03/06/2025
It’s normal for your fur baby (and yourself) to shed hair, sometimes lots of it!
What isn’t normal though, is losing hair in patches marking noticable bald spots.
There are lots of reasons why these bald spots can happen, some of the most common ones are caused due to:
1. Allergies: Your dog can have an allergic reaction to a lot of things like pollen, certain food items, flea bites etc. Biting, scratching, licking from the allergic reaction can cause bald spots.
2. Cushings disease: Hair loss in dogs may also be caused by hyperadrenocorticism, or Cushing’s disease, a condition caused by the overproduction of the hormone cortisol or the stress hormone. Signs include eating, drinking, and urinating more, panting, as well as having a pot-bellied appearance. Take your dog to the vet if you notice any of these signs.
3. Genetics: Some breeds like greyhounds, whippets, Chihuahuas, dachshunds, are genetically predisposed to bald spots.
4. Parasites: infestations caused due to fleas, ticks, mites, mange and internal parasites can cause bald spots.
5. Pressure Sores: Over time, the constant pressure on joints, area’s most exposed to hard surfaces, tends to thicken the skin, the hair falls out, and calluses form.
6. Infection: Bacterial, yeast and fungal Infections can cause bald spots if left unchecked.
7. Hypothyroidism- With hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland doesn’t make enough of a a hormone called thyroxine that controls metabolism. the result effects your dog’s coat and can result in hair loss.
8. Trauma - skin trauma caused due to wounds, surgeries, vaccinations, hair cuts etc can cause hair follicles to be damaged, causing bald spots there.
9. Rashes/Hives - allergies caused due to plants, chemicals, shampoos etc can cause irritation that causes bald spots on the body.
See your vet if you’re not sure what’s causing your dog’s bald spots or if those bald spots are also accompanied by:
Itching
Bad odor
Irritated or infected skin
Changes in behavior
Any skin lesions in other pets or people in the household
