What could be the cause of a dog losing patches of hair?

Question

First of all, don't worry, I already have a vet appointment....

In the meantime, I would like some suggestions as to why my dog has bald spots on his body. On two of his legs, he has patches in which the hair has fallen out. It feels smooth like a scar, but it has the coloration of a scab (yellow/brownish). I was thinking this may be some type of worm, maybe ringworm. Could that be correct? Have any of you experienced this? What else might cause this hair loss?

*He is a short-haired dog--lab/pit mix 2 years old.
*We have him on a top-quality brand of food.
*We give him baths about once a month with Hertz brand shampoo.
*We use a heartworm/other parasite preventative medication once a month.

Answer 1

It could be a number of things. Allergies, contact dermatitis, mites (mange), a predisposition for skin problems, hot spot if it moist, ring worm etc.............................

Let us know what is actually is, OK?

Answer 2

Some others have already pointed to most of the possible causes I'm aware of, but is also possibly a dietary deficiency, or food allergy, or simply scratching [from fleas, or other irritant], possibly to the point of infection.

It sounds mostly like mange though, does the dog seem to have an over abundance of skin/hair oils being produced too...? Mange is infectious, as one has pointed out, be sure to wash as best you can without causing irritations from excess washing, yourself, the dog, blankets and furniture the dog uses, any where the mites may transit. Iodine in the soap also helps reduce infection rate, particularly for the dog - there are better solutions the vet will tell you about, but iodine is cheap and available. Iodine does damage the skin itself some, but usually not as much as the mange.

Top quality dogs food, are not always so great. The family business growing was grooming and raising dogs, so trust me, most vet recommended dogs foods are not good for the skin, or longevity. Some vets know their dietary stuff too, but most aren't so great in that particular area. Many top dog food lead to birth defects too BTW... Frankly I'm not currently aware of any great brands, "Wayne" USED to be excellent, but they changed their formula for more profits after the company was sold quite a while back.

I've been away from the family business since maturity, so only hear things in passing now, and veterinary practice has generally become better, but there are certainly things they don't do well yet, thank God they tend to be studious, and improving, and are certainly better than total ignorance.

Answer 3

it could be mange. there are 2 types of mange. one is very contagious, the other not. but if you have hair loss with scaley skin, always suspect mange.
the crust you describe sounds to me like sarcoptic mange, which is the contagious type .
i'm not a vet, but i play one on TV... HAHA just kidding.
seriously, i'm not a vet but have been educated on this and have seen both kinds of mange.
you have an appointment. so keep cool. just remember that you have touched it and the type of mange i suggested it may be can cause YOU some discomfort. I'ts a mite. and even though they don't like humans, they can cause a nasty rash.
If it's ringworm, again, YOU can get it. and ringworm likes humans too.
If it's demodex mange, you have nothing to worry about as far as spreading it to any other animals or to you.

The only way to tell is for your vet to get a skin scraping and look at it under a microscope. be forewarned.....sometimes with mange, nothing shows on the slide. doesn't mean your dog doesn't have it. a good vet will treat for what he suspects the problem to be by other signs. like location of the hair loss and condition. around the eyes, the abdomen, are prime places for mange to start. ringworm can be anywhere.

also, pits are prone to demodex mange. with this type, they may give a mitiban bath, an insecticide.

just use caution because it may be contagious.
then when you find out what it is, get back on here and tell us all what it was and what your vet did to get rid of it.

Hope i helped, cuz i sure try to, all the time

Answer 4

Ringworm or it could be an allergy to the shampoo you use. You might need to talk to your vet about prescription shampoo..my dog had many bald patches about 2 months ago from an allergy to Target brand shampoo. He still has a few bald patches. But sometimes you just didnt wash out the shampoo all the way.

Answer 5

If it was ring worm it would be rough and feel like a scab. The hair doesnt always fall out with ringworm. Does it seem to be itchy? It could just be a doggy form of alopecia, hair loss with no cause or a mental cause such as stress. Sorry i cant help more but that has me stumped.

Answer 6

Sorry to bother you,
I followed you here from the Evolution question.
Just wondering,
What state do you teach in?
You don't have to tell me the school name, or city.
Just the state.
Thank you so much.

Answer 7

Allergies!
Its that time of year where they tend to show up. Also as the dog feels itchy they lick and lick and the fur falls out.

Answer 8

Mange?

Answer 9

it could have dry skin they a shamoo that the vet gice if you dog don't have the maze

Answer 10

possibly scarponic mange & by he way, that is transtmittable to humans as well. it tunnells under the skin