Why is my dog losing fur on his belly with round spots? Is it demodex?

Question

I adopted a dog in July from a local shelter, he was at 4 months and had a UTI infection. I noticed that the fur around his penis is wasn't as thick as the rest of his body. I thought perhaps it's because he wasn't in the best conditions. Now, a couple of months later, the area under his hind legs and around his penis barely have any fur. I notice that there are round spots on his skin. Is this demodex? What do I need to do to treat it? I've given him baths and flea/tick treatments. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 20 lbs

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH · Accepted Answer

It is normal for some dogs to have less fur on their underside, but it sounds like it has been getting worse which is not normal. It is also not normal for there to be round spots on the skin. Demodex normally just causes hair loss, but it can also cause a secondary bacterial infection. Unfortunately, it is often impossible to determine what is going by just looking at the skin, but there are some simple skin tests that can be performed to evaluate for demodex, other mites, or secondary infections (bacterial, yeast or fungal) by looking at a sample under the microscope. I would recommend having Dakota evaluated by your veterinarian to determine what is going on and how to treat it. Be sure not to bathe him immediately before having him evaluated since they will need to be able to get a sample. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Why is my dog losing fur on his belly with round spots? Is it demodex?

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