Hair Loss in Female Dog

[Sydney AlixStudent]

Hi Doc,

Do you have any suggestions for helping to remedy hair loss in dogs?

We have a female that has lost a pretty good amount of hair, and it’s been slow to grow back. She’s had three litters of puppies (but is now spayed), so I’m wondering if she’s having nutrient deficiency issues, or maybe needs more omega 3 fatty acids, or is possibly a thyroid issue? Not sure exactly what is going on. She didn’t have any issues with her coat up until after her second litter of puppies though.

All of our dogs are on a raw based diet, and she is the only one with coat issues (the rest look great). We bathe all of them occasionally to help prevent/address any flea problems, but thankfully, fleas really haven’t been much of a problem for us.

Any suggestions (when you have time 🙂 ) would be much appreciated!

• This topic was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by Sydney Alix.

[JoelleStudent]

Hey,

Just saw this post and thought I’d add my two cents for what they are worth. I had two Aussies that suffered from hair loss at one point in their lives. One was after a litter of pups and the other one just randomly lost most of her coat. I did a little researched and decided to supplement with ground flax seed, chia seeds, molasses, and an egg. They both recovered with thick, long, wavy, healthy coats. So just thought I’d pass along my experience.

3 users thanked author for this post.

Jeanne Arcaro, janet grenleski, Sydney Alix

[Sydney AlixStudentTopic Author]

Thanks so much! I will definitely give that a try.

[b7bair@sbcglobal.netStudent]

Elena, please share how much of each of those ingredients that you used for your dog.  I have a GSD, female, spayed that has lost nearly all her fur again. Last November I took her to the vet and was told kindly that she was a “hot mess”! She was put on Prednisone and an antibiotic course 2 times. (I tested positive for Covid in between so couldn’t take her in for a bit.)  The meds made her gain weight, as expected, and her fur grew out beautifully. Then when the effect of the meds were past, she started losing fur right and left.  All this past summer I have been giving her ground flaxseed, melatonin, COQ10 and ground Chaga mushrooms, on her food and no fur growing back. I have her on Instinct Salmon and/or Beef foods with a meal topper of freeze dried food. Feeling sad for how she looks and would like very much for her to have fur again, especially before it gets cold.

[JoelleStudent]

I’m so sorry to hear that your beautiful GSD lost her fur. I gave my Australian Shepherd 2 Tablespoons flaxseed (it must be ground though), 2 T chia seeds, 2 T black strap molasses, and whatever leftover quail eggs I had (about 2 per) per day. I was really amazed how her coat came back so glossy and thick. However, I had suspected that she had nutritional deficiencies (we had just gotten her and the previous owners fed her one brand of rather cheap dog food her whole life) along with the stress of changing owners. So I wanted to give her a nutrition boost.

I am sure some nutrition would be beneficial for your GSD; however, if she responded well to the antibiotics and prednisone, I would also add some herbs that could imitate those drugs. As long as Oregon grape is safe for dogs, I might use that as it is antibiotic plus I think it helps the liver so that could help your dog get rid of any toxins or waste accumulating in its body.  Some anti-inflammatory herbs may help (like turmeric) or some cleansing herbs that help the liver and kidneys keep the body clean might be beneficial. Maybe plantain could help as it is a diuretic, antimicrobial, and draws out toxins. I personally use calendula topically for skin and it is antibiotic as well. Depending on where you live, you could wild craft some of these before winter sets in. Anyway, I wish you and your GSD success!

[b7bair@sbcglobal.netStudent]

Thank you so much Elena.  I have nearly two quarts of calendula infused oil that I infused last April. Did you make a salve or use the oil straight? Seems to me a salve would be better to help the skin.  I will try adding the herbs and other ingredients to her diet to see if it would be helpful.  I have been contemplating asking the vet for a recommendation to a vet dermatologist and just have her tested to see definitively what is troubling her. I think I will have to get some Plantain seed from Doc Jones because my little plantain plants are just that–too little to do much good!

[JoelleStudent]

I use a calendula cream for myself. For animal use, I almost always leave it in the infused oil stage as oil penetrates animal hair so much better than salves or creams. In your particular case, she may not have enough hair for that to be a problem, but you do just want to make sure that it is contacting the skin and not getting hung up even in small amounts of hair. Of course, oil can be messy and sometimes they like to lick it off. So I guess there are pros and cons to both.

A proper diagnosis can really clear things up although sometimes the cost becomes a barrier.

 

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

There can be a number of very different causes of hair loss. Have a vet diagnose what’s going on and let us know. We can go from there. :0)

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

[Sydney AlixStudentTopic Author]

I talked to my vet about her hair loss issue when I took her in to get spayed, and she believed that part of the problem might be a dietary issue. My vet incorporates Chinese medicine into her practice, and she was telling me that some foods are too hot energetically for dogs, and can lead to issues like hair loss. So I’m wondering if my dog’s hair loss is related to her metabolism rate.

I’ve made some dietary changes and have also been supplementing her with essential fatty acid and nutrient supplements from my vet, and it’s definitely helped some. Her coat quality is much better, and is much thicker and not as dry. She’s still missing hair on the lower two thirds of her tail, and it’s still a little thin on her legs and feet, but I’m thankful that she is making progress.

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

Many hair loss cases in dogs are from low thyroid hormone. T4 tests don’t register a problem until it’s quite low so borderline cases often go undiagnosed.

Sometimes those kids respond well to the Thyroid Stim Formula.

Endocrine Formulas

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Jeanne Arcaro, Sydney Alix

[Sydney AlixStudentTopic Author]

Thank you very much!

1 user thanked author for this post.

Nicolette LaHair

[Author]

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