Lack of Hair Growth in Dogs

Digg

Del.icio.us

Stumble

Lack of Hair Growth in Dogs

By: Dr. Rosanna Marsalla

Section: Overview

See Larger Image

The patterns of hair growth vary with species and anatomic location on the body. For some animals, seasonal alterations are noted. In dogs and cats, a mosaic exists and coordinated shedding cycles occur.

In some breeds the activeHol-ee Mol-ee Extreme
For the more aggressive chewer and larger dogs, the JW Pet Company Hol-ee Mol-ee Extreme offers the same fun as the famous Hol-ee Roller plus added du... or growing part of the hair cycle is prolonged, as in Yorkshire terriers, like it is in people. These breeds are more sensitive to drug therapy, like chemotherapy, that interfere with the hair cycle, and they develop alopecia as an adverse effect.

Numerous factors affect hair growth. They include:

Hormones. Some will stimulate hair growth while others will delay it.

Androgens. They cause courser hair with lengthened resting phase of hair follicles.

Progesterone. This produces courser hair with lengthened resting phase of hair follicles and decreased growth rate.

Estrogen. This results in fine sparse hairs and lengthened resting phase of hair follicles.

Thyroxine. This initiates hair growth and increases rate of new growth. A deficiency in thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism) usually results in poor hair growth and thinning of the hair coat.

Corticosteroids. These drugs retard hair growth by inhibiting new hair growth, thus alopecia or thinning of hair occurs as a consequence of this type of therapy.

Growth hormone. The lack of growth hormone results in retention of the juvenile coat or alopecia in the adult.

Insulin. This hormone is responsible for normal growth, although diabetics may have alopecia.

Nutrition. Poor nutrition can result in a loss of hair.

Protein. Cystine and methionine are requirements for hair growth. Protein-calorie malnutrition is characterized by dry, brittle and sparse hairs.

B vitamins. These vitamins, especially pantothenic acid, (for copper utilization) are important for proper hair growth.

Copper. This is important for hair production and a deficiency will result in a poor hair coat.

Some breeds, like the chow-chow, may have an arrest in the hair growth after clipping. This resolves spontaneously after several months of a lack of hair re-growth.

Excessive numbers of bacteria in the hair follicle (bacterial pyoderma) may cause circular areas of alopecia or generalized excessive shedding. These signs resolve with a few weeks (3 to 4 weeks) of systemic antibiotics. This presentation is very common in dogs with allergies.

Ringworm (dermatophytosis) can also cause the hair to fall out in spots. Ringworm can be diagnosed or ruled out by submitting hair samples for fungal culture.

Mange can also cause patchy hair loss. Demodicosis is a type of mange that is non-contagious and can be diagnosed by performing skin scrapings. There are other types of mange that can also lead to alopecia.

Diagnosis

If your dog has been clipped and the hair is failing to grow back, it may be due to a hormonal deficiency or imbalance. In order to diagnose this, blood samples are necessary to measure concentrations of various hormones.

If your dog is losing hair in spots then it may have a bacterial infection or ringworm or mange. Your veterinarian may need to do skin scrapings or pluck hairs for cultures.

Home Care

Make sure your dog is receiving a balanced diet with an appropriate level of proteins, minerals and vitamins.

Depending on the presence and the type of skin infection, you may have to use medicated shampoos on your pet or administer oral medications to clear the infection.

If you have an allergic dog, work with your veterinarian to manage the allergies without the use of steroids (e.g., prednisone) because these medications have serious systemic adverse effects and may also delay hair growth.

If your dog is diagnosed with a hormonal deficiency you may have to supplement your pet with hormones. This treatment is usually life-long.

Prevention and follow-up depends on the cause for the lack of hair growth. As a general rule, the use of steroids should be limited or avoided as they cause medical problems and arrest hair growth.

Printable Version

Digg

Del.icio.us

Stumble

Share this Article with a Friend Email To:

Have a Pet Question?

Send Your Pet Question to Dr. Jon
and His Staff of Veterinarians

Dr. Jon's Newsletter

Yes! Send Me the Latest Health Information, Pet Tips, Pet Stories and more...

