Why is my German Shepherd itchy, losing hair, scaly, and has sores?

Question

My name is Kyle and I own a German Shepherd named Sasha. Over the past month, the skin on her lower back (where her back meets her tail) has been turning grey and scaley and losing hair. Her tail is also losing hair. When I touch her tail, she moves it away from my hand as if that area is irritated. She has also heen biting her scratching a lot (all over). She bit hip (to scratch it) and now there is a sore on her hip. This sore is just exposed flesh with any hair. What is wrong with her? Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Female

Ann Dion, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. There are a few things that could be going on with Sasha, but I would start by making sure she doesn't have fleas. This is a common area for fleas to collect and bite, which can make her itchy. Try treating for fleas, and if that doesn't work they start looking for other causes including hypothyroidism, Cushing's disease, infected anal glands, etc. Also, they can sometimes get a 'hot spot' or a patch of skin infection, where they have been chewing because of the moisture and bacteria in their saliva, so you may need to treat a secondary skin infection as well. Best of luck with Sasha.

Why is my German Shepherd itchy, losing hair, scaly, and has sores?

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