[odelay32]

Hello. I have 3 Boxers and 1 French Bulldog. About a month and a half ago, my 2.5 year old Boxer starting losing some hair on his back and sides, as well as some small sores. I took him to the vet and they asked me the usual questions about new shampoo, food changes or anything that might be causing an allergic reaction. There was nothing that I could attribute it to so they decided to do some skin scrapes to start. Everything came out fine, but they put him on a medicine, which I think is Revolution (I can't remember off the top of my head). They prescribed a dose once every 2 weeks for a total of 6 weeks.

Two weeks after his first treatment, he started losing more hair, so I took him back for a full blood work-up. Keep in mind that he had gone to the vet for his vaccines, heartwork, etc. visit just weeks before he starting losing hair. They ran a senior wellness panel to check for things such as a Thyroid condition and Cushings disease. Everything in the blood work came back negative, so they told me to continue the Revolution treatment.

He is getting to start his final treatment and his hairloss has got worse. He doesn't have any itching or scratching and otherwise doesn't seem to have any symptoms. None of the other dogs have any hairloss either. The only think I can think is that it could be due to stress from a new dog that we got back in October, although the hairloss just started a few months ago. Has anyone heard of any severe hair loss from stress, and more importantly, delayed stress? He has always played with the new puppy and seems to really like him.
I feel horrible that he has lost so much hair, but the vets are at a loss. They said the next step would be to switch him to a prescription diet to see if it helps.

Thanks,
Angie

 

[Cocosmom]

One of my fosters has Demodex and some days the skin scrapings still come out negative. I would ask for them to scrape again just to be safe.

 

[odelay32]

I was just doing some more research and I found out about a condition called Seasonal Flank Alopecia and the symptoms are exactly what we are experiencing with Domino. Has anyone else had dogs with this condition and if so, what did you do? Some recommend Melatonin or Fish oil pills.

Angie

 

[g00dgirl]

You don't HAVE to do anything.  It is just cosmetic.  Delilah has seasonal flank alopecia, except it stopped growing back completely so she always has some degree of a bare patch on her sides.
Getting them outside in the sun more will help.  I tried melatonin, but it cased Delilah's eye to swell so I stopped.

 

[Ky_IsisnOnyxsMama]

melatonin has not been tested for long enough in dogs to count on it..i have used it for about 12 yrs...when i was semi pro body building as a sleep aid b/c of the supplements i was on and the stressful schedule...we also have used it for 3 yrs for my autistic son b/c the natural melatonin put out by the brain in an autistic child is very low..thus making it impossible for them to sleep although they try..which causes severe frustration and anxiety

melatonin in simple terms is the chemical put out in the brain for sleep...so in a dog it would be a sleep med or an anti anxiety ...theres nothing else it does..so all it would do is make them lethargic...and the studies even on humans are limited...

IMO i would not use it for a dog as the studies are few and far between

 

[sharonL]

My guess is that if they are using the REvolution on a 2 week plan then they really dont know what is wrong but are having you use that in case she has sarcoptic mange and they cant find the mite...which is hard to find.....I would not think it would be demo mange because of the location that it showed up and mostly her age, but another skin scrape would not be bad if it gets worse....it sounds more like seasonal flank.....The Melatonin works for some and for others it does not...it is a try and see thing.....Check with Chloesmom I think she has had some good luck with it.....There are many websites on it and suggestions on what to do to help aid it....but yes sunshine will help

 

[Ky_IsisnOnyxsMama]

Sharon....honest question...what is the extra melatonin doing for their bodies? inducing a relaxed state helping their body to relax? in turn relaxing the system from breaking out? sounds super logical...would love to know jsut for my self...

also i have thought in the past in using it for Diari..would melatonin help a dog that has sep anxiety? makes sense but what do i know haha

 

[sharonL]

That is about right Ky the medicine is a neurohormone and it is also an antioxidant....It is in the antioxidant form that the benefit from the skin comes.....The drug was first brought to Vet Med as a medicine for seperation anxiety, and calming for dogs that are afraid of thunderstorms and fireworks.....things like that...

 

[Ky_IsisnOnyxsMama]

thank you so much..i guess if i had sat and really thought about it ..it would have made perfect sense to me..lol but my mind doesnt slow down much lately..too many things to think about and clients that want my attention on crazy things ...

im so glad i asked thank you Sharon

 

[ChloeAndBrodisMa]

Melatonin worked great for Chloe and again THANK YOU Sharon  
First pic was taken almost 2 months ago where the baldness was just starting and in my sig pic you can really see it getting worse. She was losing hair behind her ears, back and sides by the time we started Melatonin. Within 3 weeks of starting it we seen it all starting to grow back. The other pic is one I just took..Hair has completely grown back in minus the scar she has. I give Chloe her dosage at night so the sleepiness don't bother her none.

 

[Ky_IsisnOnyxsMama]

oooooooooooooooo thats awesome ,Shari....yaaaaaaaaaaaa for Chloe hehe pretty girl !!!!

so glad i asked..great great to know !!

 

[g00dgirl]

The way I understood it, Melatonin is a hormone and its production depends on periods of light and dark.  During the winter our dogs are outside during daylight less and so the production is limited.  For whatever reason Seasonal Flank Alopecia is related to the amount of melatonin produced so that is why sometimes supplements will work. :/

From wikipedia
Many animals use the variation in duration and quantity of melatonin production each day as a seasonal clock. In animals and in some conditions also in humans the profile of melatonin synthesis and secretion is affected by the variable duration of night in summer as compared to winter. The change in duration of secretion thus serves as a biological signal for the organisation of daylength-dependent (photoperiodic) seasonal functions such as reproduction, behaviour, coat growth and camouflage colouring in seasonal animals.

 

[Ky_IsisnOnyxsMama]

makes perfect sense

 

[Drayken]

I have a stupid question, could a dog "develop" an allergy later in life? I never had allergies when I was younger, but i do now. Could a dog, eating brand "A" food, be fine, but maybe develop an allergy for it later? Just asking, because I would think I would simply try a different food before trying a medicine.

 

[odelay32]

[/quote]

These pictures look EXACTLY like Domino's condition about 3 weeks ago. It has got much worse since. I called the vet today and she is going to be calling me back with a recommended dosage for him of Melatonin.

 

[sharonL]

We will keep our fingers crossed that your baby gets the same results Chloe has....when it works...it works that is for sure

 

[g00dgirl]

Yes, dogs can develop allergies that weren't previously present.

 

[zulu]

Zulu was diagnosed with SFA for the first time this year, the vet did a biopsy and sent it away, he had blood tests and tablets and all didnt work and came back negative. 8O
I was really worried caus the hairloss was loads and loads, in the end he had lost most of the hair from both his sides and from his tail to half way up his back.
The hair started to fall out about December and its all but a small bit on his side that has got left to grow, so least he is looking normal again. :lol:
With SFA they dont just lose a bit, they will lose all the hair in patches that will be just bear skin 8O , the vet told me that its usually just on there sides they lose hair but can affect other parts aswell.
Now its a waiting gane to see if it will reoccur again next year or not :roll: