Dog Symptoms Guide

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Sign Of ill health guide >>

Hair Loss
Hair loss can be caused by many different conditions. In some cases dogs themselves have caused the hair loss by excessive licking or gnawing and scratching, for instance due to severe itch. This can be caused by fleas, mange or skin infections. In these cases the hair loss can be anywhere on the body.

Hair loss can also be caused by hormonal diseases such as Cushing’s disease, Hypothyroidism and Feminisation Syndrome. In these cases the hair loss is often symmetrical, on the flanks, and very rarely does the dog itch.

There are many more reasons for dogs to have hair loss. Some of these are quite rare and often it takes several tests to find out the reason for the hair loss. It may be necessary for your vet to do skin scrapes or blood tests on your dog. If you are concerned about your dog’s hair loss have your dog examined by your vet.

Head Shaking
Head shaking can be caused by Vestibular Syndrome. This is a condition where there is damage to the balance organ in the inner ear. The dog will normally have lost its balance and co-ordination and may sway or hold the head tilted. Often the eyes will flicker up and down or from side to side. This is often incorrectly called ‘stroke’. The dog may be scared and disorientated and is often best off in a darkened and quiet environment. Treatment is often successful, but the problem often recurs. This is typically a problem of the older dog.

Epilepsy is another possible reason for a dog to shake its head. In these cases the dog will often shake with the whole body, including the legs. ‘Fits’, as they are called, often last for several minutes only and most dogs seem a bit dazed afterwards but make a full recovery. There are several possible causes for epilepsy but most are idiopathic, meaning there is no identifiable reason for the occurrence of the fits. Treatment normally consists of tablets which have to be given for life.

Another reason for dogs to shake their head is ear problems. See ‘ear problems’ for details of these conditions.