Boston Terrier Hair Loss

My boston terrier is 11 months old. We got him at 7 months of age. The vet noticed a small patch of thinning hair on top of his head between his ears when I took him to get his shots up to date. Since then it has spread across the top of his head between his ears and from in front of both ears down to his eyes and around his mouth. the back of his ears are almost completely bald. The vet has done cultures and skin scrapings and can not figure out whats wrong. Sometimes the skin is red and flaky and sometimes its not. He scratches sometimes but not too often. The hair loss is not getting worse but its not getting better. And its only on his head. He has been on gris peg for over a month and prednisone for a couple of weeks. I dont give him the prednisone everyday cause of the side effects and because the itching is not bad. He is also on advantage multi for dogs because the vet thought if it was cat mange that would clear it up. I also give him medicated baths with antifungal shampoo once a week (vet said to do it). So far nothing has helped. Don't know what to do.

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Boston Terrier Hair Loss

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Mar 25, 2012
 Boston terrier hair loss-early intervention
by: KENT

I have had this probelm noe for 4 months on my pure bred females. ribcage region bilaterally. Saw pet dermatologist immediatly at vet school. Biopsy came back as a mehtacillin resistant Staph schleiferi sub species coagularis, which used to be normal dog ear flora. Infectious agent mutated twice and became resistant to two antibiotics during treatments, requiring a five week course of chloramphenichol (a very strong old antibiotic that can cause serous bone marrow suppression and not used on humans anymore in this county and manufactured in third world countries for cheap treatment of meningitis per WHO. Just finished course of five week treatment at high dose and seems like it arrested the condition and now waiting for the hair follicles to recover from the "shock" of the infection. I had her at the dermatologist before any skin was ever showing. Her right pinna margin was also affected by the hair has recovered there. Has anyone had their pup's hair return to normal thickness/color?
Mar 01, 2012
 SAME HERE...we've tried a million things
by: Anonymous

Our 3 year old Boston has been on antibiotics twice for an infection which caused him to loose hair under his eyes, thinning of hair on hi neck and his belly (we had to give him a bath every day for 30 days) ....he got better and now he has bald spots all over his back (with crusty soars) and it's starting to spread to his paws. Since the first infection we were also told he may have food allergies, so we change his diet to a raw meat diet, now we are being told his diet may lack nutrients. He is still a very happy dog and doesn't scratch either. We haven't done the scrapping on the skin yet but we are going to a new vet to get a second opinion tomorrow. Hopefully this vet can help.
Jan 24, 2012
 Balding Boston
by: Pink girl

I have a 3 year old male BT. We started noticing that his sides of his body looked like he lost hair. We took him to the vet, they did bloodwork and scraped the skin. Everything came back negative. Then the last time we took him we saw one of the other vets at the office. He said that our dog had (male) pattern baldness. He said it was common with this breed. He seems healthy and happy, so I guess that could be it.
Nov 17, 2011
 cute but balding
by: Anonymous

I have a 1 year old BT she has hair loss between her ears a few in creases of underarm.as well she has big red patches of itchy scale sometimes she scratches so much she bleeds. Vet doesn't understand why. She wants to do scaling but now that i've read your blogs im not I'll buy her Natural bath relief and sooth her myself Try to make her s silk coller to not scratch.
Sep 25, 2011
 Willie's hair loss
by: ernest winchester

I have a 9 year old Boston Terrier. He is in pretty good health, but about 4 years ago he lost his left eye from a cat. After the surgery, we brought him home and he started getting spots of hair loss. It's flaky, but start out like a small pimple. If you rub the spot his hair falls out.m= My local gain store said it was the food I was feeding him and to put him on a natural food. We did, and used sulfade on the spots and they went away, but every so often it comes back. Now it's the worst I've ever seen it, on his sides, back and front legs, belly, and under neck. After I try and clean all the crusty stuff off, it takes weeks for his hair to even start to come back. Anyone has a solution please help. My email is (76shovelejw@comcast .net
Sep 23, 2011
 My Boston Terrier has similar symptoms
by: Anonymous

My Boston is almost 2 years old and he has 2 bald spots on his side one is bigger than the other. It used to be small when he was a puppy but it has gotten bigger. I took him in a while ago and I was told he had dermatitis and I had to give him antibiotics but it didnt work. So I am going to take him in again.
Aug 21, 2011
 Hair Loss 10 month BT Male
by: Terry

