Concerned about my dog's hair loss?

I know this is one of the most common complaints in veterinary medicine and that the causes of hair loss could be almost anything, but I wanna get a few opinions or ideas on what this may be before I take him to the vet this week (which I plan on doing). He's a shiba inu mix (maybe mixed with basenji? -- he looks just like a shiba but is short haired). I adopted him this past november and he is now only about a year old. He has a good appetite, LOVES to play and is active and certainly doesn't act sick but he does have some dry skin (not as bad as it was about 2 weeks ago)...2 weeks ago he had a ridiculous amount of flakes but this was a few days after his bath. I only bathe him once a month and plan on decreasing that because of his dry skin. He is an indoor dog thats gets a montly treatment of frontline and I never see a flea on him. He has gotten salmon oil supplement in his food, and I live in a colder climate for winter (20s-30s).





His diet was FROMM four star whitefish and potato, but his body was not agreeing with this food as he had some light bouts of mild diarrhea and his dry skin. He was on this food decemeber- until about a week or so ago and I had switched him to Taste of The Wild Wetlands Formula (the duck) since it is grain free. He is now almost completely off the FROMM and 80% of his ration is the taste of the wild. This has agreed with him in that he no longer has diarrhea.





I furminated him about a week ago and got all of his undercoat out (there's was so much hair I got off of him)...so now alot of the hair he has is his top coat with was not shedding in the least after i furminated his undercoat last week. However, my main concern is that in the past 2 days and now, if I pull a section of his top coat, his hair comes out in CHUNKS...i mean real big pieces of hair. He doesn't have any balding spots or anything and the flakes have disappeared, but of all the dogs I have owned, no dog's hair has come out this much. I know the shiba in him causes him to shed alot, but this seems to be different. I never saw a top coat of a dog come out like this. Could it be normal? could it be an endocrine/thyroid disorder (his anxiety is about normal, not too anxious, not too quiet), still a mild food allergy?, or anything else it could be? Thanks for reading and i appreciate your advice.Concerned about my dog's hair loss?
It's good that you have noticed the hair loss problem with your dog in the early stages. It could be due to a food or environmental allergies or a thyroid problem. Your dog is young to be having thyroid problems, but you should get it checked out.


Also, it's good that you are giving your dog a grain free diet. Many dog foods contain wheat and corn flour which many dogs are allergic to, so you did the right thing by switching your dog to a grain free food. The best dog foods for dogs with allergies are duck or potato based foods.


Your dog may have skin allergies due to environmental factors. This time of year is when plants and trees are shedding their leaves, pollen is in the air, and many dogs with these allergies will lose their hair and have skin issues. These allergies are more difficult to treat. When you bring your dog inside after she's been outdoors, they can have a lot of dander and pollen in their hair. Make sure you wipe her hair to get this off of her hair.


Also, you may want to try a shampoo that helps with skin and hair problems. I have a dog with allergies and thyroid problems. I started using an organic shampoo, called Organix Thera-Neem Shampoo. It contains Neem oil which will help with dry or red skin. It is a really good shampoo. You can find it in health stores or online at various sites, such as neemdirect.com. You don't need a lot of it, so a bottle will last you a while. At first, you may want to bathe your dog about every


1-2 weeks so that the Neem oil can help heal your dog's skin. This will also help with helping the hair to grow too.


You should take your dog to the vet. They can do bloodwork, including a thyroid level to see if there is an internal reason for the dry skin and hair loss. If it is something like hypothyroidism, they can put your dog on medications to help get your dog's levels at the right level.


They can do a blood test for allergies, which can cost you around $125-$150. This test can determinhe just what all your dog is allergic to, from food to environmental factors and if necessary, you can choose to give your dog allergy shots.


Take your dog to the vet if he continues to lose hair. Sometimes allergies can cause skin infectoins which can cause red or dry skin and hair loss. If this is the case, your vet will need to give your dog antibiotics to help clear it up. This is very common in dogs with allergy problems. Also, try a good shampoo for dry skin, such as the Organix Thera-Neem dog shampoo and keep him on a grain free dog food.


It will take time for the skin to heal, especially if it is an infection. Just be persistent and patirent and your dog's hair should grow back full coat again. My dog had a bad case with skin problems and hair loss and now her hair is better than ever. Best of luck with your dog. Hope I helped.Concerned about my dog's hair loss?
Change in dog food can cause this. Pick a dog food and stick with it.
The two breeds mentioned are notorious for having something commonly called Red mange caused by a low immune system. It is often controlled by dipping the don in a vet prescribed dip.
Without seeing it it is difficult to say...the potato could have caused the dry and flaky skin. What you can do is buy some Neem oil and give him daily doses of this it builds the immune system so it can fight off any mild illness or allergies, promotes a healthy coat and skin and protects the dog from parasites ( fleas, ticks, worms, mites)
It sounds normal to me.





A lot of furry dogs shed in chunks. I know our chow mix did. Is it soft, 'fluffy' fur? Soft fur commonly sheds in chunks and should be nothing to worry about. As long as there are no balding spots, it should be pretty normal.





If you're concerned, just bring him to the vet. I wouldn't be concerned, but then again I'm not there to look at the dog.





Best of luck.
Have your vet run a complete thyroid panel. University of Michigan is probably the best place to send it. Most vets will only do a simple T3 or T4 test...but if you are having trouble it is best to send a blood sample away for a more complete test