User deleted post
My vet actually suspected Cushings with my elderly Lab mix. He’d been losing fur on his back at the base of his tail and the back of his neck for a couple weeks. After three rounds of bloodwork, it turns out his thyroid is barely functioning and his liver is also not functioning well. He’s on a liver supplement and thyroid medication and is doing much better. It is crazy though how many different issues can cause fur loss.
Yeah, that's just the thing isn't it? So many possibilities. I'm glad your old boy is doing well. It's so hard to see them suffering :(
My elderly boy was suspected of Cushings but actually had alopecia x and became better with strict topical and dietary management (we are blessed to have a veterinary dermatologist who has published a lot of research and is an expert in all things skin).
Funnily enough we now think his younger sister does, in fact, have cushings (she started losing fur on the trunk and under the neck and put on weight out of nowhere). We will get those results later this week or early next.
Aww, I hope your girl will be OK. My little old man had actually lived his entire life outside (seven years) before he moved into my front yard a little over three years ago. He belonged to my neighbors (long story there). It’s honestly a miracle that he was in reasonably good shape, aside from being quite thin, covered in fleas, and filthy dirty. No heartworms or any other internal parasites, and no skin conditions. He actually started to get a bit of a pot belly along with the fur loss, which is what really made his vet suspect Cushings. We’re not completely out of the woods yet, and he’ll be tested again in a couple months. For now though, his thyroid function, which wasn’t even registering on the first blood test, is now at a low normal. Liver seems to be functioning better as well, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed. And you’re so right about it being hard to see them suffer. He’s such a sweet little guy, and it broke my heart knowing he wasn’t well, and knowing there wasn’t much I could do for him.
If she has Cushing's, along with whatever the vet recommends, I highly recommend you try the supplement from Petwellbeing.com. I used it and I know it really helped.
Thank you for your considerate reply! I am in Australia and we have pretty strict import regulations for these kind of things. But I'll have a look what it is and see if there is an alternative I can source locally :)
Hope you can find something. She had Cushing's, a mass in her brain and chronic bronchitis, all because of the flea medication. Along with traditional prescriptions and the holistic meds, we got a good two years with her. Miss her everyday.
For that reason alone I’ve been using a flea tag on my elderly dog. It hangs from his collar and has been working perfectly unfortunately my dumbass Chichiua thinks it’s a good idea to chew hers off. Every time so I have no other recourse than to put poison on her🙃🔫
I won't use that stuff anymore. If I ever see a bug again, I have natural stuff that is safe. Also gave my Pom heart failure.
At the very least that is one hell of an underweight dog. Some basic nutrition is going to go a ways to fixing issues with the immune system and the like.
But yes. Still definitely a vet visit. An underlying issue may be the cause of the weight loss
It’s actually not that thin but I work with animal control so my bar is at the floor lol. It’s only like a 4 BCS, though.
Yeah, "one hell of an underweight dog" is a major overstatement.
Look at the base of the tail though. You can see those bones sticking out pretty prominently. It’s very underweight. No sugarcoating. It might be a senior dog but if it’s not a senior then the dog really is seriously dangerously thin.
Agreed that it's not that thin...biggest concern is the skin/underlying issue causing skin issues. Weight isn't that bad.
They wouldn’t be my friend anymore if I saw this.
would be questioning how we were friends in the first place 🙃
I’d stay friends long enough to make sure this poor puppy gets the necessary medical attention
This!
same. I'd even throw a couple of punches on my way out.
Right?
The sub can be so depressing. It seems it’s always “someone else’s dog is mistreated what should I tell them?”
You don't know what they've gone through and what actions they have taken for the dog. People can be looking for an answer to a medical problem with their dog and trying different treatments for years before they find the right diagnosis and treatment.
Yo, fuck that friend. Dog needs help and a new home asap.
They're owned by a fucking scumbag that has neglected them, that's What's wrong with your friends dog.
The owner of the dog is what's wrong with it. I'm sorry, it takes a lot of scratching to look this bad. They have just been watching this happen...? I can almost smell this dog from here. It would be a miracle if all that fur grew back after proper treatment, oh my gosh.
