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Chihuahua Skin/Coat Problems - Help - Pics



 
 
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  #1  
Old April 3rd 07, 05:31 AM posted to rec.pets.dogs.health
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Default Chihuahua Skin/Coat Problems - Help - Pics

My 2 year old chihuahua recently started losing it's hair, in
patches. I took him to the vet and they didn't know what it was, but
tested it for ring/heart worms. The tests came back negative and no
other explanation was offered. Any ideas? Please see pics

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...s/DSC05164.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...s/DSC05163.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...s/DSC05161.jpg

  #2  
Old April 3rd 07, 07:34 AM posted to rec.pets.dogs.health
flick
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Posts: 568
Default Chihuahua Skin/Coat Problems - Help - Pics

wrote in message
oups.com...
My 2 year old chihuahua recently started losing it's hair, in
patches. I took him to the vet and they didn't know what it was, but
tested it for ring/heart worms. The tests came back negative and no
other explanation was offered. Any ideas? Please see pics

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...s/DSC05164.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...s/DSC05163.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...s/DSC05161.jpg


Disclaimer: I am not a vet. Follow my advice at your own risk, etc., blah
blah blah.

Heartworms don't cause hair loss, to my knowledge. That's an internal
parasite, in the bloodstream and heart. Ringworm is a skin fungus. It sure
looks like ringworm to me.

Here is a page about ringworm. It's mostly aimed at cats:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Con...=0&SourceID=42

The best idea would be to get another opinion from another vet.

If she were my dog, and if she's not suffering or scratching horribly (so
that I'd want to run to another vet), I would give her a lime sulfur dip
every 3-4 days to see if the hair started to grow back. It's a fairly
benign treatment. Buy powdered sulfur in the garden supply section of your
closest big store, like Mal-Wart ;-). It's inexpensive.

Mix one part powder with 10 parts warm water. Shake well to mix it.
Shampoo your dog, rinse her well, and dip her with the sulfur water, and do
not rinse it off. Towel dry with something that you don't mind staining.
She'll stink, and it can stain clothing and furniture. Sorry about that.

The sulfur dip is also effective for sarcoptic mange.

Follow the other advice in the article about cleaning well, so that you are
removing as much infective material from his environment as possible.

Post back and let us know how it works out for you and your dog. He's cute!

flick 100785



  #3  
Old April 3rd 07, 09:04 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.health
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Default Chihuahua Skin/Coat Problems - Help - Pics

Thanks for the information. I just called the vet and the lab results
came back negative for a fungus. I've made another appointment for
him this weekend to get re-checked.


  #5  
Old April 3rd 07, 11:58 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.health
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Default Chihuahua Skin/Coat Problems - Help - Pics

Tara,

He is not neutered (yet). We've been meaning to get him neutered for
the past 2 months, but something always comes up on the morning we
have to take him. The vet said it looks like the hair won't ever grow
back because the follicles looked damaged (??). I thought that was
weird..and kind of sux. I'll have to keephim away from the mirror or
his confidence will be shot.

  #6  
Old April 4th 07, 02:43 AM posted to rec.pets.dogs.health
flick
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Posts: 568
Default Chihuahua Skin/Coat Problems - Help - Pics

wrote in message
ups.com...
Thanks for the information. I just called the vet and the lab results
came back negative for a fungus. I've made another appointment for
him this weekend to get re-checked.


According to that article, sometimes the lab tests will be negative, but the
dog will have ringworm.

When you go back this weekend, ask your vet about using the sulfur dip. It
is kind of old-fashioned and messy, but it is effective, and much less
expensive than the oral antifungals like griseofulvin. It would most likely
not do the dog any harm, anyway. But if you're taking him back to the vet,
don't use it until he sees him again, in case he wants to take another
scraping.

flick 100785


  #7  
Old April 8th 07, 06:38 AM posted to rec.pets.dogs.health
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Default Chihuahua Skin/Coat Problems - Help - Pics

Just an update.

The vet took another sample to test it for different forms of mange
(Ring Worms were ruled out in the last visit). It also came back
negative, so they want to take a biopsy to send to a pathologist.
They scheduled the biopsy for 2 weeks, same day I'm getting him
neutered, and for the meantime they want me to wash him 5 times in
this special shampoo and keep him on antibiotics. They said it didn't
look serious, and they just think it may be genetic hair loss. My vet
hasn't seen anything like it.

  #8  
Old April 8th 07, 01:53 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.health
flick
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Posts: 568
Default Chihuahua Skin/Coat Problems - Help - Pics

wrote in message
oups.com...
Just an update.

The vet took another sample to test it for different forms of mange
(Ring Worms were ruled out in the last visit). It also came back
negative, so they want to take a biopsy to send to a pathologist.
They scheduled the biopsy for 2 weeks, same day I'm getting him
neutered, and for the meantime they want me to wash him 5 times in
this special shampoo and keep him on antibiotics. They said it didn't
look serious, and they just think it may be genetic hair loss. My vet
hasn't seen anything like it.


Thanks a lot for posting the update. I'll be interested to see what the
biopsy says, too.

flick 100785



 




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