My dog has no fleas but bites, scratches, and loses hair. Is it diet?

Question

Ruger doesn't have fleas, but he keeps biting and scratching, and he's losing hair in those places, what Is another possible cause? Could it be that he needs a grain free diet? Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | 5 months and 6 days old | 50 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Poor Ruger! There are a number of different things that can cause itching and hair loss like this, even if he doesn't have fleas. A food allergy is certainly possible, in which case a grain-free or some other type of limited ingredient diet might help, but this could also be caused by an allergy to something in the environment, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so I would really recommend having him examined by a vet as soon as you are able to - he/she can do some simple skin tests to help diagnose the problem and get him started on appropriate medication to treat it.

My dog has no fleas but bites, scratches, and loses hair. Is it diet?

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