You gotta tell this guy to take this thing to the vet. This will not get better on its own, only worse (think about dirty greasy toenails scratching open the skin...yeah) Is he worried about the cost? This would be antibiotics +/- steroids and maybe a skin scrape to make sure it's not mange. Cephalexin and prednisone are insanely cheap my friend... he can always decline further testing and treat symptomatically... he can always request an estimate before any services are rendered beyond the exam... please be this dog's advocate!
Absolutely! I was SO stressed about my dog. I saved his life from scumbags abusing him, but my next hurdle was "I definitely can't afford vet care". So I just spread it out little at a time. Check up first time, some vax next time, etc. turned out he ended up needing a operation because those scumbags hurt his testicles and one was stuck inside his belly, and he was positive for Lyme disease so we have NO idea, how long he's had that, and his operation, rest of vaxs, meds, anesthesia etc. cost 2,600 all together. I found something called care credit. I applied, I was denied, BUT, my best friend co signed for me, and it went through! I was able to successfully use the care credit and my baby is healing up wonderfully from his surgeries ☺️☺️🙏🏼🙏🏼🙌🙌 there are ALWAYS options!
That poor Baby, I will never understand how it can come to such a point without the owners realizing their dog might need a vet!
...or not caring...?
Damn, if he hasn't/isn't taking his dog to the vet, that's straight up abusive. Dog needs medical care asap.
Looks like a BAD case of mange...
Short answer. They don’t care for it. It’s underfed, either licking his fur off in anxiety or just losing it due to malnourishment. Possibly allergy. Again… they’re not caring for this dog and in fact are inflicting pain. Best thing you can do is ask to take the dog to the vet for them. Bring the paperwork.
Ur friend clearly doesn’t care about the dog
eek, on first looks seems like mange and malnutrition. That dog is not OK. If your friend isn't concerned, there is a problem.
Vet time, if your friend doesn't take them they are a shitty human being
The fact that it was able to get this bad at all is proof of severe neglect. This dog should’ve gone to the vet a long time ago when this first started. It could be mange, dermatitis, or a whole long list of other dangerous conditions. Vet ASAP.
yeah that’s the thing! it took TIME for the dog to look this terrible. this didn’t happen overnight or even in just a few weeks. this has been going on. poor baby
Exactly! What the actual heck
Plot twist: it’s not the “friend’s dog” it’s his.
Have they taken it to the vet? Lots of assumptions about the owner going on in the comments. I had a dog with skin issues that persisted for years and she absolutely looked neglected, but she definitely was not.
Yes, I know of someone whose dog developed a mange-like skin condition, they spent thousands on vet bills over months trying to figure out what was wrong, and everyone who saw their dog thought they were terrible owners.
I'd like to hope that OP's friend is this kind of dog owner who is genuinely doing their best. But I feel the post context would probably say something about the ongoing battle if that was the case.
I get the impression that OP is not super close with the friend, based on the lack of information in general. It even seems like they’re sneaking taking pics. For all we know, his friend could’ve just rescued this dog off the street last week. If this were neglect, why would the owner let people see it? Neglectful owners would dump the dog at this point, not invite people over to see it.
I mean yes lots of assumptions but this doesn’t happen overnight. Takes many months to get to this point.
If they’ve been working with a vet this whole time then they’re off the hook, but just based on OPs post here doesn’t seem that’s the case
Nothing about the post history indicates that at all. He posted this and one other post about the dog made only hours ago that also has no info. Like I said, I’ve had a dog with skin issues that persisted for years that looked like “neglect” but wasn’t (thyroid disease). There’s NO context given here AT ALL, just pics and “whats wrong with friends dog” twice in 1 day is literally all there is.
What about the malnourished body?
It isn’t, it just appears that way because the hair loss starts right at the waistline, and this is a bully breed with big thigh/butt muscles, exaggerating the waistline. It wouldn’t have those big muscles if it was malnourished. And that one hip is swollen. The dog is in rough shape no doubt and I’m not saying it should live like this. I’m just saying there’s not nearly enough context to really have an opinion one way or the other.
please help this poor baby
My God , this poor babe! This warrants a vet visit . Get the dog to the vet. This could be a number of issues .
