dog with small patches of hair loss on it's legs

[Brad G]

I am asking this for a friend,he has a dog with small patches of hair loss on it's legs there look red,anyone ever seen this or have it? What can he put on it to help it?

[Boomer]

Tough to say without seeing the problem and the dog's behavior first-hand. Some dogs get "hot spots" (from allergies and what-not) that they chew-on, and it can cause hair-loss and redness. Is the dog chewing on it's legs? The same could happen from flea infestation. The dog may also have a fungal infection called ringworm, which can generally be treated with over-the-counter fungal medication. The ringworm can be transferred to humans too. More serious afflictions such as mange could also cause such a problem.

I'd buy some topical fungal medication like Lotrimin for starters to treat or rule-out ringworm. I'd also try to rule-out any allergies (new food? new bedding? anything new blooming around the house?). After that, I'd get a vet's opinion.