Manuela Bianchi Hairless dog in autumn? It could be a seasonal molt. But also a form of seasonal alopecia. Or one of the other thousand causes of dog alopecia
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During spring and fall, dogs go through their usual shedding period-meaning that they start to lose more hair. Actually, indoor dogs shed throughout the year, but that’s an entirely different story. The bottom line here is seasonal shedding does not cause alopecia, as it does in rabbits. If your dog sheds in the fall and bald spots begin to appear, it may not be the normal seasonal shedding at all but rather a type of canine cyclic alopecia of the season.
Hairless dog? Here are some causes of alopecia
As stated, hair loss in dogs is caused by a number of factors. Some causes are due to common parasitic issues, others are due to inflammation, while others are not. Causes of alopecia in dogs include the following :
- Flea infestations, Cheyletiella, lice
- Demodicosis
- Dermatitis, including allergic dermatitis
- Pyoderma
- Fungal infections
- Leishmaniasis
- Autoimmune diseases
- Skin tumors
- Effects of burns and trauma
- Dermatomyositis
- Vasculitis
- Traction alopecia-from tight hairbands or clips on long-haired breeds
- Friction alopecia-from collars or harnesses that are too tight
- Reactions to injections
- Hypothyroidism
- Cushing’s syndrome
- Feminization syndrome from testicular tumors
- Stress-even that caused by pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing
- Alopecia X
- Post-grooming alopecia
- Pattern baldness alopecia
- Cyclical seasonal flank alopecia
- Congenital dystrophies
- Color dilution alopecia
- Black hair follicular dysplasia
Hairless dogs: symptoms
Aside from the loss of hair itself, symptoms that may arise depend on the underlying cause for alopecia. These include, but are not limited to:
- Itching
- Redness of skin
- Crusts, ulcers, or erosions
- Dandruff or scaling
- Papules and pustules
- Folliculitis
- Hyper-pigmentation
- Thickening of skin
- Fistulas with purulent discharge
- Blackheads or comedones
Differences between seasonal shedding and seasonal alopecia in dogs
If your dog sheds hair in the fall, you need to make a distinction between normal seasonal shedding and seasonal alopecia. In shedding, the dog does not get hairless, neither do any bald spots appear. It’s just a matter of increased hair loss when the summer coat is changed to a thick winter coat.
Meanwhile, other canines will abruptly shed their hair in patches come fall. In most scenarios, such bald spots may be limited to the flanks and lower back. This might indicate a condition identified as seasonal autumnal alopecia.
Also known as cyclical or recurrent alopecia, its cause is unknown. We do know, however, that in our hemisphere it generally occurs in the fall or winter, from October until as late as March. Changes in climate or indoor exposure to artificial light might modify this pattern. One theory suggests that a melatonin or prolactin imbalance may trigger alopecia.
The breeds listed below are considered most prone to this condition:
- Boxer
- English Bulldog
- Schnauzer
- Lagotto Romagnolo
- Beagle
- Bullmastiff
- Airedale Terrier
But it may also appear in other breeds and mixed breeds. This kind of alopecia has very typical symptoms:
- Thinning of hair, especially over the flanks, sometimes unilaterally, may progress to involve trunk and tail, at which point the regions become atrophic.
- There is hyperpigmentation.
- In some, there are several remaining hairs within the bald patches that gives the lesion an appearance of a map or target-like
- No inflammation or itching, unless there is secondary bacterial folliculitis, wherein itching and inflammation may develop
This is not a guarantee, though that your dog will have these lesions per year.
How to deal with seasonal alopecia in dogs?
In the case of autumnal seasonal alopecia, there is not much to be done. If there is no bacterial or fungal complication, the situation usually resolves with the approach of spring or summer.
Supplements for the skin or melatonin can be given in some cases, though melatonin is effective if given some months before the lesions appear. Many times, however, this proves ineffective.
Either way, such alopecia is harmless for the dog; it is simply an esthetic issue.
