Shit-zu Losing hair

Question
Hello, My mother has 4 shit-zu's, She has one of them that is losing her hair, her diet has not changed much, and her belly is really pink. All of her other dogs are not having a problem.. and we are wondering what it might be? Is it serious? we are lost and we were unsure if it was something we could do at home or if we needed to take her to the vet...  I appreciate all of your time, and hope that you are able to help us... THANK YOU in advance.

Answer

Hi Chancie,

Nobody online can diagnose your mother's dog. She needs to have the dog examined by her veterinarian.

The hair loss her one dog is having may not be a dietary problem. There are many things that can cause hair loss ranging from being predisposed to it through hereditary, to more serious conditions such as a thyroid disorder. If it's a thyroid disorder for example, nothing but the correct medication could help the dog. Hair loss can be a hormonal abnormality, a symptom of anxiety, boredom or stress, an allergic reaction, an autoimmune disorder, or a parasitic condition. As a symptom, you simply can't guess at what's causing hair loss when it occurs.

Once you have a diagnosis, there may be home remedies I can suggest, if you'd care to get back to me.

Best of luck,
Patti