Symptom · Dogs
Dog hair loss: what it means and when to call the vet
Some shedding is normal, but bald patches, thinning fur, or hair loss with itching, redness or scaling isn’t. It’s rarely urgent, but a vet can find the cause — parasites, allergies, infection or hormones.
By Maya HartCommon causes
- Fleas and flea allergy
- Mites (demodex or sarcoptic mange)
- Ringworm (a fungal infection that can spread to people)
- Bacterial skin infection
- Allergies
- Hormonal disorders such as hypothyroidism or Cushing’s disease
- Pressure points and licking from boredom or pain
What you can do at home
- Check for fleas and flea dirt
- Wash your hands after handling bald patches until ringworm is ruled out
- Stop licking with a cone or T-shirt
- Keep flea treatment up to date
What the vet may do
- Skin scrapes, hair plucks and tape tests
- Fungal culture for ringworm
- Blood tests for thyroid and adrenal disease
- Treatment for parasites, infection or allergy
Prevention
- Year-round flea prevention
- Regular grooming
- Balanced diet
The details
The pattern of hair loss gives clues. Itchy, patchy loss on the lower back and tail base points to fleas. Symmetrical thinning on both sides of the body without itch suggests hormonal disease. Round, scaly bald patches may be ringworm — which, despite the name, is a fungus — and can spread to people, especially children.
Double-coated breeds may also lose coat after being shaved, and it may never grow back quite the same.
Questions owners ask
Is dog hair loss an emergency?
Often it can be watched at home for a day, as long as none of the warning signs appear. Go now if you see: hair loss with raw, weeping, rapidly spreading sores; hair loss with lethargy, heavy thirst or a pot belly; facial swelling or hives.
What causes dog hair loss?
Fleas and flea allergy; Mites (demodex or sarcoptic mange); Ringworm (a fungal infection that can spread to people); Bacterial skin infection; Allergies; Hormonal disorders such as hypothyroidism or Cushing’s disease; Pressure points and licking from boredom or pain.
What can I do at home?
Check for fleas and flea dirt. Wash your hands after handling bald patches until ringworm is ruled out. Stop licking with a cone or T-shirt. Keep flea treatment up to date.
Sources
Tailwise is for general information and is reviewed by veterinary professionals, but it is not a substitute for advice from your own vet, who knows your pet. How we check facts