im not sure what caused this
 

My female yorkie, Gabby (6 this year) has some thining hair on her sides and neck area and Im not sure if its from allergies or old age or stress... Her hair never grows longer than what it is in the pictures (taken 8/10/06) so im leanin more to an allergy problem.. They dont have fleas because we gave them a pill that kills them in 30min. and then gave frontline the next day (and they get combed with a flea comb) but she does bite and lick a lot. I guess I should note that she has a smallish bald spot on her sholder that the vet said was caused by a fungus but that started there a Long time ago...

My male yorkie, TJ, had allergies last month real bad. to the point his whole skin was ruby colored and scratched till he bled. a shot of cortizone and some relief shampoo from the vet cured that. so that makes me not so sure if its allergies.


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Could it possibly be Hormonal or Thyroid related? I would have the vet check it out,

Awwwww...poor little girl. Her skin and hair look really dry. My first guess would be allergies or maybe just plain ole' dry skin. What kind of food are you feeding her? A lot of yorkies are allergic to corn, which is in a whole lot of dog foods. Maybe you could try switching her food to something like Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul or Merricks. My parents' yorkie is 7 and her skin and coat don't look like this. This is what makes me think it isn't old age and it is something else.

P.S. -- Welcome to YorkieTalk, fellow Alabamian! :welcome4:

hi ^^
o.kiee. well the food i feed my male is purina kibbles mini chunks. (and i read the ingredients- ground yellow corn) i feed my female Pedigree's little champions (which i just read has dried corn) but both my of them switch bowls from time to time... and i did talk to my step dad about switching to another brand. i had no idea Both had corn! makes me feel aweful that i could be the cause of their irritation.
as far as the dry hair i wash them in Sergeant's Gold. flea and tick shampoo for dogs and puppies. and sometimes when they scratch too much i use relief shampoo the vet gave TJ when he had allergies real bad - its got pramoxine hcl and colloidal oatmeal for temporary relief of itching discomfort and omega 6 fatty acids for dermal renourishing...

I would DEFINATELY consider switching foods. Both my yorkies, like MOST yorkies, are allergic to corn...I was feeding the Purina Pro Plan at first. But I switched to Chicken Soup (which has NO corn in it) and their dry skin went away like magic! (Well, it took about a month to really see results.) Go to www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com and check it out. It is VERY reasonably priced...$7-8 for a 6 lbs bag. Here is a list of retailers in Alabama:
http://www.chickensoupforthepetlover...s.php?state=AL

I would also start bathing them in Oatmeal shampoo and use conditioner. I use the Seargent's flea shampoo, too, but the one I use is Oatmeal flea and tick shampoo and I follow up with Head & Shoulders conditioner. You can also try the Head & Should stuff that you squirt on them after a bath and leave it on. It's called Soothing gel or something?? My parents' use this on their yorkie with really dry skin and it works wonders!!!! I would try all these things first and see how they feel in a month. If their skin is STILL dry, you might want to consider supplementing their food with something like Missing Link. I also use this. It has Omega fatty acids in it and it really has done wonders on my yorkies' skin and coats. It is little granuals that you sprinkle on their food. It is also inexpensive...$10 for a 3 month supply. Let me know if you need more info on the MIssing LInk and I'll send you the link of where I buy it.

ha, i just realized your location info said huntsville. im in scottsboro ^^

Thank you so much for your help! i will certainallly give these a try

NEAT!!!!!!!! We're practically neighbors!!!!!!!!! :D

yep!
and my parents are gonna switch foods (i wrote down list of stores in huntsville from the link you gave me to chicken soup)
and i have a feeling their goin to swich shampoos too.

If you are getting it from Huntsville, get it from CT Garvin Feed & Seed. They have the best prices....$7 for a 6lb bag.

If they are still looking dry after a month of being on the food, let me know and I'll give you more info on the Missing Link supplement.

Keep me updated on how it works for you! :thumbup: :thumbup:

ok thank you so much for your help!

I use the Missing Link on Cali and her skin and coat are so much better, but she is still scratching.

I just got back from the vet and told her that I was feeding Chicken Soup, Missing Link, giving them Frontline every 3 weeks, and they are still scratching. She looked them over, said that they don't have allergies or anything, and said that most dogs just scratch...that is just what they do. I guess it's just a natural thing that we can't get rid of. :idontknow

The thinning hair on both sides is characteristic of a thyroid disorder or cushing's disease. I don't understand why your vet didn't run any tests? Any other symptoms like gaining more weight than she should, but still eating the same (thyroid) or increased urination and increased drinking and/or eating (Cushings)?

http://www.peteducation.com/article....&articleid=449

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?articleid=416

Here's links on hypthyroidism and cushings for you to review to see if you see any other symptoms.

well we havent taken her to the vet yet (why i posted here first to keep from the bills) we cant afford a visit with me starting college next week and needing a car.. but she hasnt gained any weight or going to the bathroom more than normal. if anything we cant get her to go out the door half the time.

but i will send her a link to the hypthyroidism thing to see what she thinks.

To be simply a food allergy I would think she would be itching very badly to have that much hair loss. I really would expect her to have a hormonal disorder of some type. If she has been hypothyroid for a while this may be the reason her hair has never grown. Most dogs (and people) with hypothyroid are overweight, but I myself am hypothyroid and I weighed less than 100 pounds at (5'2") when diagnosed. I've been on the medication (very inexpensive) for almost 10 years and I actually gained weight after starting the medication and felt so much better, less tired, more tolerant to cold, could concentrate better and my hair improved considerably.

It really sounds like Lacy's Mom knows what she is talking about. If it is indeed something more than allergies (i.e. hypothyroid, Cushings) you really should consider taking her to the vet. Maybe you could call around and see which vet offers the best prices.

The above post from Lacy's mom is very good.
I also have hypothyroid and am not overweight because I live by my scale but am on medication for over 15 years. My dose was just increased because one should be monitered when on medications for chronic conditions. My Yorkie also was hypothyroid and was on medication. Pixie had lost most of her hair but after medication, it grew back. She also had allergies but this wasn't the cause of hair loss. She was tested for Cushing's and Addison's. I would suggest your vet do some bloodwork. Perhaps you can work out a payment plan to help you with the cost.
Jessica