Expert: Marie Peppers / The Boston Terrier Lady - 4/1/2010

Question
QUESTION: I have a 2 year old boston terrier female who started losing her hair when she was 9 or 10 months old.  It started on the backs of her legs, and now it is in the fronts and backs of her ears, her chest and belly, and the backs of her legs and moving up her sides.  The hair she does have looks good, very shiny, and she does not itch.   She is allergic to chicken so I had to find her a new food, and I am now feeding her lamb and rice.  She also has frequent diarrhea.  Anything you can suggest?  I'm starting to worry she'll be completely bald! Thanks so much!

ANSWER: Hi Libby - I would have your local vet do a skin scrape.  JUST a little bit of skin dander under the microscope.  JUST to rule out mange mites...
( they don't have to be itchy to have mange....)

NEXT - Please see here:  I have helped many Bostons with this problem-

Boston with hair loss:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Boston-Terriers-3377/2009/6/Boston-Terrier-losing-hai


or this one: Environmental allergies and the Boston Terrier

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Boston-Terriers-3377/2009/7/boston-terrier-hair-loss-

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: As a follow-up:  we did have her checked for mites, and she was treated about a year ago, and the spot that was affected cleared up.  We have not had her allergy tested, do you think we should take her to a vet who specializes in dermatology?

Answer
Well, Mites can come back due to a poor or low immune system.  I think that it may be good to have another scrape done .... Just to be sure.
Also, it is very common for Bostons to have food and environmental allergies..

Good luck and let me know what happens...

Marie Peppers
my e-mail:
mtnmom@gci.net