Bald Spots on Belly and Chest

S

Steve Nelson

Forums Novice
My older dog (Toonie) who is hypothyroid and on medication has developed defined and completely bald spots on his chest and belly. They don’t itch or seem to bother him in any way. Does anyone have an idea of what this might be? I’d like to have some ideas before a vet visit.
 
I would schedule a vet visit. Only a vet could properly diagnose the issue. You did not mention if Toonie was on Thyroid medication. If yes, the dosage might need to be changed to prevent further hair loss. If not on medication for the condition you might need to get him medicated sooner than later. Good luck and keep us posted.
 
How often do you get his thyroid levels checked? I've read that Shelties need to be a high normal...perhaps some bloodwork is in order, I know low thyroid levels can really mess with the coat.
 
Piper's mom said:
How often do you get his thyroid levels checked? I've read that Shelties need to be a high normal...perhaps some bloodwork is in order, I know low thyroid levels can really mess with the coat.
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He's good on his medication and tests and is doing great including a beautiful coat, besides these bald spots. I was just wondering if anyone had seen something similar in their dog.... I visited around 6-7 different vets in my area over a few years searching for answers about symtoms that I know now were classic hypothyroidism. None were able to properly diagnose or even suggest a T panel! I finally researched via your site and others and asked a vet to perform a T- panel, and, of course, he was hypo. With that being said, I like to get all the information possible before I visit a vet.
 
It sure sounds like a thyroid issue, Steve, but we're not vets and barring any testing to indicate that it seems you need to consider other causes. Sometimes parasites can cause hair loss, or something like mange, although I think he'd be scratching if that were it. Even a food allergy can do things to the coat.

I say this having just been through three months of a skin issue with my puppy who we tested for everything you can think of, changed foods three times, and never did find a cause. We finally discovered it was a staph infection triggered by her immune system. So ask your vet to think outside the box. If all else fails, see if there's a canine dermatologist in your area who can look at your boy. Please let us know what happens and good luck!
 
Like others already suggested, I would have his thyroid re-checked to make sure he doesn't need he meds increased. My dog, who has a normal thyroid is going bald. The cause of her fur loss is Atypical Cushing's disease. If your dog's thyroid is normal with his medication and his fur loss is still concerning, you might want to consider a Cushing's Disease test. If you can afford it, I would suggest doing the adrenal panel blood test. This will also test his sex hormones, which can cause fur loss.

Other common Cushing Disease symptoms are: increased thirst & urination, panting, excessive hunger and muscle tone loss.
 
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