Hair loss experienced by anyone, both humans and animals can be interpreted as a normal condition or become an indication of certain health problem.
Dogs, for instance, also experience hair loss, either partial or complete loss. A condition of hair loss in dogs is called alopecia. Alopecia in dogs also refers to deficiency in a dog’s coat or even a failure to grow hair at all.
Dogs normally shed and even may have patchy coats while the seasons change. However, alopecia is different and easily noticeable.
There are some symptoms of hair loss or alopecia in dogs, such as overall hair loss, patches of baldness, crusting and inflammation of the skin, scaly skin, itchiness and wounds caused by scratching and even oozing or bleeding around the areas of hair loss.
After knowing the symptoms, then you may wonder what causes your dogs to loss hair. Let’s see these 6 causes of hair loss in dogs dog owners should be aware of!
- Allergies
Allergies may have become the most common cause of hair loss in dogs. Allergies can be caused by many factors too, such as food, pollen, fleas, mites, molds and dust.
The bodies release histamine as the reaction to the offending substances which lead to itching and excess shedding. If your dog experiences allergies, then you can consider giving them best dog food for dogs with skin allergies.
The typical symptoms of an adverse allergic reactions are itchiness that results in excess scratching, biting and hair loss. For flea allergies, it is recommended to take flea preventatives so that you can minimize the threats of a full-blown flea infestation.
If your dog experiences flea infestation, then make sure you are knowledgeable of these ways to get rid and prevent fleas on your pets.
- Infection or Infestation
Parasites infestation by ticks, fleas and mites, is another source of alopecia in dogs. If you notice that the hair loss happen around the eyes, ears, chest and abdomen, then your dog may have mites or fleas and even include the inflammation, itching and redness.
Another infection can also be caused by bacteria or fungi. For instance, in the case of ringworm (which is not a species ringworm at all, instead it is a fungi), dogs can also experience hair loss.
The symptoms are including the irregular or circular hair loss, inflammation and even infected crusts. Dogs may even chew or scratch their skin because of the itchiness and it can damage their coats.
Be aware of these warning signs that your dog might get fungal infection on skin.
- Genetics
Do you know that some dog breed are more prone to baldness than others due to their genetics? You may know hairless dogs that have been bred for the attribute, such as Chinese Crested and American Hairless Terrier.
There are even some other dog breeds that sometimes suffer from patchy or pattern baldness on the outer ears, chest, back, thigh and lower neck, such as Dachshund and Chihuahua. However, this hereditary condition is harmless and most dog owners just live with it rather than treat it.
- Pressure Sores
Pressure sores, or sometimes are called as bedsores or decubiti ulcers are the other causes of hair loss in dogs. These are localized injuries which commonly attack the dog’s elbows or other bony pressure joints, such as hips, hocks, etc.
These parts become pressed once they are in contact with hard surfaces regularly. The pressure and friction cause the skin to callus and lose hair. Sometimes, the skin even cracks and bleeds too!
Pressure sores are commonly experienced by older dogs, especially the heavy or large breeds.
- Poor Nutrition
Poor nutrition in dogs, or sometimes called as undernourishment, is rarely a problem for dogs kept in homes. However, for some puppies who have stricter dietary need than other, are possible to be exposed to poor nutrition.
As we know, growing puppies need higher calories intake, protein, and fat for their development as well as healthy maintenance of healthy skin and hair.
Make sure you also know the best and essential nutrients for your senior dogs. They should get the best nutrients no matter how old they are.
If your dog experiences hair loss due to poor nutrition or cannot be adjusted to certain types of diet, then consult with your vet to find the best tips and recommendations on how to prevent your dog from hair loss.
- Stress
Just like us humans, dogs can also experience stress. Hair loss in dogs can even be caused by stress, especially when you and your vet cannot find the cause of your dog excessive hair loss. Severe anxiety, such as from separation or changes in the environment can manifest as physical symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea and compulsive scratching or licking.
This behavior will cause some bald patches to appear and it can get worse if the dog obsessively licks one particular spot on its body as it may lead to lesions or skin infections.
Still related to dog’s skin, get to know these common skin problems on dogs and try to avoid them as you can.