i had posted before that pumpkin has hair loss on her hip. it is just on one side and its getting worse. Originally, it was a bit red with some scabbing but now i really don't see much scabbing, yet she is still losing hair. Anway, we went to the vet about a month ago, and the vet did numerous skin tests and gave us fungal cream, and oral antibiotic, and something for parasites. Well, the mange test was negative, the fungal test was negative, and her hair loss is not improving. When we saw the vet he said that some dogs can even have hip problems, which causes them to nip at their fur causing it to fall out. I just don't see that with her at all. She never picks at it AT ALL. i've never once see her pay attention to it. Plus, when we touch it she doesn't even notice.

I was thinking it could be food allergy related because at about that time we moved up and put her on a better quality food made from trout. Well, when I noticed these issues I took her off that food and for the past three weeks she went back on the beneful she had always been on. Currently we're trying a different food made from salmon, but i'm wondering if fish could be an issue for her. The reason I have chosen fish formulas though is for her gas issues that she has with so many foods.

I just really don't know what to think. I really don't think she has hip issues and i'm afraid when we go back to the vet thursday he'll want to do x-rays. Do you all think I should ask for blood tests or some kind of allergy test first? Any advice would be appreciated.

Maybe go for an allergy test?
What Pumpkin has sounds A LOT like what my Sam has. Does she have flaky skin too? Because our vet checked him out and gave us the same sort of things; an anti fungal shampoo, an oral antibiotic, but she gave us an allergy medicine, and nothing for parasites. It does seem to have been getting a little better since we have been treating him. Maybe it's the allergy medicine we got? Have you noticed if Pumpkin gets irritated skin during a certain part of the year? Sam usually gets dry skin around the middle of winter, so our vet said it could be an air born allergy.
It could be a food allergy to fish or meat in general. Looking at the Beneful ingredients, the only kind of meat source I see is 'animal digest' and 'animal fat'. I'd at least try to take her off beneful because of the unidentified meat source. Try some of the Natural Balance food, like the duck and potatoe, or since it might be a meat allergy, the vegitarian formula. (Natural Balance is a dog brand that focuses mainly on dogs with food allergy issues)

Fuji had some hairloss when he was younger also. In fact, it was in his hip area also. It was red and had some scaling. His hair would fall in little clumps. They did  a skin scraping and did not find the demodedic mange parasite. They thought is was fungal and gave him some cream to use. Well, it was not getting better. They did a second skin scraping and then they found the parasite. After the appropriate treatment, it healed. I would go back to the veterinarian and share with him the things that you have observed.

My first thought is Rabies. There are dogs who react to the rabies shot with loss of hair, and from what I have read most never grow back in that spot. As far as a food allergy goes, I doubt it. It is one spot. Food allergies usually manifest as generilized skin issues and chronic ear problems. It can take upwards of 12 weeks of being on a new food to show improvement and a food that is made with trout is very unlikely to be the cause. Possible other ingredients could be, but trout is not one that has been introduced enough to be a main allergy causer. Beneful is going to be a HUGE issue if it was a food allergy causeing it. With all the by-products and filler grains. Personally I would take her off that asap no matter what the cause of hair loss. If the area has stayed, not gotten bigger and doesn't bother her then I personally would just keeop and eye out for any changes. Otherwise, check with your vet, they ususally keep track of where a shot was given, you may just see that it was where the rabies shot was.

I don't know about the hair loss but please think about taking her off the Beneful, it's one of the worst foods out there.  Read up on ingredients to avoid at http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients and then notice which ones are in Beneful.  Here are the ingredients in Beneful original dry forumla:

INGREDIENTS
Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), rice flour, beef, soy flour, sugar, sorbitol, tricalcium phosphate, water, salt, phosphoric acid, animal digest, potassium chloride, dicalcium phosphate, sorbic acid (a preservative), L-Lysine monohydrochloride, dried peas, dried carrots, calcium carbonate, calcium propionate (a preservative), choline chloride, added color (Yellow 5, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 2), DL-Methionine, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin B-12 supplement, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, copper sulfate, biotin, garlic oil, thiamine hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, sodium selenite.

Well, if you find out what is causing it, Jamie, please let me know.  My dobie, Darmok, has the exact same thing on her left hip, and I never actually SEE her biting at herself, but I know she does it when we are gone or when we are asleep, because she has this round spot that she keeps biting at and causing a bald spot there, and redness and scabs.  I've had her to the vet, and she has had prednizone shots, had creams and ointments, antibiotic meds, everything....she might leave it alone for a few days, then starts it up again.  I almost think it's just a habit with her now, but I cant be sure. The vet cant find any "reason" for it.  The only thing I've been able to put on her that helps dry it up and makes her leave it alone even for a short while is that Purell waterless hand cleaner stuff.  It's antibiotic and is harmless if she licks it off.  I put it on her many many times a day, and she looks better now than she has in months.