Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Bald Spots on Dogs

By Cathy Doggins


Hair thinning or bald patches in dogs refers to any kind of problem in which a puppy or dog is missing more hair than would be normally anticipated. The initial step in identifying the reason is to figure out if the bald spots are because of a primary issue, such as a hormone issue, or a secondary issue like itching. Hair condition can provide clues regarding the problem. If the tips of remaining dog hair is damaged, then any pruritis is the immediate cause, with some kind of primary condition as the direct or actual cause. If the hair is not disturbed, first Problems such as hormonal problems are considered. The most common primary issue is fleas, followed by contact allergy, Atopy or food allergic reaction.

Asymmetrical Canine Alopecia

The location of the alopecia can point to the possible cause. Non-symmetrical alopecia, where the hairless areas appear to be randomly spaced, stem from an infection located at the base of the hair follicles or from a parasite. A standard symptom is dog itch. Skin inflammation and pus filled pustules or skin crusts. A reguarly dismissed condition is Sebaceous Adenitis, which is an immune system problem that results in the decline of the dogs sebaceous glands. The results are symptoms such as skin scaling, canine dandruff and Pruritis. Breeds such as Akitas, Vizslas and Poodles are prone to the problem. Diagnosis requires the examination of a skin sample.

Symmetrical Dog Alopecia

Symmetrical baldness is due to body hair cycles. Hormonal imbalances are indicated when this happens as the result of conditions like Hypothyroidism. The one exception is sex hormones that do not appear to play a role. These ailments result in skin issues like lesions and dilated hair follicles. Secondary conditions can also take hold including bacterial infections, blood chemistry changes and urinalysis results. Cushings syndrome is frequently diagnosed, even though it is challenging to distinguish Cushings from other disorders. Other Hypothyroidism symptoms include lethargy, difficulty breeding and an unexpected increase in weight. In puppies the problem manifests itself as hair loss, pus-containing blemishes and flaking skin.

Genetic Disorders

Alopecia could be due to a genetic condition such as follicular dysplasia. It is a consequence of a defect of the hair base or shaft. This anomaly interferes with normal dog hair growth. In order to reach a diagnosis, a veterinarian will conduct many of the tests discussed above and will review the dogs medical history.




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1 comment:

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