Why Is My Golden Retriever Losing Hair in Clumps? Causes And Solutions

Have you noticed that your Golden Retriever has been losing hair in clumps, and you do not know what is causing it?

As a dog owner, it is natural for you to be worried about your Golden Retriever’s health. Fortunately, there are several reasons why your Golden Retriever could be shedding. Some of these reasons are serious and require medical care, while others are not as serious, and you can remedy them from the comfort of your home.

I will be discussing possible reasons why your Golden Retriever is losing hair in clumps and what you can do to help your Golden Retriever during this time.

Why Is My Golden Retriever Losing Hair In Clumps?

Many hormonal imbalances can lead to hair loss in Golden Retrievers. Causes of Golden Retriever losing hair in clumps are dry skin, parasites, hypothyroidism, allergies, hot spots, poor nutrition, and other health conditions. If your Golden Retriever is losing hair around its neck and tail, there’s a high chance it’s due to fleas.

Causes Of Your Golden Retriever Losing Hair In Clumps

Causes Of Your Golden Retriever Losing Hair In Clumps

Allergies

Like humans, Golden Retrievers can have an adverse reaction to things that they may have eaten or touched in the form of allergies. Common Golden Retriever allergens are dairy protein, beef, lamb, gluten, chicken eggs, and chicken.

Golden Retrievers may also be allergic to chemicals that are commonly used to produce dog shampoos. In addition, Golden Retrievers may also be allergic to certain materials.

In this case, your dog’s excessive hair loss as a symptom of an allergic reaction indicates that your Golden Retriever has been experiencing an allergic reaction for quite some time. Allergic reactions in the form of hair loss in clumps take some time to manifest.

Aside from hair loss in clumps, symptoms of allergies include itchiness, sneezing, vomiting, swelling of your Golden Retriever’s lips, ears, eyelids, face, and diarrhea.

Parasites

Hair loss in clumps as a result of parasites is undoubtedly quite alarming. However, your Golden Retriever may be losing hair in clumps because of microscopic mites. These microscopic mites are eating your dog’s skin which causes your dog intense discomfort.

This discomfort causes your Golden Retriever to vigorously scratch, bite and lick themselves – ultimately leading to them losing hair in clumps. Symptoms of parasites are hair loss, itchiness, lesions, dull fur coat, visually seeing parasites, and red skin.

There are two types of parasites internal and external parasites. Internal parasites live in your Golden Retriever’s gastrointestinal tract. External parasites live on your Golden Retriever’s skin or hair follicles.

Aging

In the normal course of aging, your Golden Retriever’s immune system weakens, and they become more susceptible to contracting different diseases. When Golden Retrievers age, they typically develop alopecia or hypotrichosis. 

On the other hand, as your Golden Retriever ages and loses hair, their hair does not grow back as quickly as it did when they were younger. This is because their cells also age, and cell activity reduce when dogs get older, which contributes to gray hairs and increased hair loss.

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland receives a significantly lower amount of thyroxine hormone than it requires to function normally.

Even though this can affect Golden Retrievers of various ages, this condition primarily manifests in middle-aged Golden Retrievers between 4 to 10 years old.  This fact has yet to be scientifically explained, but neutered Golden Retrievers are more susceptible to this condition.

Hypothyroidism is caused by an immune-mediated disease – lymphocytic. Aside from excessive hair loss, the symptoms of hypothyroidism include thinning and dulling of your Golden Retriever’s fur coat, black patches on their skin, loss of muscles, weight gain, sluggish behavior, and slowed heart rate.

Fortunately, this condition is not life-threatening. Treatment for hypothyroidism includes your Golden Retriever taking oral medication for a large portion of their life, and in some cases, it would be for the rest of their life.

Skin Irritation or Infection

Skin infections such as Hot Spots can cause your Golden Retriever to lose hair in clumps. Hot Spots are a form of bacterial infection that causes inflammation and red wounds on your Golden Retriever’s skin. The wounds associated with Hot Spots develop all over your Golden Retriever’s body rapidly, and it is common to find pus within those red wounds. 

Do not be surprised if your dog falls asleep with no wounds by wakes up with quite a few all over his body. Hot spots are generally triggered by your Golden Retriever scratching, licking, and nibbling at the infected area to ease the irritation. 

Your Golden Retriever’s constant picking of the infected area causes trauma to the skin and results in inflammation and red wounds. If the wounds are not treated and are left to dwell, your Golden Retriever may develop a secondary bacterial infection.

Dry Skin

Your Golden Retriever’s dry skin may have been caused for several causes. Your Golden Retriever’s dry skin may be a result of the region in which you live, or it could be a result of skin disease. Dry skin can also be a symptom of a more severe skin condition.

You can tell that your Golden Retriever’s skin is dry if they are experiencing flaking, itchiness, dandruff, inflammation, foul odor, and hair loss in clumps.

Treatment For Golden Retriever Losing Hair in Clumps

Grooming

Appropriate grooming routines and techniques are essential when trying to remedy your Golden Retriever’s excessive hair loss. Adopting healthy grooming habits can you counter your dog’s dry skin and parasites. Mites are generally quite challenging to get rid of, but brushing your Golden Retriever’s fur coat often can improve the situation. 

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You should brush your Golden Retriever’s fur at least twice a week. Taking more or less 30 minutes out of your day to brush your Golden Retriever’s skin will help you maintain the health of their fur coat, and it would be an excellent opportunity to bond with your Golden Retriever.

