My Boston Terrier has hair loss and strange skin rings. What's wrong?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Boston Terrier | Female | 7 years and 8 months old | 20 lbs
My Boston Terrier has developed some strange skin condition that's causing hair loss and strange rings on her skin
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on July 10th, 2017
This can be signs or possible bacterial or fungal skin infection. I would recomend a vet visit to diagnose Katie's skin disease. After an exam the vet may want to perform a cytology or fungal culture to determine what is causing these lesions.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on July 14th, 2017
I'm sorry to hear of your insurance was Gizmo. Large patches of hair loss such as this can be seen with skin infections, mange, a contact reaction or autoimmune issues. Given the large surface area affected, I would recommend that you have him seen by your veterinarian. They can perform a thorough physical examination and prescribe antibiotics if needed.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
My Boston Terrier has small patches of skin(fingerprint size) peeling on his belly, and hind legs. His skin is not discolored but his hair is missing from those patches. We just moved from TN to SD so I'm not sure is the snowy weather could be an aff
Thanks for visiting Boop by Petco. You gave a good description, but a picture tells a thousand words. I would recommend reposting your question with a picture of Murphy's skin so that we can get a thorough evaluation of what may be going on here. However, from what you have described, it sounds like Muprhy may have some skin allergies and possibly a secondary bacterial infection going on. This is treated with allergy medicine through your vet, because over the counter anithistamines are not as effective in dogs as they are in people. A medicated shampoo may also be needed to help resolve Murphy's skin problems. I still encourage you to repost your question with a picture so that we can confirm our suspicions of a skin allergy. Best of luck to you and Murphy and we hope to hear back from you soon!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello I have a Boston terrier we noticed a couple of stains on his hair we tried to clean off the hair but it came off that's when we felt a film or fungus on his skin it is about 4 inches long so we gave him a bath and all the hair came off in that
I'm sorry to hear of your insurance was Gizmo. Large patches of hair loss such as this can be seen with skin infections, mange, a contact reaction or autoimmune issues. Given the large surface area affected, I would recommend that you have him seen by your veterinarian. They can perform a thorough physical examination and prescribe antibiotics if needed.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, my boston terrier, 14, has seemingly overnight, lost patchy hair (in little squares) on one edge of her left pena only, and on her snout anout 1/2 in square behind her nose. Neither is itchy. Neither is red. The inside of both pena suddenly have
Hi and thank you for your question on Boop by Petco! Hair loss on the ear tips and nose can be a sign of a fungal infection (ringworm). This can be itchy but sometimes it is not. It is hard to say if this is really the cause or not without seeing Scratch first, but that is my best guess. I would have this confirmed with your veterinarian. They will do a skin scrape and a final culture. If it is ringworm, Scratch will need to be on anti fungal medication for several weeks. I hoe this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My female 2 yr old Boston Terrier appears to have thinning hair on the top of her head. I have no idea what could be causing this.
That could be completely normal, unless there are any lesions on her skin that you can notice and describe to us. A picture as well would be of great help to understand the underlying nature of it. Pictures can be uploaded by requesting a consultation. Please do not hesitate to write to us again on the forum with more details about any possible skin abnormality.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Any idea what this could be? Our dog is a Boston Terrier and 7 years old. She had a blood transfusion a couple months ago and has been on high doses of prednisone as well as Denamarin and Cyclosporine. This strange rash or infection appeared a few we
That is quite an unusual lesion. Has your vet consulted a dermatologist regarding that? Given the history of autoimmune disease and immunosuppressive medication options could include calcinosis cutis secondary to the steroids, a fungal (or atypical bacterial) infection, drug eruption, etc. There are higher risks for complications with certain drugs and for certain infectious agents in different parts of the country. Sampling is likely indicated (cytology or biopsy, culture) and i would definitely recommend getting the input of a dermatologist before it progresses. I hope this helps and thank you for using Boop by Petco!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I have a Boston Terrier and she is itching bad. What can I do
Poor girl. Look at her skin to see if there are any injuries or cuts to the skin that could be causing this. Also signs of infection are yellow or green exit 8 on the skin which can cause itching as well. If you do see these things or any abnormalities to the skin that she needs to see a veterinarian for proper treatment because it's typically involves oral antibiotics, and allergy meds to stop the itch. In the meantime you can try bathing her in an oatmeal-based puppy shampoo from your local pet store to help alleviate some of the itch. I hope your for baby feels better soon!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I have a Black Lab/Pit Bull and she has sores on her stomach, legs, and is losing hair. What could it be?
It looks like she could have a skin infection. You could bathe her with a medicated dog shampoo and see if that helps. Otherwise, she should be examined by a vet for treatment. Your vet can do a skin scrape, cytology, and/or culture, if needed, to help diagnose. She may need an antibiotic, corticosteroid, and other medications to treat the problem.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My Boston Terrier has small patches of skin(fingerprint size) peeling on his belly, and hind legs. His skin is not discolored but his hair is missing from those patches. We just moved from TN to SD so I'm not sure if the snowy weather could be an aff
Hello. It looks to be a bacterial infection on Murphy's skin. These are often very treatable using a medicated antibacterial shampoo available from your veterinarian. The stress from your move may have set things off, but it is very treatable. Once your vet confirms there is nothing else going on with Murphy she will prescribe the appropriate medicated shampoo. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
My moms Boston terrier had like no tail. We recently noticed she keeps biting and licking there, we noticed she has dry, flaky skin there. Is there anything we can put on it to soothe the itchiness? Thanks for the help in advance!
Itching/scratching can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above.Boston Terriers can be particularly prone to infections in the skin folds near the tail area, so I recommend making an appointment to have Penelope seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the itching you’ve noticed and to make sure it is treated appropriately. The vet may want to look at a sample from the area under the microscope to determine if there is an infection and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment. In the meantime, you can bathe Penelope in hypoallergenic unscented shampoo for dogs to clean the area, but this will likely not resolve the itching. I recommend that you put an e-collar (cone) on Penelope in the meantime to help reduce the risk of further irritation to the area from licking.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Please help my Boston Terrier puppy’s itch. She started getting this rash after finishing her shots on 4/28, along with a small lump near her shoulder where they injected her. I bath her with very mild, natural shampoo. She’s on a combo of organic ra
Hello. I do not think the vaccinations caused any problems, it just looks like she has some allergy issues. Unfortunately, it looks like you have a bit of a staph infection on her abdomen & groin region, & just some sensitivities on her chest. Let's try treating her with a good antibacterial shampoo. I like KetoChlor shampoo that you can find on Amazon, Chewy & other sites. Keep the shampoo on for 10 minutes before rinsing & bather her twice a week for the next 3-6 weeks. I would also start her on a good omega 3 fatty acid like Nordic Naturals for dogs. Give this a go for a few weeks & see how it helps her skin. Good luck & thanks for contacting Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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