Pomeranian Shedding

by Natalie
(Miami)

Lately our 5 year old Pom is shedding like crazy. She has a patch on her side that keeps growing. She used to be big and fluffy but a couple of months ago she started scratching a lot. We thought it was fleas so we treated all 3 dogs. The other 2 are fine but she still scratches a lot and her skin is flakey in some areas. I really can't afford to waste money on a vet if they're just gonna run tests and not help. Does anyone have a solution. Could this just be from stress? How do I help her get better? Is my only option to take her to the vet?