Alopecia in dogs: causes and treatment

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Bringing a furry miracle into the house, the owners become attached to it, and this miracle, over time, becomes a favorite member of the family. A shiny and beautiful coat in a dog is a sign of he alth. If the hair begins to fall out strongly, you should be wary. The dog may be developing alopecia.

What is alopecia

Pathology in which the pet's hair falls out partially or completely. Not to be confused with normal shedding. Baldness or hair growth disorder are alarming signs in the dog's body. These may be internal or external abnormalities.

You should be especially attentive to your pets by owners of these dog breeds:

• Staffordshire Terrier;
• bulldog;
• doberman;
• poodle;
• Spitz;
• chow-chow;
• pygmy pinscher.

There is no clear cause of baldness in animals. The process is unpredictable and sometimes fast. There is no clear scheme and methods of treatment, so the disease was called "alopecia X".

Alopecia X in dogs is not a specific disease, it is a complex of symptoms anda combination of several diseases, which prevents the treatment and diagnosis of pathology. The dog itself does not feel much discomfort, the absence of itching and pain does not prevent the pet from enjoying life. But it is unpleasant for the owner to collect wool around the house in tufts and watch the pet go bald.

The cause of hair loss remains unknown, but some studies point to a hormonal failure of sex hormones. This is usually hereditary.

Large-scale baldness begins with some parts of the body, but alopecia in a Spitz dog spreads further. The tail, body, and thighs are stripped of their hair, while the paws and head remain fluffy.

The disease is expressed in different ways, it all depends on the causes. This may be partial hair loss or total.

Seasonal molt

A common cause of hair loss. With a normal lifestyle, the animal molts twice a year. The following breeds of dogs shed more often:

• like;
• Spitz;
• husky;
• St. Bernard;
• Dalmatians.

Seasonal molting (spring-autumn) occurs in other breeds:

• alabay;
• pug;
• newfoundland;
• German Shepherd;
• Sheltie.

Practically no shedding:

• basenji;
• poodle;
• Riesenschnauzer;
• Airdale Terrier;
• Yorkshire Terrier.

If the dog lives in a hot climate for him, then he will lose hair more often.

Signs of normal pet shedding:

1. Dropoutwool does not create bald patches.
2. The animal feels great.
3. Combing your dog shows a shinier, fluffier coat than a bald patch.
4. The dog is a little itchy.

To speed up the molting process, you will have to brush your pet two or three times a day.

There may be other reasons for hair loss in dogs.

Unbalanced diet

Often the owners feed the dog with natural food. Of course, it is useful if the diet contains enough vitamins B and C, as well as biotin vitamins. Do not forget that the dog is happy to eat fruits and vegetables, but the owners often miss this moment.

Alopecia in dogs develops as a result of a lack of minerals, trace elements and vitamins in the body. The wool will begin to fade and fall out much more strongly. Bald patches appear, which makes the hosts very upset.

Dogs fed industrial feed receive a balanced diet, and the risk of getting this kind of disease is much lower, almost eliminated.

Hormonal problems

Hormones are responsible for all metabolic processes in the animal's body, including hair growth. Hormonal changes are rare. But when they occur, they become the source of the development of alopecia in dogs.

Causes of pathology:

• Hypothyroidism - lack of thyroid hormones.
• Hyperandrenocorticism is an elevated level of cortisol in the blood.
• Alopecia X - a combination of severaldiseases.

Endocrine alopecia often affects adults or older pets. Especially males. Dryness of the skin appears all over the body, hair begins to fall out, irritation and scratching occur.

Sometimes you can see how the pet's hair falls out symmetrically. This is not complete baldness, but diffuse. The amount of hair with or without clearly defined boundaries between affected and he althy areas of the skin is reduced.

Symmetrical alopecia in dogs is also endocrine in nature. The problem appears most often:

• on the inside of the abdomen and hind legs;
• on the sides of the chest and abdomen;
• in the area of the anus and genitals;
• on the inside of the neck;
• in the armpit.

Itching with such alopecia is absent, but it causes concern for pet owners. Unfortunately, this problem is very common.

