My 5-month-old puppy is losing hair. What should I do to help her?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | American Staffordshire Terrier | Female
My 5 months old puppy is losing her hair and wanted to know what can I do? Please help me
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on March 26th, 2018
Hello. Hair loss in a puppy can be a concern if it is excessive. The first thing we want to rule out is external parasites like fleas & mange mites ( Demodex & Sarcoptic ). Bacterial & yeast-based infections & allergies are also a possibility. You can bathe Blu in a flea shampoo to eliminate the possibility of fleas, but if she is intensely itchy & continues to lose hair, you will need to see your veterinarian for a diagnosis. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on October 22nd, 2017
At her age, mange is a possibility along with a flea allergy. They make prescription medication called nexgard or bravecto that will treat both. Make sure she stays clean and you do weekly baths in a medication shampoo as this can help if it is due to an infection.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
my puppy is 1.5 month old n she is having an hair fall ... how can i control that ..as no vet is now available .....
At her age, mange is a possibility along with a flea allergy. They make prescription medication called nexgard or bravecto that will treat both. Make sure she stays clean and you do weekly baths in a medication shampoo as this can help if it is due to an infection.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello doctor m priya from malaysia i have a puppy can i know y my dog hair fall alot even we touched and play got alot of hair fall can i know y
I am sorry to hear about your puppy. Many different things can cause hair loss, also known as alopecia, in dogs. Parasites of the skin such as mange mites and fleas can cause this. Bacterial or yeast infections of the skin can also be a cause, as well as some genetic disorders. I would recommend an examination at a veterinarian to determine the cause of the hairloss which will help guide treatment recommendations, which may include medication to treat for mange, antibiotics or medicated shampoos.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello doctor i am priya the same person just a few minute i ask question i have a puppy my hair dog fall so many if we touched and play also its fall alot can i know y and is this can harm my puppy i am from malaysia
When dogs or puppies lose an excessive amount of hair, it can indicate there is a disease in the skin. Unfortunately there are many different diseases that will cause hair loss and it is impossible to know which one is the cause without an exam and some diagnostics. Skin mites, ringworm (which humans can get) and bacterial infections are all common causes of hair loss. Depending on the cause, there are medications and medicated shampoos which can help. I recommend to play it safe and have your puppy examined by the veterinarian. Feeding a good diet will help with coat health in general. The brand I recommend is Royal Canin. An omega-3 fatty acid supplement for pets will also be beneficial. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog Pepper (20lbs, 3 months old) has been itchy as hell since the day we adopted her, and we have tried everything. Two different antibiotics, changed her food, using medicated shampoo, lots of omegas, and today I noticed she is losing hair on her
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for envir
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi my dog is 7 months old she has tiny missing patches of hair throughout her whole body but the top of her head is the worst it's a large patch missing it's scabbing and bleeding from scratching she smells a bit and she has no fleas what could it be
Hello. In a 7 month old pup, my first guess is Demodex mange. But, this could also be a simple bacterial infection. Let your veterinarian do a simple skin test to see if the mites are present. There is a very specific treatment for this & usually results in a cure within a few months. I do hope you can have her seen soon. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My baby girl is shedding fur. I am now worried since I can see some bald spot in the skin. Is this something to worry? She is 5 months old soon.
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! Poor Lily Cruz! Is Lily scratching? I would have her seen by your Vet. The most common causes of excessive shedding and areas of balding are: demodex (non-contagious mite), ring worm and a skin infection. Demodex can be easily treated with one of the oral flea/tick preventatives (Nexgard, Simparica or Bravecto). Skin infections are treat with antibiotics or anti-fungals if it is yeast. Ring worm can be a bit more complicated. I do not think it is normal shedding because she shouldn't have areas that are thin or balding. I wish you the best!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi - one of my neighbors dog(Labrador retriever) aged 5 months old seems to be having bald spots in his hind leg. He is very active and eats well, but sheds hair predominantly near his hind legs. On a general note, vaccinations and deworming are up t
Hi there. Bald spots can be due to various things. Most common causes in puppies are demodex mites, ringworm and allergies. He will need to have his skin tested for these causes to determine what is going on. Once a diagnosis is made, these can all be easily treated. I hope that helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
New Pet
My Rottweiler/Border collie puppy has been losing hair around her eyes. Why? It seemed to have gotten a little better but not much. We took her to the vet for a health check but they didn't say anything about it. Still curious
It could be Demodex, especially since she’s a puppy. Other possibilities include a bacterial skin infection, ringworm, allergies, or it may be nothing. If your vet didn’t notice it or say anything about it, and without a picture, it’s hard to get an idea of how much hair loss you are seeing. If it’s not continuing to improve, or if it seems itchy or bothersome to her, take her to your vet. Here’s an article about Demodex that you may find helpful. https://www.petcoach.co/article/demodectic-mange/ I hope that’s helpful for you! Thanks for asking Boop by Petco!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi so my puppy was rescued from Georgia’s hurricane Irma and she ended having demodectic mange. The human society said it is gone and we should be good but she has been having some hair loss and her skin looks gray around her stomach/thigh area. I am
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This may be due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies
Updated on September 24th, 2025
New Pet
My puppy is 17 days old. His mother left him and he is the only one still alive from his litter. I am bottle feeding him. He has developed patches of his hair falling out. What do I need to do?
Hair loss can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. I recommend making an appointment to have Toby seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the hair loss as soon as you can. The vet will likely want to look at a sample from the area (taken by a procedure known as a skin scraping) and examined under the microscope to determine what kind(s) of infection may be present and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment. The link below has some information on looking after orphaned puppies, in case you need any help with that: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951456 Good luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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