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My dog is itching, has reddish scabs, and losing fur. What's wrong?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Bulldog | Female | unspayed | 1 year old | 42 lbs

My dog keeps itching and then develops a reddish scab then looses her fur.

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4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on May 27th, 2018

Itchy skin is often due to the following things: 1) Allergies - this can happen suddenly and is usually due to an environmental (i.e pollen) cause. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-has-allergies/ 2) External parasites - fleas, lice and mites can all cause intense itching. It's good to check him for fleas and get treatment if needed. This is a common location for fleas to cause a problem. 3) Over-bathing, or using the wrong product for bathing - Bathing too often can cause the skin to get dry and irritated. Dogs should normally be bathed no more than once a month with a shampoo that is labeled for dogs. If you bathe more than that, or use a shampoo or soap that is meant for people, then you could be damaging the normal protective barrier of the skin. One thing you can do for itchy skin, is give a bath with cool water using an oatmeal or aloe shampoo. You can get these shampoos at the pet store. Below is a link to more helpful tips. https://www.petcoach.co/article/4-great-strategies-for-relieving-your-dog-s-allergies/ I hope this helps you to identify the problem. If not, then it would be worth taking her to the vet. We can usually discover the cause quickly and provide the most effective treatment.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Laura Bailey, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 5th, 2018

    It is hard for me to tell if it is scabies without an image. The only way to really know if it is scabies or not is to have your veterinarian do a skin scraping of Muffy. Most dogs that have scabies get generalized alopecia with scabby lesions and crusts. The skin is very inflamed and usually pink colored. I usually only see scabies in puppies or stray dogs. I rarely see it in adult owned dogs. A few patches of hair loss could be due to a flea allergy. Because you are itchy, check Muffy for fleas by checking the skin on her back close to her tail base. You may see a live flea or you may see the flea dirt. Also check your bed for fleas. If you do not see any fleas or Muffy's skin lesions get worse, take her to the vet for an exam and skin scrape. If you continue to itch, go see your doctor. I hope this has helped. Thank you for using pet coach.

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    Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 2nd, 2017

    Poor Sierra! This sounds quite uncomfortable! Yes, mange is a possible concern for areas of hair loss and itching/chewing. Other possible issues could be related to underlying allergies (to fleas, food or the environment), fleas or ringworm. Make sure that Sierra's flea preventative is one of high quality (such as Nexgard, Bravecto or Advantix) and be sure to apply regularly according to the package directions. A vet will need to examine Sierra to perform a skin scrape (to diagnose mange) and a Wood's lamp exam and/or fungal culture (to diagnose ringworm). From there, appropriate medications can be prescribed. Ringworm and sarcoptic mange (scabies) can be transmitted to other animals or humans, so be sure to take extra precautions while handling Sierra until the cause of her hair loss and itching has been established. I hope that she's on the mend soon!

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    Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 1st, 2018

    Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The only way to know if it is mange (either sarcoptic mange or demodex mange) is to have your veterinarian do a skin scraping of the affected area(s). From the pictures, it seems like there is some hair loss and irritation around her lower back and tail base region. The most common cause of this type of pattern is a flea allergy. It only takes one flea to induce a full blown allergy that causes intense itching and scratching. Some dogs are more allergic to the flea saliva than others. If Novalee is not currently on any flea preventative, I would be suspicious of a flea allergy as the cause. I would recommend getting Novalee on a monthly flea preventative and using a medicated hydrating shampoo with oatmeal or aloe in it to help her skin heal. You may also consider going to see her veterinarian for a skin scraping to rule out mange as a cause as well. I hope this helps!

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