Ask the Veterinarian/Hairloss

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Expert: - 2/21/2011


Question
I rescued a dog about 3 months ago and recently she has been losing a lot of fur. She has lost most of her soft fluffy fur on her back legs leaving only the longer coarser hair, she is also losing fur on her neck and back but not as bad. She doesn't have any actual bald spots but her fur is getting thinner. Her skin is dry it looks like she has dandruff. She doesn't scratch excessively. Her skin doesn't look red, bumpy or inflamed. Other than the hairloss and dry skin she seems perfectly healthy she eats well drinks well goes to the washroom normally and is happy and energetic. She's just over one year old. She is a mix breed her father was a boxer and her mother is an unknown mix. Can you give me some advice on what it could be? Should I take her to the vet or will the fur grow back on its own?
Thank you for your time.

Answer
If her father was a boxer then she is just shedding out bad fur and growing in a new coat from being fed better for the last three months. However, if she has dandruff too, then what you are feeding her is not adequate in the vital nutrients she needs, such as EFAs etc.

Her age has a lot to do with this as certain breeds will shed out a baby type fur at a young age and grow into an adult coat.

I would get her on some Science Diet for Sensitive skin formula for dogs and see how she does on that for about three months. It takes 3 weeks for a food to start showing up on the outside from what you feed on the inside.

Give that a try and see if her skin and her coat don't improve. If they don't then she should have a look over from your vet and make sure she is wormed, doesn't have any skin conditions and is heartworm free (she should be on heartworm prevention already).

You are what you eat, and so are our pets. Giving her a diet that has optimal nutrition will ensure that she gets all the nutrients she needs for a beautiful, healthy coat and healthy system.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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