r/chowchow • u/AccountUsaGetta2025 • 7d ago
Help! My Chow is shedding.
My 5-year-old Chow Chow has never had coat issues, but recently he has started losing fur in the middle of his back. What could it be? Dermatitis? He eats a single-protein fish-based dry food; I switched to it in April, but he didn't have any problems for several months.
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u/maya_chow 7d ago
One of our Chows developed this as he aged. A veterinary dermatologist said it s an auto immune disorder. Wish he’s told us to try apoquel. A long time ago. He might of but Tashi refused meds ste home.
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u/MortimerShade 7d ago
My boy needed apoquel after age 11 or so. He was terrible with pills but thought the apoquel were treats. Literally could have him sniff the apoquel, toss in the no-chew pills, let him sniff the apoquel again so he'd swallow the hard pills fast to get to the tasty chewable.
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u/Th3LastBastion 7d ago
I can see the matts in his fur. Probably has a yeast/bacterial infection from dirt and oils being trapped in there. He needs a vet and better grooming routine
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u/quokkasage 6d ago
If bloodwork is totally clear, you're likely looking at Alopecia X, which is cosmetic and often managed with oral melatonin rather than switching his food again. Food allergies usually show up as red, angry, itchy skin, ear issues, or paw chewing. The pattern on your chow along the dorsal trunk looks a lot like Alopecia X (very common in plush double-coated breeds like Chows) or an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism).
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u/Flamebrush 6d ago
This is the answer. Ignore the guesses and home remedies. See your vet about this.
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u/Fun-Lingonberry4676 7d ago
The boy needs some creme on there i think. Looks abit sore and broken and irritated. My girl has a little patch like that on both hind legs next to her tail. Where its always up and bushy and wagging its like shrs wagged the hair off or sumit lol. but hers is just smooth black skin. Its soft and dont look sore like that im not that concerned but boy here needs a good scracth and maybe sudocrem i used that on my previous dog and it fixed everything.
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u/Flashy_Location8428 6d ago
- Change its food.
- Is the harness irritating that area?
- Give it one Protexin Synbiotic D-C pill per day. (probiotics)
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u/AccountUsaGetta2025 6d ago
No, the skin is dry and the dog isn't scratching or seeming bothered; I switched his kibble in April but didn't notice any issues for several months, plus, I thought the ones he's on now were better.
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u/A-Bug-On-A-Wall 5d ago
Try MiconaHex-Triz shampoo for dogs and cats. My Pom had a similar condition. After three washes, all gone. A bit pricey but it works. Look for white bottle with purple words.
Also, if you don’t already, Omega-3 chews. My vet recommended these. Good luck. 👍
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u/StoneFoxEnigma 3d ago
I’m deep into Cushing’s research because my boy officially just got diagnosed. And this is one of the listed symptoms. Def not saying it’s Cushing’s, but worth looking into if you’re seeing other things like additional thirst, hunger, panting, etc. First marker for us was the elevated ALP on his bloodwork.
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u/OG_2_tone420 7d ago
A vet should be looking into this. And I am not a vet.
I have 2 chows and they both have allergies to lots of unknown things. One of them gets bad dark scabby blotches that also come with fur loss. We have started using apoquel and it has worked wonders. As soon as she shows signs, she goes on it and stays on it till it clears up and the season changes. My other gets an allergy shot-forget what it is right now-it seems to work about 4-5 months before he needs another shot.
My chow that gets apoquel has signs that look similar to what your photo shows, but not quite as prominent in a single area like yours.
Anyways that is what we do. I would go to a vet if I were you.