Any idea why my dog is losing hair down his back?

Question

My dog is losing his hair right down the middle of his back and around the under side of his neck. I have changed his food to Pedigree and had him checked for fleas, I also changed dog shampoos. One Groomer suggested Ivory dish soap. Nothing is working and the Vet we see is stumped. He is miserable and has scratched sores on himself. Any reasonable and real answer ideas would be a blessing.

Answer 1

Do you use any type of carpet deodorant? Do you fertilize or treat your grass? New carpet?

Try a sensitive dog food, or maybe something with lamb in it.
Are you bathing your dog too often?
Did your vet do a skin scraping to rule out mange? Did he do a blood test?
Seek a second opinion from another vet.

Answer 2

He has allergies. Get a spray bottle fill it 1/3 with apple cider vinegar, 1/3 distilled water, 1/3 peroxide.Spray him all over put a lot on any place that has a sore, spray him every couple of hours be sure to get it on his skin good rub it in. The real bad spots get a clean cloth and get it good and wet from the jar of solution you made and lay it on his skin. It will burn a little so he may not like it but make him lay and let you do it. My sister has a Yorkie and just 1 tiny flea bite will make her skin go crazy. Keep him on the good food. Also you need to get down him1 tbs apple cider vinegar and 1 tbs of olive oil once a week for a month then once a month after that. If he is a tiny dog half that amont. It would help if I new what size he was. Next time you are at the store get a clove of garlic and see if you can get him to eat some of it everyday. Be sure and take the skin off. If you or anyone else wants to email me I can tell you more ways to keep your dog and cat healthy. My old dog is 12 years old and she has never been sick a day in her life. [e-mail]

Answer 3

Your dog could have allergies. Lots of dogs do and it can be a bit of detective work to find out what the dog is allergic to. Inhalent allergies are more common than food allergies. Allergies can result in secondary yeast or bacterial infections. Allergy testing is expensive unfortunately. You can try a food elmination diet to see if it a food allergy. Your vet should be able to guide you or call around for a vet that can.
What has your vet tried? Has the dog been tested for the two kinds of mange?
I personally don't care for Pedigree, too much corn and fillers. I prefer super premium dog foods like Innova, Wellness or Wysong.
If he was only losing hair and didn't have the itching I would suggest alopecia which is common to dog with a 'blue' haircoat.

Answer 4

the only reason i can imagin a groomer suggesting ivory is because your dog has fleas. alot of dogs are actually allergic to them. just because you can't see them doesnt mean they aren't there. ALWAYS, no matter what, keep your dog on frontline or advantage, i prefer advantage. even if your dog doesn't have fleas, a bite from one or two could do that. if its not fleas....maybe its diet...try switching to a quality food...pedigree is NOT one of them. do some research on better dog foods (i can't tell you any names cause i honestly can't remember) they are very hard to find, and alittle more expensive, but WELL worth it...try drizzling a little fish oil over your dogs food every night, or wrapping a gel cap of fish oil in a piece of cheese.....also, don't bath your dog more than once every 3 to 4 weeks. any more could take out important oils and minerals from the coat and skin... my suggestion is get a routin going. every *4* weeks, bathe your dog in a medicated, oatmeal, or sensitive skin shampoo AND conditioner, DRY him VERY well, and then add advantage. do this once a month on a routine....thats all i can think of....other than some other kind of bad allergy or an underlying condition, which i think your vet would have already found. OR try finding another vet. good luck to you. i hope that helps...

Answer 5

There are some speciality foods at pet stores for skin problems. The PH in Dish saop is not the same as needed for dogs. Don't use it. I would get a shampoo for mange and give it a try. If there is still a problen then buy Lambert Kay Fresh n' Clean shampoo, I use the Baking Soda one. It has naturally soothing effects of oatmeal, baking soda and aloe vera in a gently cleansing shampoo. I'll leave a link below for a site that sells it. Petco and Pet Smart also carry it. Your dog may also have a food allergy.

Answer 6

Try a change of diet to something like Natures Recipe Venison and Rice, Fish and Potato or Vegetarian formulas of food or another premium food with Venison. Add a bit of Dan Active plain yogurt. Get some vitamin supplements from the Vet. Ask about 3V Skin Caps. They have Omega 3, Vitamins A, D and E in them. Don't bathe him too often unless a Vet gives you a specific prescription shampoo having diagnosed him with a need for an anti-fungal or anti-microbial shampoo. If a Vet says a dishsoap is okay, make sure it is anti-bacterial. Diet can definitely make a difference.
Common allergens for dogs are corn and wheat, beef and chicken protein. Don't give the dog table scraps or treats with corn, wheat or beef protein.
Ask your Vet if you can give your dog a few Benadryl a day to relieve itching and an anti-itching spray for relief.
Ask your Vet about a recommended topical flea treatment.

Answer 7

I think he might have fleas, even though you cant see them they might still be there, My friends dog was having the same problem where the fleas got so bad the fleas laid eggs under the skin and the fleas where under there and teh dog itched like CRAZY!!!!! to the point he had bald spots. So you cant see them. You can give him ivamec, witch is a heart worm praventative that should get rid of them or ask your vet to put him on a flea and tick praventative like advantage. Ivory soap is also good for a bath once and a while. If the skin is drying try Skin so soft from avon it is a natrual bug repelent that fleas hate its by avon and I have had alot of success with it. If you dont think its that, Alot of dogs are allergic to beef, and wheat and corn, try putting him on a lamb and rice formula with no by products (nutro or diomand for example) and see what happens. I have a dog with alot of allergies and this worked.

Answer 8

I would get him off the Pedigree, it's full of corn and fillers. You may have to try quite a few different foods to find one that agrees with him.

Has your vet done a thyroid check?

Although I normally don't have a problem with washing dogs in dish soap, I wouldn't use it on a dog with problem skin. Try an oatmeal, medicated or hypoallergenic shampoo (again, you may have to experiment to find the right one for your dog).

Answer 9

Has he been tested for Cushing's Disease (hyperadrenocorticism) and hypothyroidism? Both conditions can cause hair loss and a general "slowing down." If he is not neutered, it may also be related to sex hormones. To test for Cushing's, your vet would have done an ACTH Stimulation or a low dose dexamethasone suppression test (look for these on your records). To test thyroid function, the vet would run a T4 analysis, which tests for active thyroid hormone.

Answer 10

Could it be sensitive and dry skin? My dog used to be scratching a lot that there were patches on her body. I gave her Velcoat (a type of oil mixed with her food) that will ease the itch. She don't scratch herself so much after continuous consumption. You might want to check with your vet on the brands that are available in the market.