You believe that you have an adorable Frenchie pup. In your eyes, his perfection is unmarred and parallel to none.
One day you notice your Frenchie is itching more than usual or he is losing hair in patches
You will definitely have many questions in your mind.
Why my adorable Frenchie is losing hair? What are the causes? How can I help my Frenchie?
If so, this post is especially for you.
Here we will discuss the causes and their remedies to prevent or decrease the hair loss in your beloved French bulldog.
Why Is My Adorable Frenchie Losing Hair?
Your Frenchie have beautiful shiny short hairs. These all traits would suggest that they don’t shed very much. But that is misleading.
Just like most other breeds of dog, French Bulldogs shed their hair quite regularly. The reason that your beloved frenchie shed hair is to rid their coats of old, extra and damaged hair.
However, if you notice that your Frenchie is shedding more hair than usual, they might be suffering from a skin condition.
There are several different reasons as to why a French bulldog loses hair. Here are the important ones:
- Allergies causing hair loss in Frenchies
- Hot spot or acute moist dermatitis
- Infections (Ringworm, Bacteria) causing bald patches
- Acral lick dermatitis causing hair loss in frenchie
- Seasonal Flank Baldness or hair shedding in Frenchie
- Hormonal problems causing hair loss in Frenchie
- Mange causing hair loss
- Pressure Sores causing Hair loss
- Poor nutrition causing hair shedding
- Black Hair Follicular Dysplasia
[1] Allergies causing hair loss in Frenchies
Your attractive French bulldog can develop allergies just like humans, and some of the most common signs are itchy skin and hair loss. Allergies are one of the primary causes for many Frenchie to begin hair loss.
Many allergies are passed down genetically through their parents. A good rule of thumb if you are thinking to purchase frenchie you should review its pedigree.
If you want frenchie with sound overall health you should research the health history of its family so you can have a good idea of what to expect.
- How To Introduce A French Bulldog To A Cat
But in any case, your Frenchie can still have allergies, regardless if their parents were allergy free.
Signs and symptoms of hair loss
If your frenchie has red, dry, and even itchy skin there is more chance that it is due to allergy. If your adorable frenchie reacts to this, you will notice scratching or biting on his own skin. These are some sign and symptoms of allergic reaction:
- Itchiness
- Hair loss /Bald patches
- Bodily swelling
- Red eyes or skin
- Unusual shortness of breath or wheezing
- Diarrhea, or may vomit
The most common allergies that your frenchie can suffer are following
- Environmental allergies
- Food allergies
- Flea allergies
Environmental allergies for french bulldogs
Your attractive frenchie is may be allergic to environmental factors such as dust, mold, pollen, mold, and other airborne allergens might also make your Frenchie itchy and uncomfortable, resulting in painful lesions and hair loss.
If your frenchie is continues to suffer from uncontrollable itching, skin irritation, or hair loss. You should consult a vet to help pinpoint the cause to get to the bottom of what’s making your frenchie’s skin feel so unpleasant.
Food allergies in French bulldogs
When your beautiful French bulldog eats a specific food he is allergic, his body will produces sudden allergic reaction or may be later on symptoms appear.
If your veterinarian suspects your poor frenchie of having a food allergy, he or she will perform a thorough physical exam and take a detailed history of your Frenchie’s food intake and activities.
Your veterinarian will likely recommend a strict hypoallergenic diet trial for at least eight weeks to see if it increases your Frenchie’s symptoms.
If the underlying cause is food allergies and they are treated properly, your Frenchie beautiful hair will re-grow and the itching will stop.
Flea allergies
If your frenchie is losing hair around its neck and tail, there’s a high chance it’s due to fleas. These tiny parasites can rapidly infest your beloved dog and irritate their skin; this leads to intense itching or scratching, which in turn can cause hair loss.
Along with hair loss from licking and biting the irritated areas, signs of flea allergies include itching and redness.
Treating your Frenchie’s allergies may include topical or internal medication, allergy shots, and avoiding the allergen.
[2] Hot spot or acute moist dermatitis
Hot Spot in French Bulldogs (also known as “Acute moist dermatitis” or “Moist eczema) is a condition that can be caused by multiple factors.
Your poor frenchie skin will be inflamed, infected, red, moist, itchy, painful and oozy.
Your frenchie’skin show signs suddenly especially in areas that are prone to moisture, such as the neck, hips, under the flap of the ear and in between the skin folds.
When moisture will be present on the skin of Frenchie than this will be ideal conditions for proliferation of bacteria.
The first step in treating hotspots is to clean the area thoroughly. Then visit your veterinarian for ointments or any medication you can use in case hot spots start appearing on your frenchie’s skin.
[3] Are infections causing bald patches?
Do you know? Bacteria and yeast are normal inhabitants of your frenchie skin, but sometimes they can grow out of control and create an infection.
Your frenchie can suffer from hair loss, itching and redness due to bacterial or fungal yeast infections.
Your beloved companion may acquire ringworm (no, it’s not actually a worm), a fungus that causes hair loss and round bald patches of infection. Red, itchy or scaly bald patches on head and body are cause for a trip to the veterinarian.
Your vet will conduct a full examination, recommend some testing and prescribe antibiotics or antifungal to treat the infection if needed.
Although small ringworm lesions may clear up spontaneously, it is contagious and should be treated.
[4] Acral lick dermatitis causing hair loss in Frenchie
Your frenchie hair shedding could be due to acral lick dermatitis. It is a special kind of dermatitis that is caused by some psychological factors.
