Why Is My English Bulldog losing Hair in Patches? 6 Causes and Treatments

English Bulldogs are not known for being heavy shedders because they have short and sleek coats. However, you might notice that your dog is suddenly losing hair in patches causing bald spots to appear all over its body.

This might be very concerning for any dog parent, but luckily most of the time the cause behind the hair loss in your dog is nothing too dangerous and can be easily treated at home

So, why is your English Bulldog losing hair in patches? Your English Bulldog is losing hair in patches due to six main reasons which are allergic reactions, mange infection, seasonal alopecia, black hair follicular dysplasia, hypothyroidism as well as rash or hives. You need to identify the reason causing the hair loss in order to provide your dog with proper treatment.

Keep reading to learn more about the main causes of hair loss and bald spots in English Bulldogs, the symptoms to look out for, and how the best treatment.

Vet-Reviewed post.
This article was edited and reviewed by a vet for the accuracy of the information provided, but it doesn’t and wasn’t meant to replace your own vet.

The 6 Main Causes of Bald Spots in English Bulldogs

There are mainly six causes for hair loss and bald spots in English Bulldogs. Most of these causes can be treated easily and effectively as long as you recognize the symptoms quickly and seek proper treatment for your dog.

So, let’s break down all the causes, symptoms, and treatments for bald spots in more detail:

Allergic Reaction

One of the primary causes of bald spots in English Bulldog is allergic reactions

Most of the time the allergies are hereditary issues passed on from the dog’s parents, but other times the allergies might be related to the dog’s environment such as the food it’s eating, shampoo it’s using, or even exposure to flea bites.

You need to be on the lookout for symptoms of allergic reactions in your English Bulldog so you can get treatment quickly.

What Are the Symptoms of an Allergic Reaction?

There are various symptoms associated with allergies in English Bulldogs. Here’s what you need to look out for:

Redness and dryness of the skin
Shortness of breath
Severe itching
Scratching and biting
Swelling of the body
Redness in eyes

How to Treat Allergic Reactions in English Bulldogs?

To treat allergic reactions in bulldogs, you need to find the main cause of the allergy then make the necessary changes to remove it. Sometimes it

If you notice that the symptoms are persistent after you’ve tried to remove what you believe is causing the allergic reactions, then it’s highly recommended to take your dog for a checkup with a veterinarian.

Sometimes the allergic reactions might be caused by factors you can’t change such as flea bites or pollen, so you need a vet to describe the necessary medication to keep the symptoms under control.

Struggling with Mange Infection

English Bulldogs are susceptible to two types of mange infections which are sarcoptic mange infection or demodectic mange infection. This parasitic infection is one of the common reasons for bald spots in English Bulldogs.

What Are the Symptoms of Mange Infection?

Both types of mange infections cause similar symptoms which include:

Noticeable hair loss around the dog’s eyes and muzzle
Severe itching
Scratching and biting
Redness and crust in the area where the hair has been lost

How to Treat Mange Infections in English Bulldogs?

If you think that your English Bulldog is might be suffering from either type of mange infection, then you need to take it to a veterinarian right away as this condition can’t be treated in the home and will require medication to get the symptoms under control

Your vet will usually recommend bathing your dog using antiseptic or medically-enhanced ones that are specially designed to ease the symptoms and kill off the parasites attacking your dog.

The treatment may last as long as eight weeks, depending on the dog’s age, size, and how bad the infection is.

Seasonal Alopecia

Seasonal alopecia is a condition that’s also referred to as seasonal flank baldness and it is a common occurrence for English Bulldogs

The main cause of Seasonal Alopecia is lack of Vitamin D. The lack of Vitamin D will lead to increasingly slowing down your dog’s hair growth and might even stop it altogether causing bald patches to appear all over your dog’s body.

This is more common to occur during the winter months when your dog will be exposed to less sunlight.

How to Treat Seasonal Alopecia in English Bulldogs?

The most effective way to treat Seasonal Alopecia is to make sure your English Bulldog is getting enough sun exposure, especially during the winter months.

It’s recommended to take your English Bulldog out for a walk whenever it’s sunny outside. If you’re worried about walking your dog in winter when it’s too cold, then you can keep the walk short as well as dress the dog in a warm coat and boots to protect it.

Black Hair Follicular Dysplasia

Black Hair Follicular Dysplasia (BHFD)is a medical condition that’s mainly caused due to hereditary issues passed on from the dog’s parents. Although it’s a very rare condition, your French Bulldog might still develop it at any time during its life.

The hair loss caused by BHFD is permanent and it typically only affects the black hair on your English Bulldog’s coat leaving the rest of your dog’s coat unaffected.

What Are the Symptoms of Black Hair Follicular Dysplasia?

