Friday, March 9, 2012

Hair Loss in Puppies: 101

By Dirk Gruenberg


Puppies, just like humans, can lose hair for seemingly no reasons. If this happens to a puppy it is normal for the owner to be worried. Of course, this condition also raises the question: what are treatments for hair loss in puppies?

Of course, it may not necessarily be easy to determine the underlying cause of the condition. But one thing is for sure: if you detect any additional symptoms such as a drastic change in eating or drinking patterns, a drop in activity level or blood in you pup's urine, then you definitely need to see a vet.

Of course, you can run a check list of possible causes, but your dog is likely better off seeing a vet. This is a sensible thing to do, because he might need medication to tackle the problem. With that being said, there are two things that you can pay attention to: feeding and your pup's surroundings

Some ingredients that you can easily buy in stores and that many people feed their dogs can cause skin allergies: these include soy, corn, and wheat. Skin allergies can leave dogs scratching themselves and losing hair in the process.

So if you have changed over to another food recently, it may just be a case of reverting to the previous, or trying another brand.

Dog shampoos can be another source for hair loss. If the washing agent is too harsh, this could lead to the dog's skin being itchy. And again, any time your dog feels that way he is likely to scratch - possibly resulting in hair loss, too.

Since puppies are especially sensitive, they might show extreme reactions to both certain ingredients and certain shampoos.

What are the treatments for hair loss in puppies? At the end of the day, only a vet can answer this after the owner has carried out their basic inspection of the pup and eliminated any domestic reasons for the condition.

You might also be short of luck, in which case the cause could be skin parasites. It does not happen very often, but every time it does, medication will be required. And only your vet can prescribe that.




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