hi have posted on here before about molly (10 month sbt) she has got flakey skin around eyes and also has lost alot of hair on top of her head, took her to the vets and they gave us a ten day course of antibiotics said if it didnt clear up she will have to go in for a biopsy am not to keen on it though ,if anyone has any ideas of what could be wrong ,she is fine in herself just looks a bit strange with the hair loss x x

Hiya

Did you vet do a skin scrape at any stage?

Donna and charliex

hi yes had that done about 2 months ago no mites were found ,was just given a 3 week course of antibiotics,even they didnt clear the problem up totally because now she has a nice bald patch. the vet did say something about a skin condition in staffords thats why she wants to do the biopsy if this lot of antibiotics dont work.to me it seems a bit drastic (the biopsy)maybe i just worry to much the thought of her having to stay in for the day freaks me right out x

hiya

Hopefully one of the other stafford owners (ie lel or kazzstaff) will be along soon to help.

Donna and charliex

my book just says it can be something to do with diet....

Donna and charliex

Does she dig?

Just mention this as Hazard currently has a bald patch above one eye andnear her ears but as she came in covered in mud when it happened I tracked it back to her digging under an old oak tree the dogs like to try to get under.

nope no digging shes to lazy for that just likes to sleep. i did wander if it could be down to her food but she has had the same food since we got her,tripe, boiled rice, tuna, chicken breast,and biscuits.x

Hi,

It could be hormonal I have 2 staffs but when my girl was in her 2nd season she lost the fur on her ears, vet did scraping nothing rubbed vaseline on for a few days to soften the sking as it was like lether and within a few weeks the fur had grown back.

No medication was prescribed she has now just finished her 3rd season.

Hope the above is useful.

NikiH

thanks for that will give the vaseline a go hopefully that will help with the dryness and stop her from being so flakey x

Sleep!  Are you serious or just joking about this?  How is her appetite?

Loss of hair and hair quality, lack of energy, getting up just to eat and eliminate can be an under active thyroid.  There are many other symptoms but these are the ones that usually get noticed

Hi,
I posted the same problem a week ago staffie a poster advised me that thining of hair in staffs can be due to coming up to a season, growth spurt or teething. I think Maisie is going through a growth spurt though im going to take her to the vets just to be sure. I think as long as her appitites good and shes running around like a hurricane (like they do eh?) it shouldnt be too serious hope shes ok.
Love Jo & Maisie xx

Thinning har is different to flaking skin though .
Staffies are prone to thinning hair on the head during all these factors you mentioned .
Dry skin is due to something else.

Hi,

My Sal has a "bald/thinning spot" on the top of her head. It has been there since she started teething but almost diasapears at time then we've noticed comes back just before she comes into season then almost goes again.
It's Staffords for you :)

But as Lel said thinning one thing, flaking is another, Sal sleeps a lot too, in fact most of her day is flat out on the sofa. However, she doesn't sleep more than any other Stafford, BUT Cupcake take her to your vets  make a list of any unusual symptoms ie hair loss/condition, lack of energy etc. 

Karen

hi we did take her to the vets on monday they gave antibiotics ,as for her sleeping im not joking, she gets put into the kitchen at bedtime, and when i come down in the morning i can make a cuppa, put lights on and the tv and she still stays asleep in her basket,took her for a walk about 3, around the lake was gone about an hour,she came in and went to bed woke her up for tea at 5 then straight back to bed she is still there now and its 10;30.she hasnt been eating alot,the ends of her ears are very dry ,her head is flakey and under the vets lights rather bumpy,the hair is very thin in places,apart from her bald patch which is very dry .thanks for all your replys have to take her back on wednesday for checkup,vet did say if no improvement then would have to do biopsy what do you think x x im not keen

As Kerioak has said thinning hair, lack of energy etc can be Thyroid trouble.  My freind had two totally unrelated dobermanns who boith had underactive Thyroids, and had throxine tablets all their lives living to a good 12 and 13 years respectively.

As for a blood test to check her T3 and T4 levels.

thanks for that will ask when we go shes still asleep, talk about lazy x

Cupcake, i hope the advice they have given you helped.. it certainly helped me :)

I took beau (8 month staff) to the vet the other day due to thinning of hair... the vet assumed it was dermadex returning... This was without doing a skinscrape!!!!!
(shes been clear now for months)
So he gave her an injection (the name escapes me right now- but its the unlicenced product)
Im supposed to be taking her back tomorrow for a skin scrape...
I did mention at the time that she was in season altho this was clear to see as she left a trail behind her.
If theres no mites in her scrape tomorrow then im going to be one unhappy staffy owner! :(

Donna and charliex

hi, yes the advice has been great, didnt think about a thyroid problem will ask the vet for a blood test before we even think about a biopsy,am going to ask to see a dr hiliard apparently he is supposed to specialise in staffords,have seen 3 different vets allready but not him,hopefully he can help, will let you no how we get on x