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	What is wrong with my GSD? Q: I HAVE A 3 YEAR OLD GERMAN SHEPARD EVERY SUMMER SHE LOOSES THE HAIR FROM HER HIPS DOWN THE SKIN ON HER HIPS IS LOOSE LOOKING AND SCALY. HER TAIL IS VERY SENSITIVE SHE DOES NOT LIKE FOR YOU TO TOUCH IT AT ALL. SHE LOOSES SO MUCH WEIGHT THAT HER BACK BONE IS ACTUALLY SHARP. SHE LOOKS LIKE SHE IS STARVING. HER APPETITE IS NOT ALL THAT GOOD. I HAD A VET TO TELL ME THAT IT WAS A HORMONAL PROBLEM. I NEED HELP BAD.

A: Many things can cause a dog to lose hair and have scaly skin. The commonest problem is fleas - and the problem is especially severe if the dog has an allergy to flea bites. Does she have frequent diarrhoea? The thinness could be due to a problem with digesting or absorbing food - GSDs can be prone to disorders of this sort. Basically you need to take your dog to your vet for a thorough examination and investigation of these problems. Some things are straightforward to diagnose, and others are more difficult and require tests to be carried out. Jen Campbell MRCVS (Vet for PetPlanet)

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