My dog is losing her fur in patches.Does this sound familar to anyone?

Question

We've tried anti itch creams ( she licks them off);she has brewers yeast and linatone added to her diet. She has large patches around her tail that go comepletely bald in the spring...she's a mix of border collie and australian shepherd.We've tried some many different things I am clueless as to how to proceed. And YES she's been to the vet so often for this problem I told them to install a revolving door in their office with all the money I've paid them.We are looking for any alternative forms of relief besides dipping her in mud 24/7. I say this because it seems to relieve some of her symptoms when she rolls in mud.

Answer 1

This may be an alternative that will spare her hair. Sounds like seasonal allergies. Diet may help!
http://www.rawdogranch.com
Also, get some supplements like 3V Skin Caps available from your Vet and NutriVed Chewable Vitamins- also available from the Vet.
Sometimes diet makes a big difference. Her allergies are severe. My Golden mix had bad allergies but not quite as bad as yours. I changed her dogfood to one that is good for dogs with food allergies. Venison and Rice by Nature's Recipe. No Wheat in it and Venison is tolerated better.
I added those supplements I just mentioned and she quit having to have Cortisone shots.
The raw diet has worked wonders on skin and coat when fed in balance to some dogs I know of.

Answer 2

There is not really enough info to give good advice. I work with dogs, and will try to give you the best info I can with the little advice you have given. One, all animals with fur shed, even humans. It is just the natrual process of things. Next, dogs are considered geriatric at five years old. It is most likely years past time for them to get a geriatric panal run. They should be getting one yearly at eight. How often do you have your dog groomed? Does it have matts? If so, that is painful to them & they will sometimes begin chewing them out. Are you having a flea problem? Many animals have severe flea allergies, which can lead to hair loss & skin infections. He may also have mange. Though Demo is highly unlikely if he did not have problems with it before since it is hereditary. He could have scopic mange, or even ringworm. These are both treatable. If it is ringworm, you can catch it, or anyone else who is contact with your dog. Make sure you are washing well after handling your dog. They could have developed a food allergy. You can purchase several low allergy foods from your vet. No matter what it ends up being, they will need a doctors care. Good luck & best wishes!

Answer 3

She might have ringworm or fleas. To check for fleas, run a fine-tooth comb through her fur, close to the skin. This should pick up eggs or fleas. Also check her "armpits", her belly, and any other areas of her body that may be warmer then usual. These areas are where fleas like to hang out. To check for ringworm, look at the patches under a blacklight. Ringworm should create a very very dim glow. Ringworm is not actually a worm, its a fungus. Your vet should help you decide how to treat her. With the right cream it will go away in a couple of weeks. However, ringworm will come back if you do not disinfect your house, the same goes for fleas. Wash everything fabric, and get a couple cans of lysol for your furniture and carpet. Literally spray everything, because the fungus spores can travel through the air, get tracked in on the feet, and actually "stick" to things. If all else fails, see a different vet. Hope this helps and good luck!

Answer 4

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RE:
My dog is losing her fur in patches.Does this sound familar to anyone?
We've tried anti itch creams ( she licks them off);she has brewers yeast and linatone added to her diet. She has large patches around her tail that go comepletely bald in the spring...she's a mix of border collie and australian shepherd.We've tried some many different things I am...

Answer 5

My pitbull puppy started losing his fur last spring and when we took him to the vet they told us he had demodex mange. They're mites that every dog has but if their immune system is weak the dog can't keep the mites under control. It could be something to ask your vet about. Also, she could be allergic to something, you mentioned that it happened in the spring, maybe she's allergic to pollen? Dogs deal with allergies by itching. Hope this helps!

Answer 6

your dog could have mange. there are two kinds of mange. Scabies which is contagous to humans and Demodex which is mites. Usually this is found in younger dogs but it does attach older ones as well. You should go to the vet [again] and have a skin scraping. Be careful if you have to dip her in lyme dip or mitaban and read the warnings CAREFULLY, Good luck

Answer 7

It could be mange but that would be all over by now. maybe a hotspot ? My dog looses fur and actually its by his butt to but he is allergic to fleas and if we are like even a week late on his meds then it will start to fall out.

Answer 8

you should either call your vet and do an allergy panel to find out exactly what is causing the problem. sometimes a thyroid problem can present this way, have they tested for that? also you could go to a veterinary dermatologist. they are more expensive, but cheaper in the end after years of vet visits. hope you get it figured out for your pup. and thanks for being a great owner that will take your dog to the vet several times for this!

Answer 9

Could it possibly be mange? Maybe do some research on it. My dog has it as well and its a tough disease to deal with, but it sounds like it may be.

Answer 10

ask your vet for some allermine. its not an rx drug, but it is a pretty good allergy medicine~ he should be able to just sell you some from his office, it's not expensive at all... sounds like an allergy. I have 2 full blooded aussies, but never have encountered this problem, anyway, good luck to you.