Possible causes of hair loss around the eyes
There are several possible causes for localized hair loss in the periocular region in dogs, including:
Demodicosis
Demodicosis is a dermatosis caused by the excessive proliferation of Demodex Canis, a commensal skin mite that lives in the dog's hair follicles.
It is a skin disease which can present itself in very different clinical forms and in particular in a nummular form in which we often observe areas of well-defined hair removal "in patches" which can concern the contour of the dog's eyes (among other areas).If both eyes are affected, the hairless areas then draw like glasses to the dog so that veterinarians sometimes speak of "demodectic glasses" .
Malassezia dermatitis
Malassezia dermatitis is a skin disease caused by the proliferation of commensal yeasts of the genus Malassezia.
The clinical signs include marked pruritus, intense redness of the dog's skin associated with oily seborrhea and ocher coloring of the hair, then extensive hair loss. The lesions of the disease can extend to the whole body or be restricted to certain areas in particular, such as the periocular area.
Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis is a systemic infectious disease of dogs caused by a protozoan (Leishmania infantum) transmitted by the bite of a sandfly. This disease has repercussions on the general condition of the dog as well as cutaneous manifestations which include, among other symptoms, a diffuse hair loss on the flanks and more marked on the head at the level of the ears and around the eyes.
Canine atopic dermatitis
Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is a dermatitis causing severe itching in dogs and whose origin is genetic. Affected dogs suffer from an allergy to environmental allergens associated with skin barrier defects.
CAD lesions and the hair loss that can be associated with them most often affect the lips, periocular areas, auricles, extremities of the limbs and the ventral surface of the body.
Pemphigus foliaceus
Pemphigus foliaceus is an autoimmune disease which is characterized by the appearance of pustules, erosions and crusts which can occur on the face of the dog and more particularly on its muzzle, in the periocular region and on the inner surface of the auricular pavilions. These lesions, generally bilateral and symmetrical, can progress to secondary lesions including hair loss in these areas.
Note carefully!
This list of possible causes is obviously not exhaustive and does not identify all the symptoms of each of the diseases mentioned.
Hair loss around the eyes: what to do?
If your dog is losing hair around the eyes, the only thing to do is to consult a veterinarian as soon as possible.
In dermatology, it's not just the location of lesions that counts to guide the diagnosis. Many other factors must be taken into account, such as memorials (food, places of life and frequented places, presence of other animals in the environment, pathological past), the possible presence and nature of other lesions, the general condition of the dog, the results of additional examinations etc.
Under no circumstances do the possible causes mentioned above replace a dermatological consultation with a veterinarian. Only he can establish a diagnosis with certainty and set up a treatment adapted to the cause which will have been identified.