Why does my 2-year-old Labrador's hair loss keep coming back?

Question

labrador retriever 2 years old, having severe hair loss. given antibiotics several times, during that medication in the first 10 days hair loss gradually stops, after 20 days hair slowly grows. medicines will be for 20 days 1 per day. still after 2 month same hair loss happens. Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | 2 years and 6 months old

Lauren Kennedy, DVM · Accepted Answer

It looks as if your dog has a skin infection, most commonly caused by an allergy, a skin mite (Demodex) or fleas.   The allergy could be a due to a protein in your dog’s food or an environmental allergy like to dust, pollens, grasses, etc.   The allergy causes your dog to itch and chew at the skin which breaks down the skin barrier. This then leads to infection. Skin infections are typically characterized by large areas of hair loss, redness, crusting, flaking, and pustules. A thorough skin examination by your veterinarian should be able to determine the cause of the itch so it can be treated appropriately. A skin scraping and skin cytology should be performed to rule out mites and to determine the type of infection present (bacterial vs fungal). Your dog will most likely need antibiotics/antifungals longterm to help clear up the infection and possibly an allergy/anti-itch medication like Apoquel, Atopica, or Cytopoint to give some relief while the infection clears up. A medicated shampoo will be beneficial as well. I would also recommend he be on a good flea control routinely too. Once the infection has resolved a long term allergy medication (like Apoquel or Cytopoint) can be given on a regular basis to prevent any future problems. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Why does my 2-year-old Labrador's hair loss keep coming back?

Most Helpful Answer

Related Questions

What fish dog food helps dry skin if my dog eats Science Diet?

My degu has a white bump in its fur. Should I take my pet to the vet?

My rat is losing weight and has breathing issues. What should I do?

My dog's matted fur bled after cutting. Should I take him to the vet?

Why is my pet's swollen lump with green patches not getting better?

Dog licking paws, fur loss, and jaw wound: Could it be allergies?

Share