My Dogs Hair falling out??

Question
Hello...I have an 8 year old mix, I think he is a Lab and Chow mix.  His name is Teddy.  His hair has steadily been falling out and now on his back I can actually see parts of his skin?  He stays INSIDE although he is allowed to go out when he wants to.  He seems healthy...eats like a horse.  What could this be?  It doesn't appear to be mange...I've seen that before and it doesn't look like that

Answer
Ken,

Hair loss (alopecia) in an 8 year old dog (neutered I am assuming?) can be caused by many things. Hypothyroidism, Cushings Disease, Atopy(allergies), skin infections, Demodectic mange, etc. The first thing I would do is have him seen by a vet who will likely recommend a skin scrape, blood work,etc. This will help narrow it down from the above list. Fortunately, hair loss is not life threatening. However, some of the conditions that can cause it are very debilitating if left undiagnosed and untreated.

Good Luck!
Dr. G.