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-   -   Could there may be a genetic pre disposition among breeds? (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=323502)

  • Mar 1, 2009, 09:38 AM
    sue stillwell
    Could there may be a genetic pre disposition among breeds?
    We too have a brown and tan miniature dacshund with balding on chest and ears. We have had numerous test administered at the vet with no real resolve. We were giving a liquid med.
    Orally that would help were it a mite problem that had not been detected, but still have no real
    Progress. He does not appear "itchy", there are no fleas. We have three other dogs, Italian
    Greyhound, and two mixes, they have no symptoms. I'm excited about trying the foods
    Without wheat filler. The vet did say dacshund do have more "follicular" problems.
  • Mar 1, 2009, 11:00 AM
    carolbcac

    Has he had a test for an underactive thyroid?
  • Mar 1, 2009, 04:31 PM
    linnealand

    As carol mentioned, having his thyroid checked is a very good idea. Thyroid conditions can contribute to all kinds of "mysterious" seeming issues.

    Obviously, your vet is going to be the only one who will be able to do diagnose the problem. I think that switching to a sensitive, hypoallergenic food is probably a very good idea. Allergies could indeed be factoring into this problem. One thing that I always look out for in terms of external causes are carpet cleaners and carpet powders. If you're using any harsh cleaning products in the house, you might want to consider the possible effects they could be having on any of your pets. After all, although you might not feel any symptoms, your pets spend a lot more time closer to the ground, potentially breathing in more chemicals and absorbing them into their skin.

    If you feel that you have given your vet a fair shot at diagnosing the problem but find that this issue has not been resolved, I suggest you go for a second opinion. Another option would be to see a veterinary specialist, such as an allergist or a dermatologist.

    By the way, the patterns and shapes in which the hair is lost can frequently aid in the determination of the cause.

    If this problem continues and your dog doesn't show any troublesome symptoms other than hair loss, you might just be dealing with canine alopecia.

    Here are some links to more information that might help you in your search for a possible diagnosis, which you can also discuss with your vet:

    Canine follicular dysplasia:
    Canine follicular dysplasia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Common causes of hair loss in dogs:
    Hair loss in Dogs – Common Causes

    Hair loss in dogs:
    Hair Loss Problems

    Archive of articles related to hair loss in dogs:
    Hair Loss In Dogs - a comprehensive view - Wellsphere

    Alopecia (as it applies to humans):
    Alopecia areata - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  • Mar 2, 2009, 08:36 AM
    KayGates

    My dachshund has thin hair around her ears and tummy, and so did her mother. I think its just genetic.
  • Mar 2, 2009, 10:57 AM
    linnealand

    Yes, that's what I'm suspecting as one possibility, and it very well could be the case. The part that plays into that is the fact that you haven't identified any symptoms other than the hair loss. Of course, no matter what, you should be asking your vet what they think about this idea. I would still keep the idea of the second opinion in mind.

    How did you acquire this dog? Since there could be genetic elements involved, do you have a way of speaking with anyone else who owns any of your dog's other relatives to find out if they have also had this issue?
  • Mar 2, 2009, 03:06 PM
    Alty

    Another thing to consider is stress. Our friends have a dog that started losing hair when they moved. All the tests came back negative, turns out it was stress. After a few months, once the dog got used to the new living conditions, the hair grew back and no more problems.

    I agree with the above as well. Ask your vet to do a thyroid test and see if you can track down the parents of some of your dogs siblings to see if this is a genetic problem.
  • Mar 2, 2009, 09:54 PM
    linnealand
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Altenweg View Post
    Another thing to consider is stress. Our friends have a dog that started loosing hair when they moved. All the tests came back negative, turns out it was stress. After a few months, once the dog got used to the new living conditions, the hair grew back and no more problems.

    I agree with the above as well. Ask your vet to do a thyroid test and see if you can track down the parents of some of your dogs siblings to see if this is a genetic problem.

    Excellent point, alty! It's true. Stress can cause hair loss and a mountain of other issues. Our dogs feel stress from different things than we do. If you've moved, if there has been a major loss or change in the family (through death or divorce, for example), if another pet has been adopted into the home, if there has been an extensive period of storms and bad weather, if their daily schedule or food have been changed, and so on, your dog could be feeling stressed.

    Also, I'm assuming that she's not on any medications at this time, but if she is, they could be playing a role in the hair loss. A classic culprit of this could come from corticosteroids, which a pet might be taking for unrelated reasons.

    By the way, if you do see a specialist, as mentioned in my earlier post, you might find that you're spending more for the visit, but if you get the proper diagnosis this way, you will be saving a whole lot of time and money long term that you could otherwise be spending on solutions that don't play out successfully. Plus, you don't want your dog to carry on unnecessarily with something else that might not turn out to be benign. I'm guessing that this isn't serious, but medical issues are not best diagnosed through guesses.

    Lastly, you said that some tests were run, and I'm assuming this included extensive blood work. Do you happen to know what they were checking for?

    When you do find more information, I would love it if you would post an update.

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