my dog is losing alot of fur also he has kind of a rash

Question
My dog is losing alot of fur, also it looks like he has a rash, but I know he has fleas and I have been bathing him and picking them off him, Also could it be possible for him to be allergic to dog cologne? I bought him it from Walmart to make him smell nice, it was the softest one made for puppies?

Answer

Hi Robin,

If your dog is loosing fur, he needs to be examined by a veterinarian. Fur loss is usually associated with conditions which require treatment, on top of that, your dog may have a secondary skin infection which also needs to be treated. Blood work may be needed to rule out a thyroid disorder.

Fleas only live part of their life on a dog. The rest of the time they're in the "environment", meaning your home, or wherever your dog is spending his time. Flea baths alone isn't sufficient to put a dent in this problem, as new fleas are always jumping on your dog. Monthly flea preventatives, such as Frontline, Advantage, or Revolution are more effective than flea control brands you can buy at Walmart, or Supermarkets. Those are usually Permethrin and Pyrethrin based. These are old forms of flea control, and many flea populations are immune to them.  It pays to buy the more effective modern flea control formulas. They cost more, but they work. Here's info on how to get rid of fleas:

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Fleas

You should definitely stop using the dog cologne. It's possible he's having a reaction to it. Did your dog's problems all begin when you started using the cologne?  A dog shouldn't have an offensive smell to begin with! If your dog smells, he's got a problem, and covering it up with a cologne is only masking the smell, not treating the problem.

There is no substitute for veterinary care, and your dog is in need of a doctor. Putting off getting treatment usually makes for a longer more expensive treatment, and meanwhile your dog is suffering with this.

Best of luck,

Patti