Hair Loss Around Dogs Eye: Causes, Symptoms, and When to See a Vet
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Ridding a dog of parasites is easier, as many preventive medicines are available. You should also reevaluate your dog’s current diet and switch to a well-balanced one or eliminating common food allergens will improve hair loss caused by an inadequate diet. When a dog scratches constantly without stopping, it causes stress and anxiety in the dog and the owner.
Is it normal for a dog to have bald spots?
This will also involve finding ways to boost the dog's immune system to prevent a relapse of demodicosis. A dog can acquire alopecia from a parasitic infestation of fleas, lice, mosquitoes, or mange mites such as Demodex or Sarcoptes. Plus, an inadequate diet, food allergies, or an outdoor, dirty, hot, or moist environment responsible for a fungal or bacterial infection will cause ringworm or skin allergies. You will notice that a dog will lick and scratch incessantly to relieve the irritation.
Potential Causes of Hair Loss Around the Eyes
A foreign object that has penetrated your dog’s eye can cause bleeding, swelling, and pain. You should definitely consult a veterinarian concerning the allergy but a few home remedies might help with your dog’s allergy symptoms. If you have come back home from a walk and your dog is constantly rubbing his eyes with his paws or on the carpet, he might be suffering from allergies. Below are the top 9 reasons why there may be hair thinning around dogs’ eyes and what you can do to help. If it’s something you can clearly see, you can attempt to gently flush it out by pouring room temperature water over the eye.
Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)
From pressure sores in sedentary canines to rashes and hives caused by unknown vegetation, each bald patch narrates a tale. It’s highly contagious and can spread from pets to humans and vice versa. It’s a real eye-opener, literally, and a sign to visit the vet promptly.
However, if this doesn’t work you should take him to see your vet so they can attempt a different treatment option. Never try to remove an object from your dog’s eye with your fingers or tweezers as this could cause damage. If your pet requires surgery, this will be done under local or general anaesthetic. In many cases, simple home treatment may resolve the issue but there are other causes that can be severe and necessitate prompt veterinary treatment. If you notice any changes to your dog’s eye itself or in their behavior and if they are showing distress, an urgent vet visit is advised.
Conclusion: Similar Symptoms
Your dog’s allergies could be caused by environmental allergies, food allergies, contact allergies or serious allergic reactions from bites or stings. All of these can cause hair loss due to excessive scratching, biting, or licking in response to a feeling of itchiness. The typical areas affected include under the armpits, belly, groin, flanks, ears, and paws, but the whole body can be afflicted, including the face and around the eyes. If these infections are prolonged, your dog’s constant scratching can lead to hair loss around the eyes.
Using a microscope, these mites have eight creepy legs and are shaped like a cigar. This is when your pooch contract parasitic skin disease that is usually caused by one of two microscopic mange mites. A month ago, my friend called me in the middle of the night and sounded worried. Fortunately, I’ve had this same issue with one of my two dogs just a year ago. When too much cortisol is being produced over an elongated period of time, your dog will become a lot weaker through muscle loss.
How can I prevent hair loss around my dog’s eyes?
Hair loss around the eyes can indicate that something more major is going on that needs to be addressed in order to prevent further issues. Let’s look into why your dog may be losing hair around their eyes and what you can do to bring back their complete haircoat. At GreatPetCare™, we're proud to be part of Covetrus®, a global animal health company that's all about helping vets improve care for our furry friends. Products purchased from this site will be fulfilled by Covetrus North America, LLC. If your dog is diagnosed with a hormonal disorder like hypothyroidism or Cushing’s, have them treated appropriately to avoid losing hair. Alopecia can be further diagnosed by the location on the body where hair is being lost.
When should you talk to the vet about hair loss in your pup?
