Today I noticed that my dog was licking underneath her right leg. When I checked her, I noticed that underneath her right leg she did not have any hair unlike her left side were she has hair. What can this be and is it something I should be concerned about? She is 5 years old and a Shih Tzu.
By Nelson from Hackensack, NJ
There are many causes of this type of behavior including behavioral, allergic, and endocrine disorders to name a few. It is important to be adament about sharing information in detail with your Veterinarian such as when she is doing this behavior, type of diet fed, and the use of flea and tick products. Sometimes the smallest things such as a change of environment, household cleaners, and or laundry detergent can cause upsets. Other problems can be psychogenic grooming due to a need not being met. These cases are quite difficult to pinpoint but, are not impossible. I would suggest keeping a diary of behaviors and changes and presenting them to your vet. It may sound a little freaky but, the more information we have, the more able we are to get to the root of the problem! Good luck! :) SEUT RVT
It sounds to me your dog is still traumatized by the surgery and her nerves are getting the best of her which would cause her to lose her fur and as for the vomiting it is probably caused by her ingesting her hair like fur balls to a cat when they clean themselves.. When she goes to the vet again love her while she is there so she won't be so upset cause she remembers what happened the last time she went there, take her home and pay lots of attention to her and give her a special treat.
I agree with the last person keep a journal of any changes in her environment and her habits. Good Luck and God Bless!
A variety of reasons may cause hair loss in dogs. This is a page about reasons a dog is losing its hair.
This is a page about Dachshund losing hair. When your dog suffers hair loss, determining the cause is the first step to treatment.
