Parasites and Hair Loss in Dogs

A dog's coat is an easy indicator of his health that you can measure in a glance. Healthy dogs have full, shiny coats. Dogs that have been infected with a parasite can show many symptoms, including hair loss, as their health deteriorates.

  1. Parasites

    • Dogs are at risk for infestation by a variety of parasites, both internal and external. External parasites commonly found on dogs including fleas and mites. These insects live on a dog's skin or burrow into its hair follicles. They feed on a dog's blood and can spread disease. They can also cause symptoms, such as anemia, skin irritation and hair loss in the areas of the dog's body that they have infested, according to the ASPCA.

    Symptoms

    • If a dog is infested with fleas, he will scratch at his skin often. This can cause skin lesions and hair loss in the areas he scratches most. Fleas will be visible in his fur, as well as in his feces, where you will find small black flecks that look like dirt. Mites cause a skin condition called mange in the dogs they infest. A dog with mange will scratch his skin and experience patchy hair loss around his eyes and ears.

    Diagnosis

    • A veterinarian can diagnose fleas by examining a dog's skin and seeing the parasites crawling through its fur. Because two different kinds of mites cause mange, a veterinarian will need to perform a skin scraping. Under the microscope, the veterinarian can distinguish between demodectic and sarcoptic mange by looking at the shape of the mites' bodies, according to "The Complete Healthy Dog Handbook."

    Treatment

    • Shampoos and dips are available to kill the fleas currently living on your dog. You can also use a flea comb to remove eggs and fleas from your dog's fur. Spot on treatments will kill fleas and stop them from coming back for a few months. Dips are available to treat mange. A dog infected with mange will require medication, such as ivermectin, to make sure all the mites are killed.

    Considerations

    • Once the parasite infesting a dog has been removed, her hair loss will stop and hair regrowth will begin. Some dogs are allergic to the saliva of fleas or mites. This allergy can cause intense itching, which can lead to more hair loss due to scratching. To avoid the risk of reinfestation, it is important to completely clean a dog's living space, and make sure any parasites in her bedding have been killed and removed.