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My dog has scabs and thinning hair. What could be the problem?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Dachshund | Male | 16 lbs

Scabs and thinning of hair

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on December 22nd, 2016

This could be due to severe scratching, which a dog will do when they are very itchy. This scratching can be caused by fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If Sparty isn't up to date on his flea treatment, he will need a spot on treatment such as Advantage or Revolution. You will need to disinfect the environment as well. If he is up to date on his flea treatment, I recommend taking him into the vet for an exam. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment. I recommend taking him into the vet today or tomorrow during normal business hours.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 22nd, 2018

    Shadow sounds very itchy! This itching can be caused by fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If she isn't up to date on her flea treatment, I can give you one for her. First, I would give her Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash her bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. If she is up to date on her flea treatment, I recommend taking her into the vet for an exam Monday. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

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    Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 17th, 2019

    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, 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 will be used to improve our service!

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    Answered By Emily, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 21st, 2017

    This looks like it could be a type of mange calls by Demodex. It could also be a bacterial skin infection or even a yeast infection. It could also be a combination of those things. I would also be concerned about ringworm. Boo-boo should be checked out by his veterinarian as to diagnose this will take further testing. This is because all of those diseases can look the same. In the meantime you could apply an oatmeal-based shampoo for your pet a couple times a week to help with itching. Once your veterinarian can diagnose what the cause is (or causes since this could be multiple infections) they will likely prescribe medication. Depending on what is going on treatment can sometimes take a couple weeks to a few months. Because it could be ringworm and that is contagious to people wash your hands very well after handling your dog.

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