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My dog has a patch of missing fur near his mouth. What's the cause?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Siberian Husky | Male | 9 months and 4 days old | 50 lbs
My dog had a patch of fur missing on the side of his mouth and I'm curious as to what it could be.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on August 18th, 2017
Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thanks for the picture. The most common cause is probably demodex, a non contagious mite. In young animals they can over grow and cause localized patches of hair loss. Other causes are: ring worm, abrasion or skin infection. If it gets worse or doesn't improve I recommend taking Echo to the vet. Demodex is diagnosed by a skin scrape. Hope this helps! Good luck!
3Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on March 18th, 2017
There are a few reasons why a young dog like Scrappy Coco would lose a patch of fur. The list includes: demodex mites, scabies, bacterial infection, ringworm and food allergy. These conditions can all look very similiar in appearance. A veterinarian can determine the cause often times with a few simple tests or at least determine what is not causing it. I hope this helps.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
Hi there! Our dog, Trooper has had this red patch on the side of his mouth for about 2/3 months. It has not changed much in size, it does not bleed or ooze, but it does seem to itch sometimes. There has a been a time or two that he has scratched it a
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for envir
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dogs hair is peeling off in a 1 inch size patch. The skin underneath is still there, so it is not an open wound. What could it be? I thought mange maybe?
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Yes, mange is possible. Other possibilities include allergies, ringworm, immune-mediated conditions, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. In the meantime, if she appears to be scratching or licking at it, you can use an e-collar to try to prevent further injury. Good luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I have a picture just wondering what this is on dog skin
Thank you for using Boop by Petco! I can see an area of hair loss, redness, thickening of the kin, and what appears to be a scratch. This can be caused by bacterial or fungal skin infections such as ringworm, skin mites, or autoimmune diseases. I recommend having your dog seen by a vet as ringworm can be transmitted to people. I hope this helps and that all is well!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
My 6 year old dog is loosing fur. The patches are hard skin with fur attached and it falls off easily. It seems to all be localized on the left side of his body. He isn’t licking or biting it, it doesn’t seem to bother him. Any clue what this could b
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Aller
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Trying to identify problem name and treatment: about 8 month old puppy has developed skin issues-started above eyes and looks like eye brows. Now it has developed around mouth and the area has a shar pei look.. The breed is a mix of a black lab.
Thank you for using Boop by Petco! If you would like to resubmit your question with pictures, that may be helpful. There are some juvenile skin diseases we can see in puppies that can cause a similar appearance to what you are noting, such as Demodectic mange or chronic bacterial/yeast infections. A diagnosis is typically achieved through a skin scrape (to look for Demodex mites) and a skin cytology to look for bacteria or yeast. If all of these diseases are ruled out and Django does not respond to typical treatment (topical medicated shampoos, parasite preventatives, antibiotics, etc.) then additional diagnostics such as a biopsy may be recommended. I would recommend having Django evaluated by his veterinarian if this has been going on for some time and especially if it is worsening.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My Puppy is 4 months old and we started to notice that he has a patch of missing fur on his head. It's a small patch, it looked like there was less hair on that place initially but now it is more prominent. I stay in a remote area and I don't have mu
There are a few reasons why a young dog like Scrappy Coco would lose a patch of fur. The list includes: demodex mites, scabies, bacterial infection, ringworm and food allergy. These conditions can all look very similiar in appearance. A veterinarian can determine the cause often times with a few simple tests or at least determine what is not causing it. I hope this helps.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has little bald spots on his head and neck. Ya as of his fur is coming off in little patches and is still connected to skin from his scalp. What could be causing this?
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for envir
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
May i kniw what is this going on his nose area or muzzle area i am attaching the photos kindly check out and also tell me is it life threatening or serious and how to cure this and what causes this?
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! I am not sure I can fully see the area you are concerned about. If it is the area near the nose that has less hair or the 2 white/pink spots. I do not think anything about the picture is life threatening unless I am missing your concerns. Hair loss on the muzzle can be from trauma or repeated digging/rubbing with his nose, ring worm (fungal) or demodex (non-contagious mite). If the area doesn't improve or it spreads then I would have your Vet check him out. If he is rubbing his nose to bury things then prevent him from doing so. I wouldn't recommend putting anything topical on the nose because he will likely just lick it off. I hope this helps and please repost with clarification if needed.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hey my Dogs hair is gone around his mouth since this Moring and iT looks like its getting worse and i dont know what to do of whats wrong can u plz help?
Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment for rats, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog play outside after that he fur was fall at that area. The hole was become more bigger day by day. This was the first time he fur fall like this. Why be like that? What should I do?
HI, thanks for using Boop by Petco! Poor HeiPi! Thanks for the pictures, based on them and your description I am thinking that he has a hot spot, which is a superficial skin infection. It can start off small but grows rapidly. The skin in moist and red and sometimes has a yellow green discharge. Ideally HeiPi should be seen by a vet to have the fur shaved away and prescribed steroids, antibiotics and likely a topical medication. You can use an E-collar to prevent chewing and licking and clean the area twice daily. Dry it well then apply a triple antibiotic ointment twice daily until you can see the Vet. Other causes could be ring worm, demodex (non-contagious mite) a bacterial or yeast infection. Also there could be other common causes in Malaysia that we do not see in the US. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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