# My girl is losing her hair



## Talon (Mar 11, 2004)

Can anyone help? I have a 5yr old long haired chihuahua. Every now and then her hair falls out. It starts on her back at the base of her tail. It is accompanied by a horrid stench that I can't seem to bath off. Can anyone tell me what she has and how to get rid of it? 
Thank you.


----------



## Mia (Feb 29, 2004)

hi welcome to the group!
There are many possible causes of hair loss, if the hair only occurs once in awhile theres a good chance it could be caused by an alergy,does she also itch alot? have u checked your chi for fleas? as this is often one of the most common cuases. 
another very possible cause is a yeast or bacterial infection. 

This source is taken from animal.discovery.com, describing a similar ailment seen in a pug

Q: My pug's hair falls out like snow, and she has a strange odor. The smell is not coming from her ears, facial folds or anal glands. It's a strong odor all over her body. I do bathe her weekly and brush her daily. She still smells. What can I do? S. M., Jackson, MS 

A: Veterinary dermatologist Dr. Lowell Ackerman of Westborough, MA says that if indeed you're correct that the problem isn't from your dog's ears or anal glands, it's very possible there's a bacterial or yeast infection. Ackerman says that frequent bathing cleans your pet, but it doesn't deal with a chronic infection. For that, you'll need an anti-bacterial soap, which you can purchase at veterinary offices. You'll have to bath your dog even more frequently, until you do eliminate the infection. 

An allergy might inflame the skin, making it a ripe place for a bacterial or yeast infection to flourish. If that's the case, it's helpful to identify the source of the allergen. In order to do that, visit a vet familiar with treating allergies or a veterinary dermatologist. Certainly seeing a vet is important if there is significant hair loss, which means you're actually seeing bald spots. 

Some owners report changing diets can help such problems; particularly a diet high in Omega 3 fatty acids and/or you may consider supplementing the diet with Flaxseed oil. Also, ask your vet about a possible thyroid problem. If there is an allergy, one easy first line of attack may be to treat with an antihistamine

hope this helps, let me know if u think it might be something else and ill try and get some more info for you
mia
x


----------



## Talon (Mar 11, 2004)

Thank you I will. I've tried sulfadene anti-itch shampoo. It seems to help a little with the itch but her hair keeps comming out. I don't think she has many fleas, she has very thin fur and I can see them when there are. This time I haven't seen any fleas on her at all. Then after a while her hair comes back very quickly. Not in line with her sheddings though. Will the antibacterial help a yeast infection? Hope so I'll try it and get back to you. 


Thanks again


----------



## funkydancer3 (Mar 5, 2004)

AWWWW Talon, Sorry to hear about your baby, I hope all is well soon, Good luck with trying the solution 

xxxx amie xxxx


----------



## JJWC (Mar 10, 2004)

Hi, sorry to hear about that. How is your Chi now?
Have you taken it to the Vet? What did s/he say?
My friend's short coat Chi also had similar problem last summer. He lost a small patch of hair on his back, and had some black a bit sticky stuff on it... dunno what that was. Anyways, she took him to the Vet, and he said he had bacteria infection. Ended up he had to take anti-botic and the hair grew back not long afterwards.


----------



## Talon (Mar 11, 2004)

*Doing better.*

My girl's still got the bald spot, though we've gotten rid of the smell and the itch seems to have subsided. We are waiting for her hair to come back. We tried a combination of "Sulfadene" and dandruff shampoo. It seems to be working. 
Just so everyone knows, My girl's name is Foxy and she loves to be held and cuddled. She has the sweetest dispossition of any Chihuahua I've ever been around. 
I will try to get a good picture of her when her hair comes back.
Thanks for your support and concern.


----------



## Mia (Feb 29, 2004)

aww so glad to hear shes getting better!  , she sounds adorable cant wait to see her pic
mia
x


----------



## lachichi (Mar 22, 2004)

What color is your Chi? Blues and Whites can loose patches of hair.
Judi


----------



## BeamerFritzyKosmo (Mar 17, 2004)

*Hair Loss*

Hi Talon,

If you have found flea's on your chi in the past it is quite possible that your baby is allergic to the flea's themselves which can cause hair loss. 

Food allergies can also cause hair loss. Stay away from foods that have alot of wheat,corn,rice combinations, these are more likely to cause food allergies in dogs. Be sure to feed a high quality kibble like Nutro, Wellness, Solid Gold which contain healthier ingredients. It is the time for seasonal allergy flareup's aswell, she could be allergic to grass and/or pollen.

Food/Environmental allergies can cause body odor. Its hard to explain the smell but it smells like something stail or yesty. If it is a bacterial skin infection, you vet should be consulted for some antibiotic treatment. You may be able to clear up the infection some by your bathing combination but its unlikely you'll be able to clear up the infection entirely that way. It may appear to lessen but the symptoms will reappear if that is the problem.

Good luck in finding the culprit


----------



## minnies_mom (Jun 15, 2014)

Minnie lost the fur under her neck and belly and over her temples when she was a year and the vet said she had chihuahua pattern baldness and there was nothing I could do. I eventually switched her food to Acana and her fur has really filled in on her chest and belly. Minnie didn't have any odor and it sounds like your little guy has something else going on. I only wanted to mention this because I have seen the improvements a good quality food can have. Hope you little ones hair loss mystery gets solved and gets better!


----------



## minnies_mom (Jun 15, 2014)

Oops I didn't realize this was an old post when I replied


----------

