Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 6/7/2011

Question
My pitull is almost 7 this year and i have had many years of having to bring her to the vet an get her put on antibiotics that would help just a little but there is a big bald spot of her butt and the hair hasnt grownn back and she gets frequent itchy flaky skin an i tried many shampoos an flea meds oral an topical and dont know what else to do i also have been giving her vitamines for the hair an skin an no change.

Answer
Usually with hair loss and itching in the rump area, this indicates a flea allergy.  Has the dog had any steroids to calm down the skin?  If not, then ask your vet if that would be a good treatment for your dog.  If it is really flaky as well, that often indicates a bacterial infection, so the dog may also need antibiotics to treat the infection.