After Grooming

The initial stage of hormonal failure is considered baldness in dogs after a haircut. Most often this happens when the dog needs surgery. Then the animal's hair is shaved off with a machine.

Pets with a thick undercoat (malamutes, huskies, chow chows) are at risk for such baldness. After a haircut, some dogs have to wait a long time for their coat to grow back.

This is a signhe alth complications and the onset of alopecia in dogs. The photo above shows a shorn pet, happy and content, but sometimes the hair does not grow back for several weeks, and sometimes for years.

Allergy

Allergics are not only people, but also dogs. Usually it is a food allergy. Pet has loose stools and watery eyes.

If the dog itches and whines, it is most likely an allergy to the shampoo used to wash the animal. Such baldness is often focal.

Alopecia in dogs due to allergies causes them to refuse to walk and eat. The general condition worsens. Particular attention should be paid to places where alopecia may increase:

• behind the ears;
• on the neck;
• on the stomach;
• under paws.

Scratching, dry skin and sores appear on these areas. The dog itself aggravates its condition by constant scratching and infection of the ulcers. In such cases, the component that causes inconvenience should be identified, removed from use and treated.

Parasite

Alopecia in dogs is often caused by roundworms or flatworms. To avoid illness, it is recommended that the dog be given deworming medications every three months.

Parasites can nest both on the skin and on the internal organs. External parasites cause severe itching by biting the animal. The dog begins to itch, pulling out fur.

Stress condition

In such cases, the pet refuses to play, walk and eat. Stressmay arise due to the loss of the owner, moving, loss of another animal to which the dog has become attached. In such cases, the dog loses hair evenly throughout the body, and stool and blood tests show no abnormalities.

Good communication with your pet will come to the rescue. He should be given more attention than usual. Create a quiet and warm environment. Give vitamins and high-calorie food.

Pregnancy

The appearance of baldness in a pregnant female is often caused by vitamin deficiency, anxiety and hormonal failure.

Expectant mother should always be able to eat well and quench her thirst. A pregnant dog needs rest and doesn't like attention.

Diagnosis for alopecia

Beginning treatment for alopecia in dogs requires a proper diagnosis, which can be difficult. They will try to help save the pet and restore its beauty.

The main diagnostic methods include:

• phototrichogram;
• biopsy;
• microscopic examination of fallen hair and skin scrapings;
• glow with a Woods lamp;
• biochemical analysis of skin scrapings;
• bacteriological and mycological cultures of skin scrapings.

When there is a suspicion of hormonal disorders, blood is taken to balance hormones. They establish the activity of B- and T-lymphocytes, the content of the protein involved in the synthesis of iron, the presence of antigens.

To beconfident that the animal does not have an allergic reaction to parasites, they examine the feces - they do an analysis for the content of helminth eggs and a coprogram.

Differential diagnostics - expensive tests are carried out that not everyone can afford. But you can't do without them. It will be impossible to establish the cause of the pathology and provide assistance.

Treatment

It all depends on the cause of the disease, measures and actions will depend on this - that is, the appointment of how to treat alopecia in dogs. With an imbalance of hormones, hormone therapy is prescribed:

• with hypothyroidism - "Levothyroxine";
• Mitotan, Trilostan are suitable for Cushing's disease;
• with hypoestrogenism, after castration - "Melatonin".

If the cause is parasites, Ivermictin injections are prescribed. Special shampoos are suitable against subcutaneous pests, which include:

• selenium sulfide;
• chlorhexidine;
• miconazole.

Areas of hair loss are lubricated with a solution of "Phosmet". When large areas are affected, enter:

• "Melarzomin";
• "Dihydrochloride";
• "Prednisolone".

To restore the coat after treating the source of the disease, the doctor prescribes the following drugs:

• "Melatonin";
• "Mitotan";
• "Methyltestosterone";
• "Trilostan";
• "Lysodren".

Wothe time of treatment of idiopathic alopecia is used complex therapy with drugs:

• "Anipril";
• "Prednisolone";
• "Ketoconazole";
• "Leuprolide";
• "Cimetidine".

The combination occurs clearly according to the scheme prescribed by the doctor.

After the time has passed, a positive result should appear. If this is not the case, then the treatment regimen is being changed.