What Can I Do to Get the Hair to Grow Back on My Dog's Leg?

Hair can fall out or stop growing on your dog's leg for many reasons, some more severe than others. Commonly, dogs groom and lick themselves, often to the point where they have licked the hair off of the skin and even created a wound. If home remedies do not help the problem, the pet should be taken to the veterinarian to be examined for deeper complications.

  1. Head Cone

    • If the dog is constantly licking his leg, place a cone around his neck to prevent the dog from being able to reach the area. You can buy these at a pet store and are generally plastic with snaps to secure the cone. You can also make a cone out of cardboard and duct tape by cutting a hole in a square piece of cardboard and forming a cone by bending the cardboard inward, securing it with duct tape. Larger cones prevent the dog licking his back legs as well.

    Wrap the Leg

    • Making a bandage for the dog's leg on the affected area can prevent excess licking or environmental damage. Dab antibacterial gel onto the wound or hairless area. Wrap a long piece of gauze around the leg. Secure the gauze tightly with medical or cloth tape. The dog might try to lick or rip off the bandage. Wrapping the leg is ideally done while the dog is wearing a cone.

    Treat for Fleas

    • A dog may also lick or bite his skin to the point of hair loss if the dog has a flea problem under his fur. Fleas irritate skin by using their mouths to pierce the surface and suck blood. It begins to itch when many fleas are doing this to the skin at the same time. Treat your dog for fleas with a flea collar, flea wash or monthly anti-flea application. If the fleas are no longer present, the dog will stop licking himself.

    Balance Nutrition

    • Your dog may not be getting the proper nutrition in his diet. The hair falling off on the leg may be the start of other complications. Change dog foods, upgrading to a higher quality mix with more balance in its protein, carbs and fats. Add a protein supplement to the dog food as protein deficiency can cause hair loss. Interchanging canned dog food for dry dog food increases the level of protein per serving.