The dog's hair falls out: why and what to do?

To understand how the owner to act when hair loss in a pet, it is necessary to establish the reasons. Of course, with the loss of hair in the area near the eyes, as well as on the body, the dog's body signals the occurrence of any changes. However, these changes do not always mean a critical state of health that requires urgent treatment. Symptoms may be caused by safe factors. But in some cases - a threat to health.

What are the causes of hair loss in dogs, why does itch and itch, peel skin? There are several groups of factors that can lead to such conditions.

Possible reasons

Hormonal
The onset of pet baldness can be caused by some kind of hormonal disease. The most common:

1. Growth hormone production disorders. It can provoke a uniform loss of coat by the dog. This problem is more often encountered by males during sexual development. Certain breeds, such as poodles and spitz, are also the most susceptible to this disease.
2. Cushing's Syndrome. Another common problem, which is characterized by loss of hair throughout the body. This process is due to an excess of cortisol in the body of the pet. Signal of the onset of symptoms of the disease can increase body weight, increased thirst. Also, the animal may begin to experience uncontrolled urination. The belly of the dog takes on a flabby and saggy appearance. It is worth considering that such signs can also accompany the use of steroids, and do not always signal a disease.
3. Elevated estrogen levels. Hair loss can be caused by an excess of estrogen in the pet's body. This phenomenon is typical mainly for sterilized females in adulthood. Among the manifesting symptoms are thin coat, growth retardation. Which may be accompanied by softness and smoothness of the skin of the pet.
4. Hypotheriosis. With a deficiency in the body of the pet of thyroid hormones - hypothyroidism occurs. In this case, a lethargic state of the dog is noted. There is a decrease in immunity, which, in turn, leads to a loss of body resistance to infectious diseases. This accompanies the thinning of the hair, with its subsequent thinning in the chest and neck, then the back and sides, tail, and thighs undergo baldness.

Such cases are possible in which a person becomes the cause of hair loss. This may be due to the fact that pets living in a booth on the street do not receive all the necessary nutrients from the owner with food. Which subsequently leads to weight gain and even diabetes mellitus, which some owners are unaware of.

Moreover, if the dog is in close contact with the person, it has the risk of contracting diseases from the owner. In addition, it is not recommended to give the dog various hormonal drugs, such as birth control. Since this also can lead to the beginning of baldness.

Non-hormonal
In addition to diseases caused by a surge in hormones, other diseases that also require surgical treatment can lead to hair loss in a dog. These include:

1. Molting. This process is completely determined by the individual characteristics of the pet and its breed, as well as the type of coat. The puppy's moulting age is up to 10 months. Often, the process is accompanied by increased loss of hair, as a result of which spotting of the skin is possible.Shedding can also occur as a result of using special means when bathing a puppy, since such additives can lead to fragility and dryness of the skin, as well as weakening of the hairline. Adult dogs tolerate molt 2 times a year. Most often, this process has a relationship with seasonality. At such moments, the dog needs special care. In addition to seasonal factors, there are causes caused by stress.
2. Allergy. In some cases, when hair loss occurs, mainly in the eye area, the cause may be an allergy. Also, the process is accompanied by redness and itching. Allergies are common among dogs. The reasons for its appearance are not observing the correct diet of the pet, seasonal allergens, as well as fleas.
3. Parasites. Also, one of the most common causes of hair loss near the eyes and the appearance of itching is the development of parasitic diseases that can cause ticks. Scabies such as demodicosis occurs during periods when the immune system is weakened, dogs of any age are affected.
4. Solar dermatitis. In pets with weak pigmentation of the skin of the nose, the development of a disease such as solar dermatitis is possible. Which in turn can cause hair loss. The area exposed to hair loss becomes the muzzle, namely the area around the nose and eyes. If untreated, skin ulcers may occur.
5. Ringworm. Hair loss can be triggered by a fungal infection, such as ringworm. This is caused by the formation on the skin of a pet of sites having a scaly structure and covered with a crust. There is no hair in such areas of the skin.
6. Dandruff. Such a rare phenomenon for dogs as dandruff, which adversely affects the condition of the skin and hair follicles, leads to brittleness and dryness of the coat.
7. Avitaminosis. The basis for hair loss may be a lack of vitamins and minerals. So, for example, with a lack of zinc, the skin becomes scaly and becomes solid. The areas around the eyes and nose, joints of the elbows completely lose their hair.
8. The period of childbirth, feeding. The cause of the onset of hair loss in bitches can be the birth or lactation period.

In addition to the above conditions causing hair loss in dogs, there are others. Including diseases that are characteristic only for specific breeds. At the first appearance of symptoms, it is necessary to quickly conduct a pet examination to prevent the chronic nature of hair loss.

It is important to understand that self-medication is unacceptable. Treatment requires the appointment of drugs and therapy under the supervision of a veterinarian.

Treatment and preventive measures against wool loss

Regardless of the breed of the dog, any pet needs care and treatment required by the owner. There is an erroneous opinion that dogs of smooth-haired breeds are not subject to heavy molting and, therefore, do not require skin and hair care. However, this is a fallacy.

For any domestic dog, you need to bathe every 2-3 months and comb out the coat at least once a week. The frequency of bathing is determined by the level of contamination of the coat and the breed of the dog. For a pet that does not participate in exhibitions and various shows, periodic bathing with shampoo and means aimed at preventing the appearance of parasites is sufficient.

If the dog began to itch, and the examination revealed bald patches that are the cause of this itching, you should immediately seek the advice of a veterinarian. Only he can determine the cause of hair loss. And after establishing a diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe the necessary treatment. That will prevent the development of the disease.

In order to protect the dog from the threat of food allergies, as well as with the goal of preventing worms, the pet should be provided with a balanced diet, as well as the opportunity for physical activity. In addition, contact of the dog with stray animals should be excluded, as they may be carriers of infections. For this reason, do not walk your pet in unverified places.

With proper care for the dog, and with soon attention to signs of hair loss, the problem of baldness is not a threat. Timely initiation of treatment will eliminate the itching and restore the radiant appearance of the pet's coat.