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Hair Loss

Pug Hair Loss

Overview

While this breed is a very heavy shedder that will result in fur from the entire body falling off evenly, this section covers the more specific issue of hair loss on a particular region of a Pug's body.

Some Common Issues Seen with This Are:

Thinning hair in random areas. This can be in one or several areas of the body. Owners may notice that the coat looks a bit thin or patchy to varying degrees including enough missing fur that skin shows through. 

This may occur just about anywhere including the armpits, legs, flanks, or areas of the back, or the head. Small areas may spread as time goes by. 
Odd patterns of fur loss. Unlike the often heavy shedding that this breed is known for in which there is essentially an even loss of fur over the entire body, there may be circular patterns of thinning or balding areas. 
Irritated skin. If the coat thins down enough to have a closer look, you may see that the skin underneath the affected area is red, irritated, and/or has a rash. This is not always the case; however, coat loss and skin problems may go hand in hand.

Itching. In some cases, when a dog scratches and/or chews at himself due to an itch, it will cause hairs to fall out. Opposite to this, issues that lead to thinning or balding fur may in turn cause itching. 

The 8 Top Reasons a Pug May Have Hair Loss

There are many reasons why a Pug's coat may thin and become bald in some spots; however, these are the 8 most common causes:

1. Parasites. This includes demodectic mange in which there is typically fur loss around the eye area, trunk, and/or legs, sometimes seen with skin lesions that look irritated or are crusted over. Ringworm is also a possibility with telltale signs of circular bald spots that appear on the head, paws, ears, or limbs, sometimes with a red spot in the middle and the area may or may not crust over.

2. Thyroid Issues. Both a low level of hormones (hypothyroidism) or high levels (hyperthyroidism) can cause coat loss. With this, thinning fur is often seen over larger areas of a dog’s coat and fur is often dry and brittle. 

Other signs of hypothyroidism include lethargy, trouble concentrating, intolerance to the cold, unexplained weight loss, skin scaling, and/or skin infection. Other signs of hyperthyroidism include hyperactivity, rapid breathing, heart murmur, enlarged thyroid glands in the neck, difficulty breathing, increased appetite (sometimes with weight loss, despite this), increased thirst, increased urination, vomiting, and/or diarrhea.
3. Stress. When a dog is highly stressed (severe separation anxiety, trouble with transitioning to a new home, etc.), a condition called telogen effluvium can develop, in which a large number of coat follicles are forced into an extended resting phase. One to two months afterward, those hairs may then shed off, especially after a thorough brushing or a bath. Since this is a delayed reaction, coat loss often occurs when the triggering event is over and things have already resolved. Typically, the coat will grow back without any intervention. 
4. Allergies. Either airborne, contact, or food allergies may affect both skin and coat. A Pug with allergies may suffer from intense itchiness, and in turn, may scratch to the point of fur loss. Allergies can also cause such poor coat quality that dry fur breaks off. 

5. Canine diabetes. Seen in both adolescent and adult dogs, most owners first notice the symptoms of increased thirst, weakness, and weight changes. A thinning or dulled coat is also a sign.

6. Cushing’s disease. This is a disease in which the adrenal glands over-produce too much cortisol hormone. This most typically affects dogs over the age of 6, but can be seen in younger dogs as well. Other signs of this include bruising, increased thirst, increased urination, and weakness. 

7. Folliculitis. This is an infection of the hair follicles that may be accompanied by blisters with a pus-type discharge and/or crusting on the skin where the coat is thinning. In some cases, spots may become bald and weeks later the sores and blisters of pus will appear. This is typically treated with a round of antibiotics.

8. Alopecia X. Alopecia X is a broad term applied to coat loss with unknown causes, though in some cases there may be a link to hormones. This is covered next. 

Treatment for Unexplained Fur Loss on a Pug (Alopecia X)

Overview:

Alopecia X refers unknown hair loss, with 'Alopecia' meaning 'hair loss' and the ‘X’ standing for ‘unknown’. Since this term was coined, studies have now seen a possible link to abnormal hormone levels (estrogen or testosterone) in some cases, as well as a link to low melatonin production. 

This type of coat loss can be seen in some breeds more often than others including Pomeranians, Chow Chows, Siberian Huskies, and Keeshonds, though no breed is immune including Pug dogs. It can develop at any age. 

Symptoms: 
  • Fur texture becomes poor, hair shafts break, and patches of thinness or baldness appear which may be in circular patterns. 
  • This may be on just certain spots on the body or be a full-body balding (though the face is not often affected). 
  • Scabs and scaling may be seen.
  • Skin in the balding areas may darken. 
Diagnosis: 

All other possible causes of coat loss need to be ruled out. Testing should include a blood panel, a urinalysis, thyroid testing, adrenal hormone testing, and a skin biopsy.
 
Treatment: Veterinary

1. Spay/neuter. For intact dogs, veterinarians often recommend spaying or neutering, as it is thought that Alopecia X may be related to an imbalance of estrogen or testosterone. This said, while doing so may trigger regrowth, it is sometimes just temporary. Keep in mind that there are health benefits to sterilization regardless of whether or not there is a coat loss issue. 

2. Melatonin. In many cases, when a dog is spayed or neutered, regular doses of melatonin are also given (details ahead in Treatment: Home Remedies).

