Help dog losing hair in spots!

[anna_66]

I have no advice but to see what your vet has to say but I do hope you can get this all figured out soon.

{{HUGS}} to your sweet Scooby.

[lv4dogs]

Like I said not all types of mange are contagious. EVERY dog has Demodectic mites in their hair folicles just as every human has them in our eyebrows!
Even sarcoptic mange could of been brought on your property from another animal coming onto your property & rubbing against a bush & then your dogs rub against the same bush. Just because you or dogs haven't been in direct contact with it doesn't mean they won't get it.
Yet again I doubt it any type of mange as "usually" the symptoms start towards the head & feet but you never know.

Same thing goes with ringworm, you or your dogs may not have had contact but it could of been brought in by your shoes or outside from another animal somewhere.

I highly doubt it was caused by your ferret either. I have 4 ferrets and 3 dogs and never heard or seen of such a thing. I also have a lot of friends with ferrets & dogs & I have been speaking with them the last hour or so and none of them has of anything like that either.
If you are talking about the ferrets feces being the cause, well that is even more unlikely, in fact it is probably better for your dog than him eating any other feces or the like, that is *unless* your ferret is not getting the proper food. Ferrets are 100% carnivores, they have no cecum therefore can not digest anything but meat.

The cause could be one (or more) of many things. It shouldn't be more than maybe $30-40ish for an exam & a skin scrape to find out what the cause is.

Once you know the cause we may be of some more help.
Like ringworm can be treated with athletes foot creams & sprays (sprays seem to work better) instead of the baths & pills that most vets try to sell you to make more money.

[Scooby4]

Good news, I went to the vet. Your not going to believe what it is! I had mentioned about the ear infection thinking it was an old yeast infection that had returned. I had been treating it but no change. Well it turns out that it was NOT a yeast infection! It was "bacterial" instead!
That bacterial infection turned into a "secondary" infection that spread to the rest of Scooby's body! So the skin is turning "black" after the unseen puss spot have burst and scabbed over. The hair then also falls out.
I had been treating his ears with alcohol or peroxide on occasion and it did seem to help a tad but was worried too much about continuing that route so I stopped. Turns out that may have been the good home treatment.
The doctor gave Scooby a shot of hydrocortozone for the inflamation/itching. I got antibiotics and must clean/treat his ears twice a day. It's going to take atleast 2 weeks to clean up the infection. Then he has to go back and possibly have earwax removed. Although I think I can do that myself. My other dog had that same issue without the infection.
Thanks for your help! I am soo glad it wasn't the mange! Although I believe I am getting a little "itchy". Now let's hope I can get Scooby to stop trying to eat the ferret!

[lv4dogs]

Well that is great news that it is nothing major nor contagious. I'm happy to hear Scooby is on his way to recovery. Sending good thoughts for a speedy & succesful recovery.

And Scoobie dear, please don't eat the ferret.

[anna_66]

Glad to hear you found out what the problem is and now you can get it under control

A speedy recovery to your sweetie!

[Kater]

So glad to hear Scooby is on the road to recovery!!
Hugs to you both.

[Scooby4]

UGGH! I am trying to apply the ear cleaner and medicines to Scooby's ears and I am getting the WORST splash back!!!
The vet told me "It's okay if he swishes his head after applying"...Well he did NOT warn me everything would also fly out!!!
I've got to apply a "cleaner" first and wait a half hour and apply the real medicine. So I have to go through this TWICE!!! or 4 times a day!
To add on to all of this, Scooby is SMART and KNOWS when I am going to get him for his treatment. So last night he hid under the bed and growled at me! He's also got to take a pill and he spits it out!
So now I am covered in Doggy "spittle", ear rinser, and the liquid ear medication! I feel like I need to wear a rain coat to treat my dog!
The good news is the redness has gone down and he is getting back to normal. Whatever normal is for a spoiled-rotten-gets-everything-he-wants sleeping-on-the-couch-when-I-am-not-looking-pain-in-the-loving-but-dog!!! Man don't you LOVE your pets?!!!