Demodicosis is a condition caused by Demodex mites and is also known as demodectic mange. It is one of the most common primary conditions which causes fur loss around the eyes. Mange in dogs can be treated with medicated shampoos or dips, oral or injectable anti-parasitics, and treating any secondary skin infections with antibiotics. Fungal conditions like yeast infections and ringworm can occur anywhere on a dog’s body, leading to fur loss in many cases. Skin infections in dogs will often require antibiotic treatment to resolve the issue, making it important to contact your vet if you notice any of these symptoms in your pup.
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Formulated for dogs, this treat strengthens skin, coat, hips and joints, heart, and the immune system. The causes of demodex canis mite proliferation and subsequent demodectic mange are not usually contagion from one animal to another. A dog keeps their normal mite population at suitable levels thanks to their immune system. When a dog's immune system is compromised for any reason, the mite population expands and demodicosis occurs. Diagnostic laboratory tests with smears and a skin culture can reveal any bacterial, fungal, or yeast infections, whereas a skin scraping can rule out parasites. Pressure sores – repetitive motion and too much grooming can cause pressure sores, which leads to bald spots from the irritated skin.
Issues of the eyes should be immediately seen as you’ll quickly want to prevent further damage that could permanently affect your pup’s vision. Conjunctivitis is relatively common in dogs and can range from mild to severe, depending on the underlying cause. In some cases, the conjunctivitis is secondary to an ulcer on the cornea or irritants in the eyes. Dogs also suffer from dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) which can cause chronic conjunctivitis and hair loss. A dog who is groomed regularly is easy to check for any kinds of issues that may lead to eye fur loss. The sooner that you realize the issue and have it treated, the better.
Blepharitis is a condition that causes inflammation (swelling) of the eyelid and/or the edges of the eyelid. Blepharitis causes discomfort in dogs, but since it does not pose an immediate threat to your dog’s vision or overall health, it is not considered an emergency. Insect bites and stings, medications, plants, chemicals, even shampoos can cause some dogs to develop a rash or hives, which can result in bald spots. Other signs of Cushing's disease include eating, drinking, and urinating more, panting, as well as having a pot-bellied appearance. Treatment may also include the use of topical ointments and creams and oral medications. We have already discussed the mite Demodex canis as a type of external parasites in dogs, but there are many others.
This is to make sure that your dog has not picked up any kinds of parasitical infections. This is the same as humans — dogs cannot be allergic to something the first time that they are exposed to it. Dogs are similar to humans in that they can suffer from environmental allergies as well. Don’t delay, as early intervention can prevent further hair loss and potential complications. They can assist in diagnosing the problem and offering appropriate treatment, such as antihistamines, antibiotics, or antifungal medications.
Any cause of eye pain can lead to your dog rubbing his eyes against the furniture. The outer layer of the eye, known as the cornea, has one of the densest networks of nerves in the body, which results in it being extremely sensitive. [2] Therefore, any sort of trauma to the eye can lead to the extreme pain, causing squinting and excessive blinking. Demodectic mange is almost exclusively a condition of young dogs under one year old.
Also, if you leave an eye infection untreated, the eye condition can worsen and develop into worse infection. To treat fungal infections, there are several topical medication, including sprays, ointments, and shampoos that are commonly used. Your vet will tell you which one is most likely to clear up your dog’s specific issue. Many have the same active ingredient as those intended for humans, but it’s important that you check with your vet first before trying to use one of them on your dog. In fact, there is a particular fungal infection called ringworm that results in hair loss around the eyes. Even though this skin disease is called ringworm, this doesn’t mean that worms are involved since they are not.
Additionally you may notice that your dog’s skin will thin, and they might also suffer from hair loss. If your dog isn’t able to dislodge the foreign debris on their own in a reasonable amount of time, you or your vet will have to help. Dust or dirt lodged in your dog’s eye can cause your dog a fair amount of irritation and, in some cases, pain. In dogs, common locations for fungal infections are skin folds that overlap each other. The skin within these folds easily hold moisture and cannot get exposed to sunlight and fresh air so easily.
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