hair loss around eyes of small dog

latebar · 11-16-2006, 10:21 AM

Hi there!
I'm new to this board and I'm hoping I can get some good advice.
My small, mixed breed dog (I think she is chihuahua and doxie?) is losing the hair around her eyes. It has been going on for about a month....and I think it is due to her scratching. Her general health is good (and she is fairly young)and my husband and I just finished giving her puppy shots about a month ago or so. Does anyone know what this problem might be? I thought maybe she had some kind of mites.

blackgavotte · 11-16-2006, 11:18 AM

It could indeed be demodex mites. Take her to the vet for a skin scraping. This type of mite usually begins to show around the face first, and its a mite that all puppies have, but some do not fight it off and keep it controlled the way they should, its about the immune system. Get on it early and it should not be much of a problem if it is that.

latebar · 11-16-2006, 11:23 AM

Thank you so much!

Do you know if these mites also affect the ears? I've noticed some ear scratching as well. My kids brought home a stray chihuahua shortly before I noticed my dog's hair loss...I wonder if this has something to do with it. We found the chihuahua's owner and took her home .... I didn't notice any hair loss are unusual scratching for the stray however.

I appreciate the help...I didn't want to take her to the vet for something I might be able to take care of myself, but I think I'll make an appointment for her this afternoon!
Thanks again!

blackgavotte · 11-16-2006, 12:46 PM

Hi again. The demodex usually starts in the head and facial area, though not always. If it is demodex, she may be scratching at the ears, cheeks, back of neck, wherever she can reach, they make a dog very itchy. However, she also could have an ear infection. The little chihuahua you found would have no impact on the demodex one way or the other, but she could have brought fleas in, which would contribute to some scratching too. Either way, the hair loss around the eyes makes me suspicious of demodex, especially with daxi in her, but a vet is the best one to speak to. If it is demodex, ask him about not just the mitaban treatment which is a pain in the butt, ( not so bad with a small dog ) but also about the ivermectin treatment.

latebar · 11-17-2006, 11:34 AM

Very useful info...thank you so much. She will be going the vet on Monday morning.....I'll let you know how it goes!

latebar · 11-20-2006, 10:10 PM

Hi, I just wanted to let you know that my little dog has allergies, not mites. I was was very happy to know that the allergies could easily be helped with a cortisone injection. The vet says that other than some itchy eyes and ears, she is a nice healthy dog. Thanks again for your advice and help, it is very appreciated!

anmldr · 11-20-2006, 10:30 PM

hi. ask your vet about demodex mange. It has a predilection to perorbital. Easy treatment...and it's common in young dogs.

anmldr · 11-20-2006, 10:32 PM

be careful with steroid use....especially in young dogs. If it gets worse after cortisone injection or tablets...its definetly mange (mites). Cortisone injections just mask the itchy sensation...but the problem still be upstream.
I hope your lil' buddy is better soon.

Dogged · 11-21-2006, 02:22 AM

Was a skin scraping done?