What should you do if an Afghan Hound is shedding severely? In this context, abnormal hair loss means pathologic loss of coat either in local areas or across the whole body, often accompanied by other symptoms. Hair loss not only affects the dog's appearance, but may also sometimes indicate disease that could affect the owner as well.
Causes of Hair Loss and Their Typical Signs
1. Mange: This may be caused by sarcoptic mites or Demodex mites. Sarcoptic mange often begins on the head, such as the bridge of the nose, around the eyes, the ear flap and ear base, but may also appear on the front chest, lower abdomen, armpits, inner thighs, and tail, and can even spread to the whole body. The skin becomes red, develops small rash-like nodules, and the underlying tissue thickens. Because the dog constantly scratches, rubs, and bites these areas, hair falls out. Demodex mites often cause small bald patches around the eyes and may spread further. The affected skin becomes thickened and scaly and may even develop small pustules or purulent dermatitis.
2. Lice: Lice cause itching and skin irritation, leading to scratching, rubbing, and biting. The coat in affected areas becomes rough, dull, easy to break, and easy to shed. Heavy lice infestation may cause extensive hair loss, and large amounts of fallen hair may be seen in places where the dog frequently stays.
3. Hookworm disease: Affected dogs may become thin, develop pale conjunctiva, and have a rough, dull coat that breaks and sheds easily. The back may show bald patches of different sizes, exposing the skin, and papules or crusts may appear. The dog may also lose appetite, vomit, show pica, alternate between diarrhea and constipation, and pass bloody or black foul-smelling stools.
Solutions for Severe Hair Loss in an Afghan Hound
1. Mange may be treated with agents such as ivermectin and other anti-mite medicines.
2. Lice infestation may also be treated with antiparasitic drugs that kill both adult lice and eggs.
3. Hookworm disease may be treated with deworming medicine.
4. Fungal bald patches may be treated with internal antifungal medication together with topical antifungal ointments.
5. For hormone-related hair loss, hormone therapy may be considered, and in some necessary cases sterilization or removal of the ovaries may be discussed.
6. Canine acanthosis nigricans currently has no especially effective treatment. Management is usually symptomatic and may include glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone or prednisone together with antibiotics. Some people also report useful results with traditional Chinese medicine approaches.
7. Hair loss caused by vitamin B deficiency can often be corrected by supplementing a compound vitamin B preparation.
All of this knowledge is important for Afghan Hound owners to learn carefully. If grooming and care are neglected, the breed can easily develop skin problems. Preventing skin disease is therefore an important part of daily care. Once you understand the points above, it becomes much easier to distinguish pathologic hair loss from ordinary shedding.