Dog shedding and scabs

hi

I have a border collie/lab mix dog I got from the humane society a few months ago. In the last couple of weeks he has been shedding tremendously. Im guessing alot of this is due to weather change and the fact that he is a black dog. But I can even pull clumps out a a time, even the groomer remarked on how much he was shedding.

Last night I was petting him and noticed a bump. When I felt it closer it felt like a tick so I got him under a flashlight and took a closer look. It turned out it was a scab. I checked the rest of his body and he had scabs on several parts, near his front shoulder, on neck and rear end. He scratches at times but not excessively.

Im wondering what this could be. As I mentioned before he did get a very thorough grooming where they took out alot of undercoat. Maybe they just got a bit rough? Otherwise could it be a skin problem? He is on Advantage so I cant imagine it would be parasites?


Any thoughts would be appreciated...

Perhaps its a food issue, bugs, thyroid... the list can go on. :shrug:

If he hadn't been groomed for quite some time it's not unusual to be able to pull out big clumps of his undercoat. The fact that he is black does not mean he will shed more or less than dawgz with other coat colours. I have a BC/Newf mix and he sheds to some extent year round but if your boy does not stop shedding excessively you might want to re-think what you are feeding him as he may have a grain, corn or meat allergy/ sensitivity. If his coat is dull and his skin is dry you may want to add fish oil supplements to his diet. The scabs could be a result of the grooming or could be scratching. If he didn't have a thorough Vet check (blood and chem work) done after you adopted him, you might want to add that to the "To Do" list.

i would think it was allergies take him to the vet and see whats going on to rule out any thing else thats more serious but i would def think allergies its classic signs/symptoms

I think a vet visit is your first step. Once you rule out medical issues then you can proceed with food changes and/or supplements to help clear up the issue.

It could just be the change from one place to another. You are probably taking better care of him than the humane society was. He may have also been in a pin with other dogs that may have gotten rough with him. Border collies do shed A LOT this time of year. As long as he isn't getting bald patches.

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1593&articleid=421

here is a link to the various causes of hair loss, the way to diagnose and treatment options. obviously you should see a vet and not use this as a diagnostic tool but it can give you idea of possibilites and things to ask your vet for assistance with and what possible testing you should ask for.