* Dog Hair Loss Follow Up

Firstly, I posted here awhile back about a bald patch on our dog, Since then she has been to the Vets 2 times, and been on 2 lots of different medication, to no avail. Below are 2 pictures, the top one shows her bald patch, only now, a few weeks on, she has developed a lighter patch of fur around the bald area, people keep calling her Bolt (from the Animated Movie) lol. Something very strange though, the second picture is her other opposite side, this lighter patch has developed in exactly the same shape, in exactly the same place!! Only that patch is not going bald at all. She has been moulting horrendously for about 10 weeks, I don't know if that's normal. Here are the pics:

Firstly, this was about 10 weeks ago:



Now it is like this




She is eating and drinking normally, and does not act ill at all!! She was given a fungal wax medication, which did nothing, we then gave her Piriton twice daily, with no change again. The vets have no idea what it is, they checked for fleas, ticks, Allergies, took scrapings, all coming back normal. Any ideas??

Has her thyroid been checked?

I dont think so. What would that entail. The Vet did the following:

-Wax Medication
-Piriton Twice Daily
-Changed Her To Prescription Diet (she was overweight)
-Checked her Anal Glands and relieved them
-Checked her Teets
-Examined with UV Light
-Took scrapes of the area

Also to note her diet was changed AFTER the bald patch appeared.

She has a habit of rolling around in the grass on the field, and for some strange reason she likes rolling in other dogs pooh! But when this happens, she is put in the bath right away, and we use dog shampoo on her. Nothing else.

That is seasonal Alopesha. There is nothing to do just leave it or rub in some Livereen Unction and the hair will grow back.

My red Stafford had it two years on the run and never again he is 10 years old.

I have also seen it in other breeds of dog I have groomed one being a Kerry Blue.

Seasonal Alopesha? What causes that, I am guessing its something seasonal? lol. So is this a bad thing? Or did something bad cause it?

We thought it was due to her rolling round the field, maybe picked something up?

Seasonal flank alopecia S

easonal flank alopecia (Canine Recurrent Flank Alopecia - CRFA) is a cyclical or episodic follicular disease that occurs when daylight begins to shorten (fall of the year) with progression through the winter. A typical history describes the development of patchy alopecia and hyper-pigmentation on the lateral thorax and flanks that can be unilateral or bilateral. Lesions may ultimately involve the entire lateral thorax, abdomen and rump regions. Margins of the affected areas are "geographic" in appearance with sharply demarcated borders. Spontaneous regrowth of hair may occur as the hours of daylight lengthen (spring). With each season the pattern of hair loss returns, may be more prolonged than the last and the dog may fail to completely regrow hair before the next episode. Seasonal flank alopecia has been reported in numerous breeds but is recognized most frequently in Boxers, English Bulldogs, Airedales, Schnauzers, Doberman Pinschers and Bouvier des Flanders. Although age of onset is typically between 3-5 years, the condition can occur at any age. There is no sex predilection.

Causes and pathogenesisThe cause of CRFA is unknown. The seasonal and reoccurring pattern along with response to melatonin supplementation suggest that photoperiod and melatonin play a role. This theory is supported by the fact that in Southern Hemisphere countries like Australia and New Zealand, where seasons are the reverse of that in the Northern Hemisphere, the onset of CRFA occurs the reverse of what is seen in the Northern Hemisphere but corresponds to seasonal changes in light: dark periods.

Melatonin, a hormone synthesized in the pineal gland, is involved in neuroendocrine control of photoperiod-dependent molting and hair growth in many mammals, but the mechanism by which this occurs is not clear. There is a synergistic effect of prolactin, another photo dependent hormone, and melatonin. Regulation of seasonal shedding is thought to be one important effect of these hormones at the level of the hair follicle. Melatonin secretion occurs as an inverse function of day length and is produced primarily at night. When days are longer (spring/summer), melatonin concentrations go down and prolactin goes up initiating the spring molt with growth of a summer coat. As days get shorter the opposite occurs initiating growth of a winter coat. In dogs with seasonal flank alopecia this cycle is believed to be disordered.

Diagnosis and treatmentHistory, breed, clinical signs and elimination of endocrine causes of symmetrical alopecia (hypothyroidism, hyperadrenocorticism) place CRFA high on the differential diagnoses list. Skin biopsies show an atrophic and dysplastic follicular pattern with follicular hyperkeratosis that takes on the appearance of "witches feet".

Treatment options are limited. Response to melatonin supplementation orally or via subcutaneous implants seems to be beneficial, although the cyclical nature of the disease can make it difficult to prove. Controlled studies have not been done to provide the necessary support for this treatment. The dose is empirical (6-12 mg 8-12h PO) and response variable. Melatonin is unlikely to affect a cure but may reduce the severity of lesions that develop or at least reduce the course of the clinical cycle. Since melatonin has been shown to regulate reproductive events in some animals, it should not be used in breeding animals.

Light therapy (regulating the amount of artificial light) has been reported to be helpful in some dogs. The dog is exposed to 15-16 hours of "daylight" via a 100-200 watt incandescent bulb. Light therapy that starts in September and continues through the spring may prevent the condition. Of course benign neglect (no treatment) is also a viable option in these otherwise healthy dogs.

No it is not bad and even vets will say it just one of those things that happen.

I believe it may happen if a dog is stressed or feeling a little run down but not neceserily so.

My dog had it two years on the run a couple of years ago and then nothing since. The hair often grows back a darker colour just on that patch and then goes back to normal.

I rubbed some liverine unction on the patch but it will grow back either way.

My dog used to get it in the spring.

Thanks, will leave it a few months and monitor, she does not seem run down or depressed, although she is very very timid, she was a rescue dog, coming from a home that regularly beat her. Maybe it is some slight stress or something, she loves us all to bits, you can clearly tell, although she does seem afraid of my 5 year old son, who is very noisy! I guess this could cause stress sometimes, although when he is chilled out, she wont leave him alone and is like his best friend.

There was another stafford who was very timid and she used to suffer from it also. The Kerry Blue had spent some time in rescue but was still having the Alopesha after he had a lovely home.
The stress is only my observation and I wasn't aware that my own dog was stressed but he has always suffered digestive problems so may have been a bit run down because of that at the time.

So do we continue with the Piriton? Or shall we just let this Alopesha run its course and see if her coat grows back??

How long will it be till it does grow back? And lastly is the excessive moulting linked to the Alopesha? She has never moulted this bad before, or for this long.