hair loss!

kimberlina · 02-26-2008, 09:29 AM

hi everyone. i'm new to this forum.
i have a female black and tan doberman called paris and shes my angel!
i've noticed that she is losing some of her hair. she hasnt got completely bald patches or anything but her hair is definately thinning on her ears, head and on her side. i was wondering if this is something to be concerned about or if she's just having a bad malt????

also she has a very sore path on left side near her back leg which she has literally licked raw. it looks really sore and she is continually licking at it. any ideas what this is all about?

vegaslove · 02-26-2008, 09:57 AM

Hi and welcome to DT. Has she been to the vet? What treatments have you already tried? Type of food?
Hopefully someone with this experience will post soon. Got pics of your girl?

**voodoolizard** · 02-26-2008, 09:59 AM

Zeus had a sore bit on his leg with hair loss, we got some cream from the vet and it cleared up in a week or 2 !!
id get her to the vet asap !!

kimberlina · 02-26-2008, 10:14 AM

i'm going to take her to the vet tonight i think if i can get in. i havent tried anything treatment wise yet because i was worried about hurting her even more. she's on a recommended food from the vet and has been for ages and ages.

vegaslove · 02-26-2008, 10:58 AM

Good luck, keep us posted!

dobebug · 02-26-2008, 01:07 PM

i'd definitely be asking the vet to do a full panel thyroid test on a 4 year old dobe who had thinning hair behind the ears, on the top skull & sides. those are the areas you most often see early hair loss in a hypothyroid dog.

the other issue sounds like a lick granuloma--definitive causes are often hard to track down but having had to deal w/a dog who was quite neurotic about scabs & scrapes i can tell you that i finally worked out a system for him--he went into a basket muzzle & stayed in it until the area he was continually licking actually grew hair back--at that point he would leave it alone.

charlesmdodson · 02-26-2008, 10:38 PM

You'll find the answers are the same for many health-related questions. Here is the checklist:

1. Food - what/how much/what kind?
2. Supplementation - fish oils?
3. Stress/outstanding medical issues?

Obviously I would see a vet then address these three.