you are treating. The weight loss and increased thirst are suggestive of diabetes or Cushings, but there are many other possibilities as well.

My dog has bumps on his lower back and he's very sore to the touch and he's losing hair on his thighs and lower back I barely touch him and hair just falls out quickly
There are many things that cause skin problems like this (allergies, mange, ringworm, etc) and most are treated differently so have your veterinarian run some quick tests and make a diagnosis. Since allergies are the most common, here is a link to our article about various treatments for allergies, both over-the-counter and prescription: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/allergy-treatment-dog-cat-9.html

heart worm, Gabapentin made hair fall out, regrowth but skin has large brown patches. What is going on?
There are so many causes of this type of lesion (allergies, hypothyroidism, demodex, ringworm, pyoderma, etc etc) you really need to determine an underlying cause because all of these are treated very differently. Here is a link to our article about hair loss, various causes and potential treatment options, both over-the-counter and prescription: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/dog-cat-hair-loss-18.html

I think he might have mange
There are many conditions that can look like mange (allergies, two kinds of mange, ringworm, pyoderma, etc) and most are treated differently so have your veterinarian run some quick tests and make a diagnosis. Since allergies are the most common, here is a link to our article about various treatments for allergies, both over-the-counter and prescription: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/allergy-treatment-dog-cat-9.html Then here is a link to our article about demodectic mange: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/mange

My dog has this little red blister bumps all over,flack dandruff skin hair lost and she is hot to touch
There are many things that cause lesions like this (allergies, mange, ringworm, etc) and most are treated differently so have your veterinarian run some quick tests and make a diagnosis. Since allergies are the most common, here is a link to our article about various treatments for allergies, both over-the-counter and prescription: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/allergy-treatment-dog-cat-9.htm

My dog crate the back of his leg on the tile and got a scab started bleeding put Neosporin but I feel like it’s a little bit swollen so just wondering what to put
Diluted betadine solution is a little stronger: flush with it then apply your neosporin. Dilute it down to "weak tea consistency" - if it is too strong, it will sting and irritate rather than helping. Then if that isn't helping, see your veterinarian for stronger treatment options.

my dog is losing his hair under both front legs and his bloodwork came back negative for mange what can i use he is on apopquel
If he is negative for mange and your veterinarian prescribed Apoquel, it sounds like he has allergies. Allergies can be frustrating because they continue to recur until you figure out what they are allergic to and often it is multiple things. The good thing is that there are a LOT of treatment options available now, many more than are listed in this article but here is a link to our article about treating allergies which starts by discussing "avoiding allergens" and lists many over-the-counter and prescription treatment options: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/allergy-treatment-dog-cat-9.htm

My female cat pulls out her fur only on one side of her body! What May cause this
There are many things that can potentially cause this (allergies, mange, ringworm, etc) and most are treated differently so have your veterinarian run some quick tests and make a diagnosis. Since allergies are the most common, here is a link to our article about various treatments for allergies, both over-the-counter and prescription: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/allergy-treatment-dog-cat-9.htm

What can use for this the scratching at her body topical fleas and ticks, bleeding
I can't tell exactly what is going on from your description but Nexgard, Bravecto and Simparica all control fleas, ticks, and help with mange, really well.

They are a little bald
There are so many causes of hair loss (allergies, hypothyroidism, demodex, ringworm, pyoderma, etc etc) you and your veterinarian really need to determine an underlying cause because all of these are treated very differently. Here is a link to our article about hair loss, various causes and potential treatment options, both over-the-counter and prescription: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/dog-cat-hair-loss-18.htm

What can I get for my dog that has locked so much his hair is gone from inside back leg
There are so many causes of alopecia (allergies, hypothyroidism, demodex, ringworm, pyoderma, etc etc) you and your veterinarian really need to determine an underlying cause because all of these are treated very differently. Here is a link to our article about hair loss, various causes and potential treatment options, both over-the-counter and prescription: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/dog-cat-hair-loss-18.htm

What causes this and how do we treat this
There are many things that cause hair loss and matting (allergies, mange, ringworm, even underlying metabolic conditions, etc etc) and most are treated differently so have your veterinarian run some quick tests and make a diagnosis. Since allergies are the most common, here is a link to our article about various treatments for allergies, both over-the-counter and prescription: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/allergy-treatment-dog-cat-9.htm

My Pomeranian is getting bald spots and they’re turning black. Can you tell me what this might be and what I should do to make it go away?
There are many things that cause lesions like these (allergies, mange, hypothyroidism, ringworm, etc) and most are treated differently so have your veterinarian run some quick tests and make a diagnosis. Since allergies are the most common, here is a link to our article about various treatments for allergies, both over-the-counter and prescription: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/allergy-treatment-dog-cat-9.htm