Generally, people say that you should bathe your dog only as often as necessary, but when you have a Golden Retriever, the situation is a bit different. Golden Retrievers have fur that attracts toxins, dirt, and dust. This means that you need to bathe them slightly more often.

When your Golden Retriever is losing hair in clumps, they need their skin to be soothed and cleansed, so you need to bathe your Golden Retriever between 2 to 3 times a week. Regular bathing significantly reduces inflammation and prevents mites and ticks from causing extensive damage to your Golden Retriever’s skin.

Medication

Suppose your Golden Retriever has a disease or other medical condition that causes them to lose hair in clumps. In that case, you can see a medical professional who will prescribe the necessary medication to help your dog. 

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Sometimes an underlying medical issue may have given rise to a secondary infection causing the excessive loss of your Golden Retriever’s hair. Addressing the underlying medical condition will solve your dog’s hair loss issue.

Nutrition

Your Golden Retriever’s diet can have a massive influence on the health of your Golden Retriever’s skin and fur coat. If your Golden Retriever is not getting the necessary nutrients, their hair will fall out in clumps because they are not supported by the appropriate nutrients.

You need to include organic food in your Golden Retriever’s diet. Organic Food is nutrient-dense and healthy for your Golden Retriever. Many organic food brands ensure, as far as possible, that their food does not cause your dog to experience an allergic reaction.

If your Golden is undergoing skin allergies, you can feed them skin allergic dog food; here, you can refer to these – Best Dog Food For Golden Retrievers With Skin Allergies.

A change in diet takes a while for you to see the difference; however, you can rip more benefits by making the necessary changes as soon as you can. Remember that the longer you refuse to make the required change, the more your Golden Retriever is in discomfort.

Supplements

Sometimes your dog cannot get all their necessary nutrients in the correct amount simply from their dog food. In such situations, you should consider getting some nutritional supplements for your dog.

Supplements such as fish oil contain omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids support your Golden Retriever’s joints and supply your Golden Retriever’s skin and fur with the necessary nutrients needed for them to flourish. You can have a look at these 5 Best Fish Oil For Golden Retrievers.

Shampoo

Failing to bathe your Golden Retriever correctly results in a mite and tick infestation. To help your Golden Retriever lose hair in clumps, you need to introduce medicated shampoo to their grooming routine.

The medicated shampoo will soothe and cleanse your Golden Retriever’s skin and fur while making it difficult for ticks and mites to settle on your Golden Retriever’s skin.

The benefits of using medicated shampoo include implementing a long-term solution to your Golden Retriever’s problem, relieving your Golden Retriever of their discomfort, and removing ticks and mites from your Golden Retriever’s skin.

Speak To Your Vet

The most important way to remedy your Golden Retriever’s excessive hair loss is to consult your veterinarian. In many cases, your dog’s hair loss may result from a medical issue that you would not be able to identify.

Golden Retriever With Vet

Instead of adopting a trial-and-error approach to solve your Golden Retriever’s hair loss issue, you should consult your veterinarian. The longer you take to identify the cause, the longer your Golden Retriever will be in discomfort.

Early diagnosis can spare you and your Golden Retriever a whole lot of trouble. Your veterinarian would also be able to tell you exactly how you should go about treating your Golden Retriever.

Use a Flea & Tick Collar

A flea and tick collar is indeed a great way to keep your Golden Retriever protected against flea & ticks. These collars are long-lasting and last up to 6-8 months. 

You can use these collars alongside your normal ID collars.

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Other than these Flea & Tick Collar, you can even use a Flea and Tick Spray, Chewables, or other topical treatments for dogs. Here’s a detailed post for you to refer to – Best Flea Medicine For Golden Retrievers

FAQ

Why Is My Old Golden Retriever Losing Hair?

Old Golden Retriever loses their hair because of aging, skin allergies, dry skin, poor diet, parasites, infestation of fleas, and certain health conditions. If your Golden  Retriever manifests abnormal shedding, you should consult a vet.

Why is My Golden Retriever Losing Hair?

Your Golden Retriever could be losing hair because of medical conditions such as hypothyroidism or an allergic reaction. In some cases, your Golden Retriever may be losing hair due to age, parasites, dry skin, or skin infections.

Why Is My Golden Retriever Losing Hair After Puppies?

After your Golden Retriever gives birth, it is normal for her to lose hair. The loss of hair is an aftermath of being in labor; however, you should consult your veterinarian if she displays other symptoms along with losing hair.

Why Is My Golden Retriever Losing Hair On Tail?

Your Golden Retriever could be losing hair on their tail because of flea allergy dermatitis. The fleas cause your Golden Retriever’s tail to be itchy, and they will chew their tail to relieve themselves of the itchiness. 

Why Is My 1 Year Old Golden Retriever Losing Hair In Clumps?

It is usual for your Golden Retriever puppy to lose their hair because it is part of their growth. They lose their puppyhood fur, and their fur is replaced with stronger strands. However, if they lose an excessive amount of fur, it may indicate a medical issue or poor nourishment.

Conclusion

When your Golden Retriever is losing hair in clumps, it could be the result of poor nourishment, and in some cases, your Golden Retriever may be a symptom of allergies, a disease, or parasites. 

When you notice that your Golden Retriever is losing hair in clumps, you should take them to the veterinarian as soon as you can. Ensure that your dog does not suffer unnecessarily by having them diagnosed as soon as you can.

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