Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 7/8/2008

Question
Our Great Pyrenees is hypothyroid and has lost patches of hair on her back and she is now developing a spot on her right ear.  She is forever rubbing her face and rolling on her back to scratch herself all year long.  And now she is always scratching her ear.  The spots where she has lost hair is now black not pink and the hair is starting to grow back.  She did this same thing last year. we give one fish oil a day.  Help we are at loss as do what to do, our last pyr also had thryoid problems and allergies in the summer.

Answer
If she is an allergic dog, that would explain the hair loss and the itchy, flaky skin.  Being hyporthyroid, that is easy to regulate, but if she is both hypothyroid and allergic, that make things more complicated.  You can use steroids to control the itching or you can ask your vet to allergy test so that you can give allergy shots to decrease her reaction to the allergens she is sensitive to.