Your frenchies will do excessive licking. Frenchie tends to resort to this when they are bored, stressed or anxious.
When you allow your Frenchie to engage in this, the enzymes from the saliva they release can cause an irritation, which gives rise to a localized dermatitis and may become generalized over time and it cause hair shedding and baldness
[5] Seasonal Flank Baldness or hair shedding in Frenchie
Another cause of beautiful hair loss in frenchie can be seasonal flank baldness. Seasonal alopecia is caused by your French bulldog’s lessened exposure to sunlight.
Without your frenchie’s body receiving its essential Vitamin D its hair growth can slow or go dormant. Sunlight exposure can give hair follicles the needed vitamins to grow healthily.
This can occur typically if you live in an area that gets cold during winter and your French bulldog is pent up inside all day or If you do not have routine to go daily outside with your frenchie.
French bulldogs are indoor pets but they still need to get out and about on a daily basis.
[6] Hormonal problems causing hair loss in Frenchie
Your frenchie’s hair growth is influence by different hormones present in his body such as; estrogen, melatonin, testosterone, growth hormone, cortisol, and thyroxin.
If these hormones reach to a certain level, high or low, either by over-production or by under-production, it is considered to be abnormal and therefore can cause hair loss in French Bulldogs.
One of the most common hormonal problems that can cause hair loss in French Bulldogs is called Hypothyroidism, which occurs when the canine thyroid gland is not functioning properly and thus produces hormones below the normal level
This hormonal problem can rapidly increase the rate of hair loss and cause the hair to become brittle and dry without itching.
[7] Mange causing hair loss
Your Frenchie hair loss is may be due to mange it is caused by mites. It often buried in the hair follicles of your frenchie.
There are different species of mites what cause mange to Frenchie; it is the Demodex species which cause the Demodectic mange, or the Sarcoptes species which cause the Sarcoptic mange.
Demodectic mange is usually localized on one spot of an infected Frenchie while the Sarcoptic mange is much more general on the body of the infected pup, it is also contagious to humans, unlike the demodectic mange.
After ruling out allergies and bacterial infections of the skin, your veterinarian will conduct a physical inspection of your Frenchie to identify the mite that may have embedded into its skin.
If you are looking for treatment for mange infection in your beloved frenchie, it varies depending upon whether it is a localized or generalized mange infection. Vet will prescribe the medication accordingly.
[8] Pressure Sores Causing Hair loss
If your Frenchie is older or heavy then they can be prone to pressure sores where their elbows or other bony parts of the body come in regular contact with hard surfaces.
After long time your lovely dog skin will be thicken, calluses form and hair shedding will be
Your poor frenchie will need treatment if calluses crack, bleed, or get infected, You can prevent pressure sores and calluses by providing your beloved frenchie with cushioned bedding.
[9] Poor nutrition causing hair shedding
Hair loss in French bulldogs can also occur due to nutritional deficiencies, the presence of which would otherwise support the development of healthy skin and hair.
Keratin, the core component of hair, needs specific protein to be synthesized properly; without these, your Frenchie might have slow hair growth, their hair may feel brittle and eventually they’ll suffer from hair loss.
Similarly, biotin is a key nutrient in supporting healthy skin and hair and protecting against complaints such as hair loss.
Your Frenchie food should be balance to prevent nutritional deficiencies
[10] Black Hair Follicular Dysplasia
You may be notice that your frenchie is showing of balding in the black areas of their hair. Black hair follicular dysplasia is a very rare disorder that is passed down genetically from the parents. French bulldogs, among a few other breeds, are at high-risk for this disorder.
From its name, only black hairs fall off a frenchie’s body, the rest stay on. The changes you see on your lovely frenchie’s coat, however, are permanent. But the good thing is, it’s not life-threatening.
Frenchie with black hair follicular dysplasia are treated with supplements rich in fatty acids, vitamin A, and vitamin E. plus regularly cleaning of their affected areas to prevent worse infections. The symptoms, like dry skin, can be treated with medicated shampoos.
How to prevent the hair shedding in your beloved Frenchie?
Prevention is better than cure. Here it is true because hair loss prevention or reduction is usually a more likely solution than finding a cure, especially if your Frenchie’s issues are allergy related.
If you want to help your furry friend you should follow these points.
- Be sure to brush their shiny hair regularly
- Check their wrinkles for moisture or yeast infections
- French Bulldogs don’t need much exercise but take them for a walk at least once a day to keep them fit, healthy, and stimulated
- Keep them away from typical food or environmental irritants as much as possible
- Feed your French Bulldog a diet which is free from typical food irritants that cause allergies
- Keep an eye out for food scraps and other items around the house to stop your Frenchie from eating something they shouldn’t
- Most importantly, be mindful of your Frenchie’s behavior. If they are acting strange and scratching their skin constantly, check with your veterinarian.
- If a specific treatment is needed, it will be best to seek the advice of your veterinarian
- Bathe your French bulldog using medicated shampoo at least twice a week. Do not forget to dry his coat.
Final words
If you think your frenchie is shedding more than normal or if he is developing bald patches, schedules an appointment with your vet. The hair loss treatment they prescribe will depend on your pet’s other health needs.
But his condition is often able to be cleared up with a simple change in food or medication. Keep up with regular grooming and brushing so that you can spot the earliest signs of a problem.
Photo Credits
*Photo by Tinuke Bernard on Unsplash
