Hair loss & itching - Chihuahua

Hello! Looking for some opinions on my 8 year old chihuahua Paddy. He is losing hair mainly at the rear but also along where his collar sits. He’s always had a good thick set of hair and about 6 months ago we noticed he was biting his feet and itching alot. Off to the vet we go and took bloods, came back with a looooong list of allergies. Cross referenced the allergies to his food and changed his diet to food minus any triggers. Yet he still itches albeit not as much just the hairloss has gotten worse. Hair also feels incredibly dry. Do fees him fish occasionally maybe twice a week in hope the oil treats his coat. Took him back to the vet and they were stumped to what it may be. You can literally pull with minimal pressure the hairs out of his back. I’ve seen the all itch & immunity chews you can get but hear mixed reviews. Any help welcome! 🙏

Hello!  There are many causes of hair-loss in dog.  Because your dog is itchy, the mind does go to allergies, which are no easy fix to treat.  This is because the reptoire of things that an individual dog is allergic to can expand (perhaps it starts with fleas, but can grow to include several different types of pollen).  It can certainly include fish proteins - is your vet aware of these treats? - things flowering in other people's gardens and insects.  Most vets would also reccommend a heavy duty flea treatment - not necessarily because your dog has fleas, but because they can be allergic to other people's.  During pollen sesson, washing the paws regularly after a walk - or even a gentle hose or a dip - can help to shift any allergens from the surface of a dogs' coat. It is worth noting that allergies are life-long and are managed, or controlled, rather than treated.  Frequently, long term drugs are needed.

Given that the signs are concentrated around the back end, it is worth being aware of the impact of allergy on anal glands.  Other reasons for scratching include pain eg abdominal pain, parasites, etc.  Sometimes, when signs of an allergy coincide with eg hypothyroidism or demodex, these can be missed.  Regular visits to the vet are therefore important for skin cases.