Why is my senior dog losing hair in patches with black, dry skin?

Question

My 12 yr old foxie x jack russel has lost most of her hair on her under side & is losong it in patches on the rest of her body with the exceptoon of her head. Her skin has gone black & appears dry. Otherwise she seems healthy & active ..Her bloods have been done & are normal. I appreciate any help on this. Thanks Kim. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | spayed | 11 years and 4 months old | 15 lbs

David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS · Accepted Answer

This is probably due to a severe allergy, although it could also be fleas or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat Ellie with a high quality flea treatment (e.g. advantage), then get her to 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 discovering the cause of the allergy. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics). simultaneously you should start her on a prescription hypoallergenic diet for at least 2 months. Hopefully you will see some results after all this, if not you and your vet should consider putting her on a long term allergy treatment (Atopica or Apoquel).

Why is my senior dog losing hair in patches with black, dry skin?

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