Bichon Frise Puppy

Question
Why is my 4 month old Bichon's fur falling out on her back and chest?

Answer
While it would help to see a picture, there are some common things that can cause hair loss.

Allergies is one of the most common, and a vet would have to do an allergen test to determine what is causing it. If it is an allergy, even simple changes such as food without wheat, dyes, or whatever the allergen is could fix this. Allergies could also be reactions to flea bites or an external source (your cleaners at your house, for example).

At 4 months, a puppy is starting to lose the fluffy "puppy" coat and a thicker, wiry coat will be pushing some of that out...if there is clogged follicles or poor circulation in those areas, the coat regrowth may not be happening.

Sometimes hairloss is a sign of a diabetic or thyroid condition. Your vet would have to do a blood test to eliminate these as potential issues.

The best thing to start with at home before getting too concerned is to change the diet to something that doesn't have wheat and is known for higher quality ingredients.

This is quite common also, with dogs that are experiencing stress. If the dog is itching, you'll have to involve the vet to see if there is that allergy again. If the dog isn't itching then I would suggest no washing with commercial products, use simple baby shampoo, check for fleas, mange and also alter the diet. Start using fatty acids such as those seen in high fat fish, like salmon, mackeral, sardines on a daily basis. Your vet can give you the names of safe-for-pet products that you can add to the food that you can purchase in your vitamin store aisle that will have these helpful fish oil/omega fatty acids.

Good luck!