Noticing your dachshund ears losing hair can be scary. There can be many reasons that your Dachshund’s ears are losing hair.
The most common reason for dachshunds to lose ear hair is Pinnal Alopecia, which is normal for Dachshunds to go through. Pinnal Alopecia is pattern baldness found in most Dachshunds, often behind the ears. This is one of many other reasons out there that we will cover in this article.
Let’s dig in.
What Does Dachshund Ears Losing Hair Mean?
There can be a few different reasons why your Dachshund may be losing hair around their ears. It could be due to allergies, a skin condition, or even just simply old age. The most common skin condition is Pinnal Alopecia, but other skin conditions like Acanthrosis Nigicans, Cushing’s Disease, and more.
If your Dachshund is losing a lot of hair, or if the hair loss is accompanied by other symptoms, it’s best to take them to the vet to get checked out. It’s always best to identify and fix the problems in the early stages.
Is Dachshund Ears Losing Hair Normal?
Most of the time, the cause is Pinnal Alopecia. This is genetic pattern baldness in Dachshunds. Your pup will start to lose hair behind their ears, then eventually their back and body after around 8 years of the condition. Your Dachshund can acquire this condition as early as six months old.
There is no side effects, however, in colder weather, you should give your Dachshund a sweater or something to stay warm.
If you do notice side effects like redness or inflammation, then it is likely another issue, such as excessive scratching of the ears or allergies.
So, what are these causes in more detail?
Reasons Why Your Dachshund is Losing Hair
There are many reasons why your Dachshund could be losing hair around the ear – we talked about some of the common reasons above, but here are some more reasons.
Skin Condition
As previously discussed, Pinnal Alopecia is probably the main reason your Dachshund is losing hair behind his ears. This condition is very common in Dachshunds and other Canine breeds.
The hair loss will have a pattern and will not cause any side effects. If you notice side effects like red skin, for example, this may be another skin condition, pests, allergies, or infections. You will also notice slightly darker skin where the patches of hair are.
Other skin conditions include Acanthosis Nigricans, which is a much rarer condition in a Dachshund. It shows up when your Dachshund is a puppy, and these patches don’t have any particular pattern.
Cushing’s disease can also happen when your Dachshund is overly stressed or worried about something. Excessive stress can cause high levels of cortisol, which in turn will probably cause heavier breathing and a bloated stomach.
If your Dachshund has hair loss in their inner ear, this is likely ear Hematomas, which can be caused by a variety of things like scratching, allergies, and inflammation.
Allergies
Allergies can cause irritation in the ears, which can cause excessive scratching. Foods often cause allergies, but there could be dust mites or seasonal allergies could cause it too.
Seasonal allergies are a common cause of hair loss in dogs. Allergies can cause your dachshund to scratch and bite at his skin, which can lead to hair loss. Allergies can also cause your dachshund’s skin to become inflamed, which can also lead to hair loss. Seasonal allergies are usually treated with antihistamines and/or steroids.
If you haven’t already tested your Dachshunds allergies, do so immediately. If your Dachshunds losing ear hair is part of an allergy, you have three main options. The first is to get the cause out of the Dachshund’s life, to do allergy shots, or to do a hypoallergenic diet.
A hypoallergic diet consists of many foods that have a low risk of causing an allergic reaction.
It is also worth noting that most medications have some side effects, like irritation.
Pests
Pests on your Dachshund can cause irritation. Insect bites can cause itching in certain areas, which can be difficult not to scratch. Think of Mosquito bites – we’re often guilty of scratching them.
Basic Dachshund hygiene should reduce the number of pests on your Dachshund. Practicing good Dachshund ear hygiene will rid most ear mites and other pests. If your Dachshund still has pests on him, consult a vet for any product or medication recommendations.
Old Age
If your Dachshund is only starting to lose hair well into their adulthood, chances are your Dachshund is getting old. Their cells are starting to die out.
This could mean shedding in certain areas of the body, and this should not concern you. However, if you do notice severe hair loss in a short period of time, please consult a vet.
Infections
There are also many types of infections that could cause irritation in your Dachshund’s ears.
The most common infection is Canine juvenile cellulitis. This occurs in younger Dachshunds, and the symptoms are many red lumps around the face and ears. Additional symptoms include not eating and a fever. In the case that your Dachshund has this infection, you’ll want to contact your vet.
New Medications
If your Dachshund has recently gotten a new medication and is scratching his ears more than usual – chances are that the medication has some sort of side effect that is irritating your Dachshund. Common dog medication side effects are rashes and irritated skin.
If you think the medication is the issue, talk to your vet to see what to do.
Frost Bite
Dachshunds are very vulnerable to the cold. Their ears can easily contract frostbite because Dachshund ears are big. Frost bite will damage their tissue and hair on his ear. Warming your Dachshunds ears as fast as you can should be the first thing you do.
After that, you should contact your vet. In extreme cases, amputation is necessary.
Treatments for Dachshund Ear Hair Loss
There are many treatments for Dachshund hair loss in the ears. You should always consult your vet before administrating any sort of treatment, but two of the most common treatments are testosterone and melatonin.
Depending on the situation, your vet may assign something different. For example, infections would probably require antibiotics.
Testosterone
Some of the time, your vet will probably recommend a small dose of testosterone that can stimulate hair growth. However, the side effects aren’t pleasant, so most vets will assign melatonin, especially for Pinnal Alopecia.
Melatonin
This medication is used most often, as the side effects are minuscule and it often regrows hair with 4-6 weeks of treatment.
Ointment & Supplements
If you want to go for more of a self-treatment method, look into some vet approved ointment and make sure your Dachshund has plenty of vitamins and protein in their diet. Dachshunds can get plenty of vitamins from strawberries and bananas.
Last Words
Dachshund ears losing hair is a common thing and there are many things that can cause it. If it doesn’t look like it’s causing your Dachshund severe irritation or there isn’t any sudden loss of hair, you shouldn’t concern yourself that much. You can apply some vet-approved ointment and supply some vitamins.
Most of the time, it’s a genetic skin condition known as Pinnal Alopecia that has no side effects. If that’s the case, you don’t need to do anything. But, if you want to grow out their hair around their ears, you should consult a vet for some medication.