Alopecia is one of the most common skin complaints in dogs — partial or complete hair loss with several possible causes. Here’s how to recognise the pattern, what’s likely behind it, and what to do.
What alopecia is
Alopecia is a very common condition in dogs. It causes partial or complete hair loss and can affect the skin, the endocrine system, the lymphatic system, and the immune system.
It affects dogs of all ages, breeds, and genders. The onset can be gradual or acute.
Symptoms and types
Alopecia is very noticeable. It’s typically characterised as:
- Varied or symmetrical hair loss across the body
- Bald circles, often accompanied by crusting and inflammation around the affected area
- Scaling of the skin in some dogs
The look matters: the pattern of hair loss is what points toward the cause.
Causes
One of the most common causes of alopecia is mange, driven by the Demodex mite. Other causes include:
- Disrupted hair follicle growth, often from infection, trauma, immune disease, or endocrine system abnormalities
- Hair follicle inflammation — if you’re seeing multiple missing patches, this is often what’s behind it
- More specific disease patterns when there’s a widespread area of hair loss
How vets diagnose the pattern
Proper diagnosis turns on the pattern and severity of the hair loss. Three main pictures appear:
Multiple patches of hair loss
Often accompanied by reddening of the skin and mild scaling. A fungus such as ringworm or bacterial infections are generally associated with this type of hair loss. Another known cause is scleroderma — a skin condition that develops from scar tissue or after a recent vaccination.
Symmetrical hair loss
This pattern has several known causes, all of them hormonal:
- Excessive steroid levels produced by the adrenal glands
- Low thyroid levels
- Increased oestrogen levels
- Low female hormone secretion
- Testosterone-related hair loss (when testosterone drops suddenly)
Symmetrical hair loss is the pattern that should send you to the vet for blood work.
Patchy to generalised hair loss
Mange is one of the most familiar causes of this type of hair loss. Other causes include bacterial infections and ringworm. This pattern is usually accompanied by redness of the skin and inflammation.
What you can do
For the patterns driven by mites, fungus, or bacterial infection, topical treatment is the right starting point — kill the pathogen on the skin, support the follicles, and let the coat grow back.
The Dermagic Skin Rescue Lotion was formulated precisely for this. It penetrates deep into the hair follicles where the mites, yeast, and bacteria live, kills them, and lets new skin and fur emerge. For symmetrical hair loss with a suspected hormonal cause, see the vet for blood work first — but topical care still helps the skin while the hormonal cause is investigated.
For specific guidance on your dog’s case, email info@dermagic.eu or call 01624 829575.