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Patches of hair loss on snout.

Species: Dog
Breed: Labrador Retriever
Age: 1-2 years
Hi, my dog Penelope has started to develop a patch of hair loss on the right side of her snout. It's about a quarter size big and looks more like hair thinning. There's no redness on the skin or any sign of a scratch or anything of that nature. Within the last 5 months, we've switched her food from Iams Proactive Health to Natural Choice to Avoderm now. Could it be an allergy? It doesn't seem to bother her at all and is not very noticeable.

thanks.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Thanks for your question.

This is unlikely to be caused by an allergy.

I'm wondering if what you are seeing is something called demodex.

Here is a picture of a dog with localized demodex:

localized demodex

However, demodex can often look different than this.

The way to diagnose demodex is to have your vet do a skin scraping. If this is demodex it is likely to be localized demodex as opposed to generalized demodex. Localized demodex is usually something that goes away on its own and doesn't need treatment.

It is also possible that this is ringworm. If the spot is growing then you may want to have your vet do a fungal culture to look for ringworm.

Or, it's possible that Penelope has received a bite wound from another dog that was not deep enough to puncture the skin but simply removed some hair.

I hope this helps!

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.