Can I just do a PSA to everyone automatically assuming the dog is untreated (although that is likely the case) not all dogs who have terrible skin aren’t being treated by their owners.
My friend had a dog who had terrible skin issues his entire life, she spent thousands over the years trying to find a fix with vets. Medication, diet, bath oils ect. And whilst some worked for a short period the dog would always build up a resistance and go straight back to before.
Earlier this year it got to the point no medication, treatments, diet, anything would help. He was covered in sores and scabs and constantly itching. He was getting on in age and clearly not happy so the decision was made to PTS. She was constantly worried about people thinking he was neglected, when this woman couldn’t have done more for this dog if she tried.
The dog is skin and bones what do you mean this dog might not be untreated? If they can’t even feed their dog properly or assuring they’re a healthy weight, I’m sure they don’t give a single care about that dogs skin. The big issue here is that it’s a combination of things that make this dog look untreated. It’s definitely the case for other situations, dogs may look untreated but they’re in the middle of getting medical care or recovering from being in a bad situation. Unfortunately this dog is clearly not being treated well or receiving vet attention as the post is asking about the dogs condition, which they would’ve known if it was a rescue or currently receiving medical help. I completely agree with your points though!!!
Are you getting it help? I hate seeing this stuff. Poor helpless animals and irresponsible owners who let them live in pain.
Jesus this poor dog is suffering terribly. Please get it to the vet immediately, and if it actually is your friend’s dog and they won’t take it then don’t be their friend anymore
FUCK that friend
She needs to go to the vet. It looks like mange, most likely. That is very treatable with two injections. Do not. DO NOT try any crazy at home treatments. That will be excruciatingly painful. See a vet.
I don’t know your friend, I’m sure he’s an ok person, judging by this picture………FUCK THAT GUY!
Could be Mange
If your friend isn’t actively doing something to try and manage this with a vet you need to call local animal services. That’s not okay at all.
Mange ? extreme allergies ?
This is heartbreaking, I bet she’s in so much pain.
I would be calling around and finding out how to legally get that dog somewhere they will be properly cared for. Then if the so called friend had anything to say about it they would be finding out what the back of my hand feels like. That’s neglect and there’s no excuse for it.
Curious that this was posted 18 hours ago and OP hasn’t replied once.
This dog needs help! Please get it to a vet.
How old is this dog? If she’s old she could be losing muscle mass. She doesn’t look terribly underweight. However it could be connected to the alopecia. There could be a number of things causing the problem. A vet visit is in order to properly diagnose.
It could be mange, but there's many other possibilities, too. Untreated mange will get to secondary infections where the skin gets dry and crusted and start to bleed. The dogs end up having a somewhat sour infected odor. It becomes incredibly painful. But whatever it is, dog needs to see the vet like months ago. If you can't get your friend to take the dog to a vet and you aren't able to do so either, call the Animal Care & Control or Humane Society or SPCA in your area (whichever one handles neglect cases) and report it.
Neglect. Take the poor thing to a vet ASAP there are SO many things that could be causing this.
That’s a horrible case of mange and should have been at the vet months ago.
Looks like mange, the dog urgently needs to see a vet. I'm actually quite angry if they havnt already got the dog checked out, because that looks really bad
Yo wtf. That dog has been severely neglected.
Looks like Alopecia and the dog may be suffering from seasonal allergies/staph infection
You can try JaxNdaisy! Use as directed! Definitely worth a try!
Looks like Mainge, one of the dogs we rescued from the road had it. Took a while but was able to get the fur coat to its natural form. There are herbal soaps and liquids to apply and keep for a while giving them a good vitamin for the fur coat.
That is not a friend.
She has a bad skin infection which is why she is losing hair.
I know this because our dog had white flakes and was losing little bits of hair and the Vet knew immediately it was a skin infection.
She gave us 2 weeks of antibiotics and our dog was no where near as bad as this dog. I noticed the white flakes and the 3 spots of balding on the back of her neck and I thought it was dry skin and her collar.
