What's causing my dog's bald spots and itching on his lower back?

Question

My Labrador retriever has these bald spots on his lower back , and at first I thought it was just him scratching himself too hard but now I'm not so sure what it can be. Please help thank you. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | unneutered | 5 years and 9 months old

Jessica Keay, DVM · Accepted Answer

Poor Shadow! In these cases, we can have a variety of causes for hair loss and itching. This could be an issue with external parasites, such as fleas (most common) or mange mites. We could also have allergies (to flea bites, to environmental allergens or food) , and we can have secondary bacterial and yeast infection. Your dog needs an exam by the vet. They may want to do a skin scrape to check for mites, and will look him over for signs of fleas. They may want to do a cytology to check for bacteria and yeast of his skin (looking at a slide under the microscope of a superficial sample taken from the skin surface). His treatment will be based on what they find, and may include medicine to treat parasites, skin infection, and steroids or antihistamines for the itching. In the meantime you can read this article with some suggestions to help with itching: Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.co/article/5-things-you-can-do-at-home-to-keep-your-dog-s-allergies-at-bay-t/

What's causing my dog's bald spots and itching on his lower back?

Most Helpful Answer

Related Questions

What fish dog food helps dry skin if my dog eats Science Diet?

My pet keeps scratching its ear. What's causing this problem?

My pet's ear mite treatment isn't working. What else could it be?

My pet has worsening sores and scratches. Could it be an infection?

Dog licking paws, fur loss, and jaw wound: Could it be allergies?

Is there a chart for dog food protein biological value and digestibility?

Share