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HELP with my dobermans skin

521 views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  4x4bike ped 
#1 · (Edited)
Ok so I’m gonna start off by saying my male Doberman( loki ) had perfect hair and coat when he was a puppy but as he grew up he started loosing hair in a small patch on his back. At that time it was just a little hair fall but then it started spreading and worsening. It went from hair fall to full blown hair loss. I live in India but even in the well developed parts such as the capital Delhi I can’t seem to find a single doctor that can tell me what is going on. Some say it has something to do with his pancreas. Others say it’s an allergy but I ruled that out after I fed him hypoallergic dog food for quite some time with no results. A doctor also suggested that it might be alopecia but I also know it’s not that since the hair did grow back quite a bit before worsening again, this would not have happened in the case of alopacia in which hair is permanently lost. Me and my family love loki and have spent thousands of dollars trying to get him help. We are from a good family and live in a community where it is extremely hygienic. He gets exercise every day and is happy but I hate to see him the way he is now. Please to anyone out their who might know what this is help us heal our dog.
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#2 ·
Hi Siddhasvir. Welcome to you and Loki from the Pacific NW.

Yeah skin issues can be very frustrating. And even in the US, it is not uncommon for a family/general practice vet to readily and correctly diagnose and treat them.

My first suggestion would be to seek out a veterinary dermatologist, if available where you live. Also, it you want some advice or ideas from members here, you will need to attach a few photos. Even then, any "diagnoses" that you receive, would be speculative at best.

Off the top my head.... On common source of hair loss in mature Dobermans is hypothyroidism. It is a condition that is easily treatable if correctly diagnosed. It requires bloodwork. And a. full thyroid panel would typically be sent out to a lab for analysis.

Best too you and your pup.

John L
Portland OR
 
#3 ·
Ok so I’m gonna start off by saying my male Doberman( loki ) had perfect hair and coat when he was a puppy but as he grew up he started loosing hair in a small patch on his back. At that time it was just a little hair fall but then it started spreading and worsening. It went from hair fall to full blown hair loss. I live in India but even in the well developed parts such as the capital Delhi I can’t seem to find a single doctor that can tell me what is going on. Some say it has something to do with his pancreas. Others say it’s an allergy but I ruled that out after I fed him hypoallergic dog food for quite some time with no results. A doctor also suggested that it might be alopecia but I also know it’s not that since the hair did grow back quite a bit before worsening again, this would not have happened in the case of alopacia in which hair is permanently lost. Me and my family love loki and have spent thousands of dollars trying to get him help. We are from a good family and live in a community where it is extremely hygienic. He gets exercise every day and is happy but I hate to see him the way he is now. Please to anyone out their who might know what this is help us heal our dog.
send pics
 
#5 · (Edited)
Perhaps an obvious question, but what color is he? Blues and fawns can have trouble with hair loss because of the way the melatonin is distributed in the hair shaft. The hair is more fragile and breaks off, which can sometimes lead to a secondary infection also.

Dogs are more likely to have allergies to things in their environment (grasses, pollens, animal dander, dust mites, etc) than to different kinds of food. Is he itchy? Does he lick his feet a lot, especially when he has been outside?

Hypothyroidism is another possible cause of hair loss.

I'm assuming one of the vets you went to has done a skin scraping to look for different kinds of mange (caused by mites)--sarcoptic and demodectic? Sarcoptic tends to be itchy and can spread rapidly even to people. Demodectic mites are normally present on a dog's skin, but in some dogs for some reason, can start to multiply and cause a problem with hair loss. It tends not to be as itchy as sarcoptic mange.

And of course there is ringworm too, caused by a fungus. It tends to occur in localized spots (sometimes a number of them, however) rather than generally spread all over the skin. And bacterial infections, where you usually see bumps and scaling, with skin irritation.

None of those things are really due to cleanliness or its lack; different dogs just seem to have different sensitivities and immune systems.

Do you bathe him often? Dobes generally need very few baths. Bathing him is not likely to be the primary reason for his hair loss, but depending on how often you bath him, how you do it, and what kinds of shampoos, conditioners or other products you use, you can make his skin worse (or better.)

Taking him to a dermatology vet would be your best bet, but they can be hard to find. I don't know how vets are trained in your area, but you might be able to get advice from a vet school if you can't find a dermatology veterinary specialist.
 
#6 ·
Hi Siddhasvir. Welcome to you and Loki from the Pacific NW.

Yeah skin issues can be very frustrating. And even in the US, it is not uncommon for a family/general practice vet to readily and correctly diagnose and treat them.

My first suggestion would be to seek out a veterinary dermatologist, if available where you live. Also, it you want some advice or ideas from members here, you will need to attach a few photos. Even then, any "diagnoses" that you receive, would be speculative at best.

Off the top my head.... On common source of hair loss in mature Dobermans is hypothyroidism. It is a condition that is easily treatable if correctly diagnosed. It requires bloodwork. And a. full thyroid panel would typically be sent out to a lab for analysis.

Best too you and your pup.

John L
Portland OR
Hi thanks for the help I just updated the post with pictures. I also recently took my dog for the blood work but the reports are yet to be received although I will share the results as soon as I can.
 
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