When you own a dog you want to ensure that they are healthy and well all of the time, if they are showing signs of stress you will want to find out why. Your dog may be losing hair because of a number of reasons and you will want to find out why. Once you find out the reason then you can find a cure.
Reasons for hair loss
Although there are several different reasons why your dog may be losing hair you will need to identify which one it is. Stress and anxiety can cause your dog to lose their hair; if they are worried about something then you will need to find out what. Also mites and fleas can cause your dog to itch which may be causing the hair loss. Your dog may be allergic to something which could be the cause of the hair loss or they may be ill as illness or disease can also cause hair loss in your dog.
Natural hair loss
All dogs will lose some hair over their lifetime and especially long haired dogs will shed great amounts all over your house. In the summer these dogs will lose lots of hair and this you should not be worried about. As long as the hair is being replaced with other hair then there isn’t a problem and your dog will be healthy and simply trying to keep cool. The breed of the dog will determine how much hair they will lose over a year and as long as there are no large patches of hair missing then there is nothing to worry about.
Diagnosing the hair loss
You have to find out what is causing the hair loss before you can treat it, if you think your dog is happy and not worried then you should move onto the next thing. You will have to see if your dog is itching and causing the hair to fall out if so do they have fleas and mites. They should be treated for these to stop them scratching and also prevent them from getting infections. You should also change your dogs bedding and food and see if that stops the hair loss. It may be allergic to the washing liquid that you are using or the food you are feeding it.
Treating your dog
If you think that your dog’s hair loss cannot be treated by you at home then you will need to take it to the vet. They will be able to run tests to see if your dog is ill and if so what they have they will then be able to determine a treatment for them to have. Your dog’s hair loss may be something very simple and with a flea treatment the hair loss will stop. Seeking professional help is always advised if you don’t know what to do or you are worried. They will be able to advice of the best possible thing to do with your dog to stop the hair loss.