Dog needs to see vet.
Jesus Christ, what’s with the asshole dog owners in this sub today? There is clearly a lot of issues here all stemming from neglect.
Ask your friend if you can give the dog to a rescue cards your friend clearly doesn’t care about it.
Ask your friend. Maybe your friend is already treating the condition.
Mange. Go to vets now. Ignore hysterical people demanding the owner's head. We only know what we know. You are a good friend for noticing. Respect.
Please convince your friend to take this dog to the vet
Maybe someone needs to tell him he’s an unfit pet parent
It’s starving to death
If it is not currently under veterinary care then it is being neglected. My top bet would be hypothyroidism (which requires blood test), but there are several possibilities.
PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT
Could be anything from Cushing's to flea allergies. Should see a vet, ASAP.
Get her the help she needs asap please
She looks underfed and mangy. Please take her to the vet.
Potentially mite infestation, coule be many things
Question , do you by chance have any Simparica, it's a flea med ... I saw a cat in a similar situation, I gave it half a pill with food and healed him... that medicine will rid of fleas and internal parasites, you can at least give it a try , save you a vet visit
Nope. This dog needs to see a vet ASAP. Looks like mange in which case he needs special meds specifically for mange. Poor baby is suffering.
How long has this been going on??? The dogs tail is barely hanging on. If your friend can’t afford the vet call animal control for a well check. They will hopefully take the dog for vet care. This is horrible.
Call animal control if you can’t save this dog.
aww baby
I'm sorry, don't care if it's your friend, but they need to be reported for animal neglect. This would have been a simple trip to the vet and would never have got in this state! Poor dog.
Looks like mange and it would have had to be there a while for it to get this bad. Take it to the vet and report "friend" for neglect
The dog needs to go to the vet and far away from the “friend”
Demodex Mange? Severe dermatitis? Regardless of what the issue is it has clearly been going on for a VERY long time and your friend has been neglecting the poor dog by ignoring this progressing dire situation. This dog needs serious medical attention IMMEDIATELY. She is also likely in so much pain and discomfort, she is certainly miserable.
Omg that pup needs to go to the vet and needs to be rehomed .The way this dog looks should be counted as abuse ,the poor dog looks like they’ve been starved,and neglected.
I'd be putting in an anonymous call to animal protection
Mange maybe
This is awful. What a Terrible owner
That is straight neglect.
Please get this poor baby help.
That dog needs to go to the vet. Hair loss is a bad sign for a lot of things. Best case scenario, it’s yeast or mange.
Please this poor dog needs to go to the vet, have mercy on the dog and try to influence your friend to do that somehow :(
who in the hell would let their dog get like this😞😢
Take it to the vet!
Vet visit, if they don’t call animal control.
Has she been to much breaded and not properly taking care of?
Mange, or some auto immune disorder
Omg it needs to go to the vet ASAP
Would your "friend" give this dog to someone who would actually care for it? So sad, people are so cruel.
Could be anything from mange to flea allergy.If it’s mange,vet will prescribe mange shampoo and antibiotics If this dog hasn’t been treated for fleas then it could be flea allergy.It makes the dog scratch and bite their skin so much they can lose hair and have all scars on them which are really sore.Vaseline usually soothes the scars but you’ll need to find underlying issue.Definitely take to the vets ASAP!
My dog has patches of fur missing too, but it's because she bites at fleas. Do you know if your friend's dog has fleas or not?
Its owners are neglectful pricks, that's what's wrong.
There doesn’t seem to be a single reply from the OP. I hope she gets poor dog to the vet. This is heartbreaking.
Why are you posting about it and not taking it to an emergency room or getting it to a shelter that will actually take care of it??
These comments are insane, dogs can have skin conditions without it automatically being cruelty, the dog should have its skin tested it’s most likely something that could be easily fixed like Demodex.
When in doubt blame the human
She needs to go to a vet. There are a number of conditions that can cause hair loss and loss of condition in general, from cushings to mange to allergic dermatitis, alopecia x, pemphigus, loads of conditions. Nobody here can know from a photograph precisely what is causing it. She needs a vet :(