my female papilllon keeps pulling her fur out

Question
hi my 6 year old female papillon keeps pulling her fur out from the lower part of her back and on one side of her body right by the top part of her back leg on the left hand side, i know she hasn't got fleas as she is done regaurly and is washed once a week and she gets groomed everyday as she is longed haired and she has been sprayed ,i also have a seven week old shih tzuz x jack Russell male puppy but this problem started a few weeks before i got him. i did have to change her food as when i got her the last owner was feeding her human food but now she is on dog food

Answer
Hi Mrs. Rayner,

Grooming a dog isn't the same as providing a flea preventative. Before you assume that your dog doesn't have fleas (which only spend part of their life on the dog, and may not be seen) check your dog for "flea dirt", which is a nice way of describing the flea's waste product, which they leave behind. Flea "dirt" looks like flecks of black pepper or dirt on your dog's skin and in the hair coat. If you happen to see anything like this, you can test it to see if it is indeed "flea dirt": wet a cotton ball or paper towel and add some of the "black pepper" material. If it dissolves into a reddish-brown material, it is very likely flea dirt, and indication of a flea problem for your dog.

If it's true your dog doesn't have fleas, she might have a form of skin mite, some mites are not visible to the naked eye, and can be contagious not only between your dogs, but to you too. To rule out mites, your vet would need to perform a skin scrape test, which is very simple and done right in the vet's office.  You should also check the male puppy that's also having he same problem. Change of food wouldn't be the cause, if this problem is affecting both of your dogs!

Best of luck,

Patti