Hair Loss

[Narcissa]

Hi all,

I'm posting this on behalf of a friend who got a long-coated Chihuahua (3 months old) from a pet farm in Singapore. It's only a week and the dog has lost all its fur on the neck and chest area, to the skin. She said she has not applied any spot-on application, used a flea collar, changed her diet, sent it for a vacc jab. Pet farm doesn't care when she called them to ask for advice, simply shrugged her off as the dog is now her responsibility and told her it's normal because the Chi is simply changing coat...

What are the possible causes?

Edited August 30, 2010 by Narcissa

[Nekhbet]

mites, fleas, skin infection of bacteria or fungus, diet, stress etc

your friend should be taking the dog straight to a vet for a full work up and check.

[Narcissa]

Thank you, will let her know immediately.

[Narcissa]

These are pictures of the puppy:

http://s731.photobucket.com/albums/ww317/w...=IMG_0747-1.jpg

http://s731.photobucket.com/albums/ww317/w...nt=IMG_0749.jpg

Does it look like stress to you? Apparently, the vet just gave her 3 doses of Revolution and sent her home. Now she's worried because the pet shops aren't helping her, and the doctors aren't telling her anything.

[jazawayaya]

Can she visit another vet?

Has she given the doses of revolution yet? No improvement?

Yeah I wouldn't expect a pet shop to help.

[tianakaesha]

I know of a couple chi's that have alopecia in the neck line. Two have it thanks to the collar rubbing, but another is unexplainable. Doesn't harm the dog, it just doesn't look as grand.

[Nekhbet]

I'd try the revolution and see what happens, the skin looks fine it could be like tan said some alopecia. That or just bad breeding and a little less hair then required which may grow after a while.

If the pup is otherwise healthy then a little hair loss is not hte biggest thing to panic about.

As for the pet store, tell her not to bother at all. I dont know why people expect pet stores to care anyway, once the deal is done the hands are wiped clean. They're simply nothing more then the money grabbing middle man, not breeders or animal experts.

[Narcissa]

Thank you very much! Yes, I agree - pet shops simply don't care, they don't even care where their puppies go to (she got this chihuahua puppy for her 2 yr old son...). If she were a real life "friend" and had told me of her intentions, I would have stopped her! A chihuahua for a 2yr old? Well, then again, the "breeders" here in Singapore sell all their puppies to pet shops.

But what's done is done. She was refered to me by another person because after a while, you become known as the "cat person" or "dog person". And I get strange calls all the time, to ask for advice - I really should just direct them here instead!