My Boston is having the same problem. He has a small bald spot on his side; but it is getting bigger. He is not scratching or biting, the skin at the balding spot looks fine, and he seems to be perfectly healthy and happy. I am making an appointment at his vet's because it is getting larger and I have no idea what is wrong.
Jul 31, 2011
 hair loss
by: 8 mo. old boston

my boston terrier is 8 months old and is having the same hair loss problem behind his ears around his eyes and a little spot on the top of his head. he scratches sometimes but not often. he eats fine and has plenty of energy it doesnt seem to bother him. he is so cute i just dont want him to go bald he is my best friend. his coat on his back and shoulders is perfect it is thick and shiny.im going to make him a dermatology appt. to see what is wrong hopfully they will be able to figure this out.
Jan 18, 2011
 Hair Loss
by: Patty

We have an 8-year-old female Boston that we just recently discovered has a small patch on her back where she has lost hair. It is a little scaly but is not red. Her coat is shiny and she is eating well and is her usual active self. We are taking her to the vet but wondered if anyone else has had this problem with an older BT.
Dec 26, 2010
 hair loss 11 month old female
by: Deb

I too have the same hair loss on our boston. It is around both eyes, around the ears and symetrical patched on top of the head. Any updates
Oct 22, 2010
 my boston too
by: Miguel

She's about 8 months old. Losing hair on inside of back legs, back of ears, starting to around eyes. The vet has done all the same tests listed above then suggest we spay her cause it must be too many hormones... that hasn't stop the hairloss.
Oct 11, 2010
 mine too!
by: AnonymoJeannette

My BT has exactly these symptoms too. I'm glad he's not the only one. We too got skin cultures which turned up nothing. He does have multiple food allergies though. Since switching his food he no longer turns pink or gets bumps. But the hair loss and the belching up of frothy mucus has not gotten any better. I was hoping all his weird symptoms were allergy related but it's not looking that way.
Mar 24, 2010
 hair loss
by: Catherine

My 6 month old girl was also having hair loss around her eyes, temples, and around her shoulders. A skin scrapping was done and she was Diagnosed with Demodex mites. She was put on medication for the mites, but I wanted something additional to help the hair grow back in faster. I did some research online and numerous people claimed a product called Nu-stock makes the hair grow back fast. Its a topical ointment and can be used for any kind of skin problem it seems. I think you can only find it online though. I didnt try it yet, but I plan on it since I saw lots of good things about it. Hope this info helps you a bit =)
Jan 24, 2010
 at a loss too
by: A. Hansen

I have a full breed and a half breed Boston. My half breed is the one having the hair loss problem, she just started losing hair on her head then to her neck and now she has a spot on her foot and a few on her body, I don't know what to do! I have been told to use the mane and tail conditioner and not the shampoo and that it will help with dryness and possibly the hair will grow back. I am going to try it for a while and see if it helps, it surely can't hurt! If it works I will let you know.
Sep 16, 2009
 BT HAIR LOSS
by: Harley D.'s Mom

Talk to your vet about EFA's and Vit E and what doseage should be given. You can also use Vit E externally. Also, check into Tea Tree Oil - (be sure to dilute it) undiluted it can be too strong because of it's antiseptic properties. If your vet won't discuss possible alternative therapies with you, go online and google ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES FOR CANINE SKIN DISORDERS.

With a lot of these natural remedies, it doesn't work overnight. Give it a chance to work and if it does work for your pup, most times clearing up the problem will be permanent. Good luck!
Aug 24, 2009
 boston terrier hair loss
by: Anonymous

Hi. I have a 10 month old boston that has had the exact same symptons and treatment, to no avail. The vet said it's not mange or ringworm and that the cultures came back negative for anything (as far as fungul or bacterial infections go). After two weeks of antibiotics and topical cream they said maybe it's a food allergy, which I find hard to believe considering it's only on his head and he doesn't really scratch or lick himself at all. His hair loss was just on the very top of his head and tips of his ears, but now it's beginning to spread to his temples. I've scheduled an appointment for him at a different vet this week for a second opinion. The poor guy looks sillier every day and I'm really concerned that if it's something serious he may not recover because of how long it's taking to get him diagnosed and treated. If I find anything out I'll be sure to post it asap.
Aug 10, 2009
 Hair loss
by: Mary

Sounds like your vet is trying everything right but you might want a second opinion. Our puppy lost just a little hair between her ears due to intestinal worms. I am sure your vet already checked that out. It really sounded like mange to me but if he is doing skin scrapings and does not find the "critters" then it might not be that. Maybe someone else could also look at the scrapings? You may want to try some "extra nutrition" for immune-compromised dogs. Here is a website... http://www.dogpro.com/canine-immunity-boosting-supplements.html
Just a suggestion.

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