Dog Hair Loss and Itching

by Anonymous

I have a 5 yr old pitbull. He is itching alot to the point he is losing his hair and redness all along his belly to his groin area. His groin area appears to have 2 bumps under the skin.

Is this a type of mange?

Editor Suggestion Dog Hair Loss accompanied by Dog Itch

Hello,

Yes, the symptoms you describe could be a sign of mange, and also a long list of other dog skin problems including fleas, allergies, yeast or bacterial infections, and more.

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to narrow down the potential causes without diagnostic testing performed by your veterinarian.

You can check your dog for fleas fairly easily though. Look for flea dirt (poop) rather than the fleas themselves. Flea dirt looks like coffee grounds, and can often be most easily seen right in front of the tail on the rump. Use your fingers to push the hair in this area forward so you can see down to the skin.

If you see flea dirt, use a good flea control medication like Frontline once a month to kill the fleas on your dog and in the environment.

If you don’t see flea dirt, you could try bathing your dog twice a week with a dog shampoo containing chlorhexidine (such as Duoxo) or call your vet and see if he or she would be willing to prescribe Revolution, which would kill one type of mange mites.

Your dog should have a current, negative heartworm test before being treated with Revolution.

Good Luck,
Jennifer Coates, DVM