hair loss

Submitted by USC_FAN on September 26, 2011 - 5:57pm

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hello all...hope all is well in bulldog land!

me not so much. my dog bella, who is 3 years old is starting to shed alot. i know seasons are changing and hair loss is common but she is starting to shed so bad she is getting litting bald spots. i could literally pinch some fur and a bunch comes out and leaves a bald spot. we feed her normal purina with lamb and rice because she has an allergy. she gets baths regularly. we use normal flea and tick shampoo on her. also its almost like she has dandruff too when i brush her coat. hope someone has some insight on this and appreciate the your time to look over this.

thanks

Well,

Submitted by LynnKing on September 26, 2011 - 6:09pm.

If I had a dog come to my house with these issues, I would:

Change the dog food to something that is grain free, preferably something fish based for protein

I would stop using flea/tick shampoo, too harsh. I've used baby shampoo with no problems. I don't bathe my dogs often, maybe every 3 months.

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Lynn King CPDT-KA

agree with lynn

Submitted by Elaine on September 26, 2011 - 6:29pm.

change her food. I know a few people who feed Costco Nature's Domain (fish) and their dogs do well on it. Natural Balance also makes a grain free fish protein based food.

Purina is not rated as a very high quality food. I bet a food change and shampoo switch will turn things around.

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I agree with Lynn and Elaine.

Submitted by AmyandSophia on September 26, 2011 - 7:01pm.

Taste of the Wild makes a good Salmon based grain free food for slightly less cost than Natural Balance. Both are almost identical though.

Flea shampoo can be very harsh. Baby shampoo works fine. Also, do you use Tide or bleach to clean clothes or floors, sleeping blankets, etc? That could be a source of the issue as well.

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Amy and Sophia

thanks

Submitted by USC_FAN on September 26, 2011 - 7:09pm.

i appreciate your responses. i will follow all your advise and see what happens.

thanks a bunch guys!

Please update us

Submitted by Emma on September 26, 2011 - 7:52pm.

Please let us know how it goes with the change of food and shampoo. Thanks

i will

Submitted by USC_FAN on September 26, 2011 - 9:32pm.

update when i see results...thanks a bunch..you guys rock

I have had this happen with Onslow

Submitted by onslowsmom on September 27, 2011 - 9:06am.

is it scabby at all where the hair is falling out? You may want to have the vet take a peek to make sure its not a skin infection. My boy gets bacterial infections and the hair falls right out. Good luck.

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additional suggestion

Submitted by Shannon and Winston on September 27, 2011 - 9:45am.

I know that Melatonin is sometimes used to help bullies who have seasonal flank alopecia. Your pup may have some of that going on in addition to the bigger problem. If you talk to you vet about it they should be able to give you a recommendation for whether or not to use it and what dosage to give.

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Shannon and Winston :)

My swimming bully buddy!

yeh could be SFA

Submitted by rbthibod on September 27, 2011 - 2:58pm.

Diesel has had it for quite a while now almost a full year. he lost quite a bit of hair on both sides of his body but it seems to be growing back slowly over this past summer. he still has 2 spots that are about the size of half a dollar bill but it is slowly growing back. i give him a purina select salmon based food along with a fish oil capsul hidden in treats 3 times a week. the only reason i give him purina is a financial reason thats why i supplement his diet with fish oil and ..........dont get mad....human food. i feed him steak half cooked, chicken rotesseri, mac and cheese, sardines, mackeral, flounder. pizza. brocolli apples and ginger snap cookies.......

I wouldn't suspect Seasonal Flank Alopecia...

Submitted by Elaine on September 27, 2011 - 9:15pm.

Google images of SFA to see if that's what it looks like. I think SFA is usually isolated to the dog's "flanks" and the hairless skin in that area turns a dark color. Sounds more like your dog is having general hair loss and her coat is dry.

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Agree Elaine ... Doesn't sound anything like Alopecia

Submitted by Deb and MacKenz... on September 27, 2011 - 10:13pm.

I would be checking for Demodex or Staph. The vet should do a scrape to determine if it is either of those. Food would be my next option for change after ruling out anything medical.