My Dog Has A Big Patch Of Fur Missing On Her Back And It Has A Couple Of Sores On It, She Also Seems To Be Losing Some Hair Near Her Tail And The Back Of Her Legs. What Should I Do?

There could be several reasons for this. Firstly your dog may have dry skin which could be due to not getting enough fluids in its system or from an irritation such as not washing off all the soap after bathing your dog.

Secondly your dog may have hot spots. A hot spot is a localized area of skin inflammation and infection. The infection can be superficial or deep. Also known as 'pyotraumatic dermatitis', these common skin lesions are usually caused and made worse by biting, licking, or scratching. There is usually an inciting factor to initiate the extreme licking and scratching behavior. Look for fleas, mites, or other external parasites, an insect sting or bite, allergies food, inhalant, contact, or injury skin wound, scrape, etc. Some animals have been known to 'start' a hot spot out of boredom or stress-related psychological problems.

The first thing to do is speak with your veterinarian. Due to the rapidity of spread and possibility of deeper skin infection, it is wise to start treatment with your vet as soon as possible. Also, these hot spots can be very painful to the animal, and it may be wise to use a muzzle if need be for your protection as well as to stop your dog from reaching the irritated area. 

The treatment that your vet will advise for hot spots is firstly to dry them out and get air to the area. Hair loss is a feature of hot spots, but hair can also mat over the inflamed area, covering up a potentially much more severe and large problem. They will then advise that you cleanse the area with cool water and a gentle skin cleanser. After cleansing it will be advised to press a cool compress to the area 2-4 times a day with a cool wet washcloth. The vet may also prescribe some form of medications depending on the severity and size of the hot spot, your veterinarian may prescribe oral antibiotics, topical drying sprays or medications, and or special shampoos.

The best way to get your dogs hot spots to go away is to see the vet. I went to the vet and they completely erased my puppies hot spot. Some people that peroxide can help to.

There is four things I can think of. One dry skin from not washing all the soap off of pet. Second a rash do to flea bites.  Third hot spots. They have a med that you can get a grocery store for hot spots. The dry skin can be fixed by a oatmeal shampoo or some places will do a hot oil dip. The forth is sum dogs have pink skin and they dry out in winter because of the cold or from summer heat. Hope this helps you.

Although human products aren't recommended for pets, I have had some success with friends dogs using combination of cone collar to prevent biting and application of aloe vera gel. If is is bad, they will likely try rubbing against things if they can't get to it by biting.

I think benedryl tabs can help with the itchiness. Use tabs or caps only, not the liquid.

Majority of the time, a dog begins to lose hair on it's back due to an allergic reaction to fleas. The epadures will react by causing itching to the area being affected most by flea bites. And since dogs have such a hard time itching their own backs, this is where your likely to find the problem. There are medications you can get at your vet or any pet store to help with fleas. Pro Line makes a great product that will last from two to four weeks, depending if you have an indoor or outdoor dog. First make sure you clean the area affected with a mild soap, NOT flea soap. Flea soap will just add to the itching. After you clean your dog apply the product you've chosen. Then monitor yout pet for a few days to see if there is any improvement. If your dog was allergic to a new food or soap, it would effect it's entire body and not just one area. Good luck and I hope your pet feels better soon.

I was a vet's assistant and I've written a couple of books about dog skin disorders.  I would suggest that you check for mites.  They're almost never seen with the naked eye, they cause the skin to dry and the fur drops off, and they can get under the skin and cause a great deal of itching.  Once the skin becomes irritated, they can spread fairly quickly and won't go away without treatment.  In fact, since your dog now has sores, I'd suggest you see a vet quickly.  They'll test and know within minutes what the problem is, or what kind of insect they're dealing with.

Oatmeal baths work well for soothing and healing the skin, but without getting rid of them (any insects, bacterial or otherwise), the itching won't stop and the condition will worsen.  It can be very serious if not treated and it's extremely uncomfortable for you dog, even if he seems ok.  I'd have him checked immediately.

I had a dog with the same problems and I did 3 things that helped him out a lot.

1. I used a spray for the hotspots- you can find it in the pet store.
2. I always used conditioner when I bathed him.
3. I used a food that was specifically for dogs with dry skin.

Make sure to keep the fleas away too. They tend to lay eggs in your carpet, so when you dip your dog, you need to dip your carpet- so to speak. There is a spray that kills the flea eggs and larva for your carpet. This is a big pain but it will make your dog a lot happier.

My dog had something similar. It turned out to be an auto-immune disorder called "puppy strengles". This almost killed him. Was treated with lots of anti-biotics. You should check into this. It's more common in young dogs but can happen in adult dogs too. Good luck!

It could be that it got into a fight with another animal but I don't know whether  it could have been near any other animal.

Your dog likely has ringworm.  You can use a rag dampened  with bleach water and place it on the sore to get rid of it.  Google- Ringworm on dogs, and you should see something similar to what you are describing.