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Why is my dog itching, has flaky skin, and losing tail hair?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Norwegian Elkhound | Male | unneutered | 1 year and 8 months old

What can I do for dry skin , bear has flaky skin, he's ripping his hair by his tail/ on tail out. He's on flea medicine , I tried hot spot cream

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on December 22nd, 2016

Poor Bear! I would be curious to know what kind of flea medication he is on currently, because flaky skin and excessive itching with hair loss in this area of the body is very often associated with fleas. Many of the over-the-counter topical brands are not effective, so I would recommend using an oral flea medication such as Nexgard, Bravecto, or Trifexis/Comfortis if he's not already on one of these meds. If he has a hot spot currently (an area of raw, sticky skin that's itchy or painful to the touch), he will probably need oral antibiotics and a short-term steroid like prednisone to treat this problem effectively, so I would recommend having him examined by a vet as soon as you are able to. In the meantime, you can get an e-collar (plastic cone) for him to wear to prevent him from continuing to bite and chew at the area, which will make things worse.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Sabina Snyder, Specialty Surgery Technician

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on July 20th, 2017

    These areas are both prime real estate for fleas and we generally see dogs chewing and losing hair in these very areas when there is a flea issue. I would recommend having your pet seen by a vet to rule out anything more serious. The vet will also do a thorough check for fleas and should be able to tell you if they are the culprit. Some dogs (and cats) are actually allergic to fleas (their saliva in particular) and this can cause them to be ultra sensitive to even one tiny flea bite. So you may not have a huge flea issue, but any fleas at all may be too many for your dog. Your vet will be able to recommend a good flea preventative to help the issue.

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