Search Over 15,000 articles

1 Demodicosis (Red Mange) in Dogs
Demodicosis (red mange) is a common skin disease of dogs causes by a microscopic mite that are present in small numbers on all dogs. In predisposed individuals the mites increase in number causing disease....
Read More
2 Hypothyroidism in Dogs
Hypothyroidism is the clinical state associated with a deficiency of thyroxine (thyroid hormone), which causes slow cell metabolism in most body tissues.
Read More
3 Sarcoptic Mange in Dogs
Sarcoptic mange (also known as scabies) is a highly contagious disease caused by microscopic mites that invade the skin of healthy dogs and puppies and create a variety of skin problems.
Read More
4 Pruritus (Itchiness) in Dogs
How pruritus affects your dog’s health depends on the degree of the pruritus. Severe pruritus leads to intense scratching, which may result in painful skin lesions that may become infected.
Read More
5 Alopecia (Hair loss) in Dogs
Alopecia is the complete or partial lack of hair in any area of the skin where hair would normally be found. In dogs, it may be caused by self-trauma, hair follicle diseases or the failure of hair to grow...
Read More

Over 10,000 Veterinarian Approved Articles

Dogs & Puppies

Dog Breeds

labrador retriever, golden retriever, yorkshire terriers, german shepherds, beagle, boxers

Dog Medication

dog allergy medication, dog pain medication, dog anxiety medication, dog flea medication

Dog Products

dog bowls, dog crates, dog toys, dog beds, dog ramps, dog food storage, dog tags

Dog Symptoms

dog vomiting, dog limping, dog diarrhea, dog bad breath, dog coughing, dog seizures

Dog Health

dog cancer, dog diabetes, dog epilepsy, dog hip dysplasia, dog health, sick dog

Dog Care

dog vaccination, dog microchipping, dog grooming, dog neutering, dog spaying, dogs mating

Dog Training

dog aggression, dog barking, dog chewing, dog behavior, dog jumping, dog whisperer

Dog Pictures

puppy pictures, funny dogs, cute dogs, dog breeds, sleeping dogs, silly dogs, small dogs

Cats

Cat Breeds

persian, siamese cats, devon rex, ragdoll cats, sphynx, maine coon cat

Cat Medication

cat flea medication, cat heartworm control, cat tick medications

Cat Products

cat litter box, cat food, cat bed, cat flea collar, cat carrier, cat urine odor

Cat Symptoms

cat vomiting, cat limping, cat diarrhea, cat bad breath, cat coughing

Cat Health

cat health, cat liver cancer, cat diabetes, cat scratch fever, cat aids, sick cat

Cat Care

cat vaccination, cat grooming, cat microchipping, cat neutering, cat spaying

Cat Behavior

cat urine marking, cat furniture scratching, cat litterbox training, cat toilet training, cat fears

Cat Pictures

cute cats, funny cats, playful cats, fat cats, jumping cats, lazy cats, sleeping cats, cute kittens

1Demodicosis (Red Mange) in Dogs
Demodicosis (red mange) is a common skin disease of dogs causes by a microscopic mite that are present in small numbers on all dogs. In predisposed individuals the mites increase in number causing disease....
Read More
2Alopecia (Hair loss) in Dogs
Alopecia is the complete or partial lack of hair in any area of the skin where hair would normally be found. In dogs, it may be caused by self-trauma, hair follicle diseases or the failure of hair to grow...
Read More
3Pruritus (Itchiness) in Dogs
How pruritus affects your dog’s health depends on the degree of the pruritus. Severe pruritus leads to intense scratching, which may result in painful skin lesions that may become infected.
Read More
4Sarcoptic Mange in Dogs
Sarcoptic mange (also known as scabies) is a highly contagious disease caused by microscopic mites that invade the skin of healthy dogs and puppies and create a variety of skin problems.
Read More
5Hypothyroidism in Dogs
Hypothyroidism is the clinical state associated with a deficiency of thyroxine (thyroid hormone), which causes slow cell metabolism in most body tissues.
Read More

Lack of Hair Growth in Dogs

Lack of Hair Growth in Dogs

Related Articles

Over 10,000 Veterinarian Approved Articles