Unusual hairloss. Help!

[Rocky & Kaiya]

I'm seeking advice, my seven year old girl started loosing the hair on her face several months ago. Some of it has grown back white, but most of it is still gone. It seems to continue to spread, first on her nose, around her eyes, the top of her head and on her ears. Now the most recent is on her back.

The vet said it was probably hormonal because the hairloss on her face is symetrical. However, the vet did both a scratch test and a blood test, they both came back as normal. She doesn't stratch at them but since they are continuing to spread I'm still worried.

Does anyone have any idea what this could be or how to treat it?

 

[Barron's mom]

There are a number of conditions that can cause bald patches, including ringworm, skin irritations and hormonal disorders. Has your vet tested for all of these conditions? What treatment has your vet suggested? If you are not satisfied with your vet's treatment, get a second opinion. In the past Barron lost patches of hair on the side of his body, yet a scratch test diagnosed him with mange. Good luck with your dilemma. :confused:

 

[JulieM]

At her age, a thyroid problem is a good candidate for the hair loss, as well. You might want to have a full thyroid test run (not just the 4-panel vets usually do).

 

[KBENDER]

I AGREE WITH JULIE, BEEN THERE DONE THAT WITH LILY. SHE WAS LOSING HER HAIR AND IT WAS THYROID. THAT WAS ABOUT 3 YEARS AGE AND SHE IS BEAUTIFUL NOW

 

[bridget's mum]

I am interested in what Barron's Mum said about the mange, what treatment did you use and how successful has it been? Bridget had her stitches out today, and I got the vet to look at a couple of patches on her coat, he tested them and she has demodectic (?) mange. The treatment is Ivomac liquid, but the side effects are horrendous, I've given her one dose and I'm not prepared to give her any more at this stage. Surely there is a better treatment than this stuff...help!:confused: :(

 

[Barron's mom]

Bridget's Mom -

Sorry to hear your baby is going through what Barron went through. I pulled Barron's records and found that he, too, was on Ivomec and Albon Suspension back in April, 1998 when he was only two months old. In July, 1998 he had a skin scraping, which diagnosed him with mange. He had to receive Mitiban Baths at the veterinary hospital three times before it was cleared. I thought this problem was related to his living conditions at the breeder's home, so I researched the topic to give to the Animal Control Officer. There is a great paper written on this subject by Joe Bodewes, DVM. You can find his articule on
www.peteducation.com. Good luck!

Barron's Mom -

Fawn male boxer with black mask and white markings, cropped ears and docked tail, dob 2/13/98.

 

[bridget's mum]

Thanks for your reply, I've just been browsing through the information/vet sites suggested on another thread, about hair loss..we are certainly not alone! Bridget's symptoms tonight are very disturbing and I'm not prepared to give her any more of this Ivomec, she is appearing drunk and uncoordinated, so I'll have to keep my eye on her all night. I have found a site with some non medical remedies, I'll give these a go, she has always been super sensitive to any medication, if it has a side effect, she'll get it. I will now look up your suggestion as well, thanks so much, it's going to be a long night!

 

[JulieM]

Demodex is very common and generally the dogs can overcome it on their own if they're given a chance. If there are only a couple of patches, I'd work on strengthening her immune system (demodex becomes a problem when the immune system is compromised - since Bridget has just had stitches out it's safe to say that her immune system is probably not 100% yet) and give it a few months. If it spreads a great deal, treatment would be a consideration, but IMO it's more important to give it time and see if the dog has a normally functioning immune system - this can give you good information for the future as well.

Ivomec is the safer of the treatments - Mitaban is much more toxic - so if she's having that bad of a reaction to the Ivomec I'd stay far, far away from Mitaban.

 

[bridget's mum]

Thanks for your reply. After a lot of reading and a consult with the vet this morning, I agree with you totally about improving her immune system. That is my paramount goal from this day. When she was about 12 weeks she developed symptoms of a low immune system, her lymph glands became quite swollen and we had to treat her for that, so I now assume that she needs a constant building up and maintenance, with this happening now after her speying. Supplements and a really good diet are going to be the order of the day, alternative health care for this girl! So wish us luck, I've definitely not felt alone after posting my replies on BW, on a couple of different threads about hair loss. Thanks again,
Ciao-