There are several symptoms associated with Black Hair Follicular Dysplasia, so here’s what you need to look out for:

Excessive Loss of black hairs
An overall dull appearance in the dog’s coat, especially in dark areas
Abnormal hair growth in some areas
Dry and scaly skin
Tendency to develop skin infections

How to Treat Black Hair Follicular Dysplasia in English Bulldogs?

Black Hair Follicular Dysplasia is mostly considered a cosmetic issue and since the hair loss cause is permanent, there’s usually no need to seek any treatment.

If your dog has BHFD, the best you can do is give your dog a good dose of supplements including omega fatty acids, Vitamin E, and Vitamin A as this will help keep its coat healthier and stronger

It’s also recommended to consult with a veterinarian to prescribe antimicrobial and antibacterial shampoos that will help ease symptoms like dry and scaly skin as well as reduce the chances of infection.

However, keep in mind that the condition might escalate as your dog will develop skin infections a lot more easily, especially in the areas where there has been hair loss.

If your dog’s skin develops an infection because of BHFD, your veterinarian will prescribe oral medication or antibiotic cream to treat the infected area

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is a medical condition where your dog is unable to produce essential thyroid hormones. It’s less common in English Bulldogs, but can still occur.

What Are the Symptoms of Hypothyroidism?

There are several symptoms associated with hypothyroidism, so here’s what you need to look out for:

Loss or thinning of hair, commonly throughout the dog’s coat, but not on the head or legs.
Dullness in the dog’s coat
Excessive shedding
Dry and scaly skin
Sudden weight gain
Lack of energy and reduced activity levels
Inability to withstand cold temperatures

How to Treat Hypothyroidism in English Bulldogs?

If you believe that your English Bulldog might be suffering from hypothyroidism, then you need to take it to a veterinarian right away

Your veterinarian will prescribe the necessary hormonal supplements to get the symptoms under control. It’s required to administer these supplements twice a day at the beginning of the treatment then only once a day when your dog starts to get better.

Struggling with Rashes or Hives

Rashes and hives are a common occurrence in English Bulldogs as well as all dog breeds. I actually have a full guide specifically on Bulldog’s rashes and hives here that is worth checking out, but here is the short version anyway:

Most of the time they are caused by toxic plants or insect bites and stings, but there are times where they might be caused by some kinds of shampoos, chemicals, medication, overheating, or even stress.

What Are the Symptoms of Rash or Hives?

There are various symptoms associated with rash and hives. Here’s what you need to look out for:

Severe itching
Scratching and biting
Pain and irritation
Fever
Nausea and vomiting
Lack of energy
Lack of appetite

How to Treat Rash or Hives in English Bulldogs?

The first thing you need to do is identify what’s causing the rashes or hives then simply eliminate it, whether it’s switching a kind of shampoo or getting your dog away from toxic plants.

Once the cause of the rash or hives is eliminated, then most of the symptoms will go away on their own accord

However, if your dog developed a rash or hive due to administering a kind of medication or vaccination, then you need to contact the veterinarian that prescribed it to check whether your dog would need further treatment or to simply switch the medication.

Allergy Immune Supplements worth consideration

Allergy supplements for dogs wil not prevent rashes or allergic reactions completely, but they can minimize their risks and impacts when your dog does get them, so they are still definitely worth consideration.

I’ve used a few of those over the years, but the last one recommended to me by the vet is easily the best one we have tried to dae. The Zesty Paws Allergy immune bites seems to be working great for my dogs and for the dogs of more than 18,000+ people who have given it stellar reviews on Amazon.

They combine both the health benefits of boosting their immune system and promoting a healthy response to allergies and the great taste that my dogs seem to love so much that these are actually some of their favorite treats.

Allergy Immune Supplements worth consideration

Check on Amazon

Check on Chewy

How to prevent Rash in Bulldogs

While you can’t completely prevent rashes in your bulldog, or any dog for that matter, you can still take certain precautions that minimize the risk of your dog getting exposed to the things that may trigger their allergic reaction.

Here are some tips that help you with that:

A good and consistent grooming routine will keep them clean and bacteria-free
Regular check-ups can help your vet identify problems early
Avoid using chemicals in your house or garden (such as cleaning products)
Don’t let your Frenchie wander on walks as they may end up coming in contact with toxic plants or chemicals
Make sure they stay dry, moisture is an easy gateway for bacterial and fungal infections

Conclusion

To put it simply, as long as you are able to identify the reason behind your dog’s hair loss, then you’ll have no problem getting the help needed.

If you thoroughly went through the previous causes and symptoms and still couldn’t identify why your English Bulldog is losing its hair, then it’s highly recommended to take it to a veterinarian for a full health checkup so you can identify the cause and treat it properly.

Why Is My English Bulldog losing Hair in Patches? 6 Causes and Treatments