Dog is Losing Fur
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Dear Dr. Florez,
I have a 4 year old Springer Spaniel. The fur on her back is not growing. It is very similar to a white strip on a skunk. The brown color is very light from the sun or aged. She has new fur growing on the sides that is dark brown. We shave her completely down in the spring & summer. It stopped growing after her last shave in early April. What do you think? She is very active.
Colin
Dear Colin,
It’s a difficult to determine what condition your pet has at this point without seeing her. Dermatological conditions consist of many variables and they could either be multiple issues occurring at the same time or it could be one single issue.
From the brief description you have provided me in your email, your pet may have a delayed hair re-growth. Occasionally, depending on which phase of hair growth you trim it in, the hair may stop growing until the next time that the hair follicles become stimulated. Then the hair grows again. It is a very common condition, but the hair should grow again, it will just take some time.
Nevertheless, the skin needs to be evaluated by a veterinarian; if your pet has fleas or your pet is scratching, biting or the skin is infected you will need to treat the skin in a different way. I always recommend Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids and multivitamins for the skin when we are treating dermatological conditions, as well as for pets that might have issues with hair re-growth.
Best of luck,
Diego Fernando Florez, DVM
