Dog with diarrhea and serious hair loss

[lalalani]

Dear Doctor,

My dog is 3 years old and is a female Chihuahua and Pomeranian mix.  This past week she has been having some major diarrhea issues in the early morning between 4 and 5 am.  I also have discovered that she is shedding fur a lot as well.  If I pet her, large clumps of fur will easily come off.  I also gave her a de-worming pill less than a week ago.  Can you please tell me what is wrong with her?

Thank you so much for your time.

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

You really must take her to the vet.  A week's worth of diarrhea is not normal and can be anything from parasites to colitis to pancreatitis to inflammatory bowel disease to food allergy, and can cause secondary dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.  The excessive shedding could be due to food allergy or unrelated.

[ibizan]

giving a dog a de-worming pill without doing a stool sample first to see what kind of worms the dog has is not a good idea.that could worsen the situation.This dog needs medical attention and should be taken to the vet asap!hope u get here there soon!