3. Prescribed medications. There are some options, but all involve risk of side effects and do not produce results for all dogs. 

Cortisol, a medication that suppresses adrenal gland function, is sometimes given, but can have serious adverse side effects including dizziness, drowsiness, depressed mood, skin rash, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, bloody diarrhea, collapse, severe electrolyte imbalance, and rapid destruction of the adrenal gland which may result in death. Continuous monitoring must be done and results can vary. 

There has been some testing done with hormone therapy, like Deslorelin which affects the production of both estrogen and testosterone that showed some hair growth only for intact male dogs. 
Treatment: Home Remedies

Once all possible underlying health issues have been ruled out, your veterinarian has diagnosed your Pug with Alopecia X, and you have followed the vet’s advice in the treatment of this and any other secondary health issues, a 3-step approach can help to regrow fur.

#1: Melatonin. 

Melatonin is produced by the body at night and works to regulate sleep patterns. It has shown promise in regrowing fur for approximately 50% of dogs with coat loss and results improve when other remedies are used alongside this. 

This can cause some drowsiness; in fact, it is sometimes given to dogs to help with anxiety or insomnia. And, it can sometimes interfere with medications, so you’ll want your Pug's veterinarian to approve this.

Daily dosing ranges from 1 to 3 mg, given at night. It may take up to 3 months to see if it is helping. If fur starts to grow in, continue the melatonin until the growth seems to have plateaued. At that point, the dose can be gradually tapered down over several months until just a weekly dose is given. Some dogs can ultimately discontinue this; however, if melatonin is completely stopped and fur loss happens again, the coat may not respond a second time.
While this should be vet approved, an effective over-the-counter choice is Nature's Bounty 1 mg Melatonin
#2: Omega-3 fish oil.

Omega-3 EPA and DHA are the most effective types of omega for skin and coat health which can play a significant role in helping a Pug grow their fur back. 

For this, Zesty Paw's Pure Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil is recommended which is a liquid omega-3 fish oil derived from wild salmon caught off the coast of Alaska. This is given once per day, with the allotted amount (usually 1/2 to 1 pump, depending on weight) added to one meal. Be sure to mix this in well; if not, just the pieces with fish oil may be eaten since both the scent and taste can be very appealing to canines. 
#3: Topical Skin Treatments.

This is a 3-step process. 

Step 1 - Restorative cream: Just massaging in a lotion each day to affected areas of fur loss can help tremendously; this stimulates blood circulation to the hair follicles which can prompt fur to grow. However, when certain skin restorative ingredients are used to improve skin health, this can be additionally beneficial.

For this, ResQ Organics Pet Skin Treatment is recommended. This is a rich, soothing blend that contains aloe vera, manuka honey, coconut oil, olive oil, hemp seed oil, and shea butter. 

Instructions for use: 
  1. Massage into the skin (wherever the coat is thinning) 2 times each day for 7 straight days, for at least 5 minutes. 
  2. After this first week is complete, massage it into the skin (wherever the coat is thinning) 1 time each day. 
  3. If you reach a point where the coat is growing back in, continue to use every other day for a few weeks. Once the coat is fully restored, you may wish to use this once per week as maintenance. 
Step 2 - Specialty shampoo: Giving baths with certain shampoos is an opportunity to fully encase a Pug's body with restorative ingredients to offer relief and promote fur growth. Peppermint and eucalyptus are great for soothing irritated skin and aloe vera and tea tree oil are excellent in restoring proper moisture levels and elasticity. 
A recommended shampoo to help regrow fur on a Pug is DERMagic Peppermint & Tea Tree Oil Shampoo which also contains lavender, chamomile, rosehip seed oils, aloe vera, and oat proteins. 

Instructions for use:
  1. Though Pugs should usually have baths once every 3 weeks, when you are trying to help the coat regrow and you are using restorative and moisturizing products, you can shampoo much more often than normal, up to twice per week for the first month. 
  2. Once the coat has been thoroughly soak with water, apply a liberal amount of shampoo. 
  3. Gently lather up your Pug, allowing the product to soak in for 10 minutes. 
  4. Rinse well with lukewarm water.
  5. Follow with a wash-out conditioner. 
Step 3 - Conditioner: Even with the richest and most luxurious shampoos, the bathing process causes hair cuticles to open, so you’ll still want to use a conditioner to smooth them down. 
Though any quality conditioner can be used to smooth the cuticles, it is recommended to use DERMagic Peppermint & Tea Tree Oil Conditioner which offers the same restorative ingredients as the shampoo.  

Instructions for use:
  1. Once the shampoo has been rinsed out, apply a liberal amount of conditioner.
  2. Gently massage this into your Pug's coat, allowing this to soak in for 10 minutes. 
  3. Rinse out with lukewarm water.
  4. Use a soft absorbent towel to pet your Pug dry; do not rub and do not blow-dry.  
#4: Protection of affected areas. 
While you are in the process of helping the fur grow back on your Pug, those areas should be protected from coming into contact with abrasive or coarse surfaces. Be sure that your Pug has a supportive dog bed and if balding areas are on the upper part of the body, consider slipping a loose-fit shirt or sweater onto your Pug which can both protect sensitive areas and offer warmth. 
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Pug Dog Life Span - This breed's life span, top causes of death, and ways to help your Pug live as long as possible. 
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