I need a bit of help with this...and regrettably vets here (El Salvador) are not current wih the practice protocols.

I need to know the specifics regarding visual differential diagnosis of Alopecia Areata (if it can be done), and treatment...for one spot, 1 inch in diameter, male dog, 9 months old.

I would REALLY appreciate input on this.

Here is some info, I think it is pertaining to humans.
http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/alopecia/alopecia.htm

Yup...that would be for humans. Thanks for that. If you or anyone else has info/experience about this for canines, there´s a special prize in it for you: an all expense paid trip to a tropical island, accompanied by the member of the opposite sex (the one that's in your dreams), for one month, plus I'll chip in a perfect clone (of you) to sub for you at work!

Again...thanks for info. BTW, I already searched the net, so I'd be interested in vet knowledge and experience with this.

I went ahead and cross posted on another forum for you. Not alot of Working Dog ppl . but quite a number fanatical GSD owners over there.

Hi Andres,
I just looked it up - its ages since I thought about this one! Here are the main points:

Alopecia areata is characterised by a non-inflammatory, asymmetric, otherwise symptomless patchy alopecia, which in dogs tends to be on the head, neck, trunk. The lesions are well circumscribed.

A presumptive diagnosis can be made on visual appearance and behaviour of the lesions, ie an insidiuous onset, and asymptomatic, also by skin biopsy. The skin biopsy may be difficult to interpret and may require many biopsies from the advancing edge of early lesions to be sure.

There are MANY differentials - too many to list here.

The outlook is good, with the text quoting most cases spontaneously resolving over 6months->2yrs. Treatment with topical or systemic steroids is mentioned but the benefits are not clear as most cases resolve spontaneously. Initial hair regrowth is of a lighter colour than normal.

The condition is thought to be autoimmune in origin but this too is not known (according to the text - there may be some newer stuff out there I don't know about...)

I hope this is of use to you,

Regards,

Sarah

 Quote:

I need to know the specifics regarding visual differential diagnosis of Alopecia Areata (if it can be done), and treatment...for one spot, 1 inch in diameter, male dog, 9 months old.....

I called my ex-vet (because of her lengthier experience than my new vet), who has left private practice to work in a small-animal tumor institute, and asked her for references to reading material. She asked questions I did not know how to answer (such as "is it light-responsive Alopecia; is the dog an Akita, a Bulldog, etc.; has the vet made a clinical diagnosis of autoimmune Alopecia <"Ariata" meaning, I gathered, just "areas," or "patches">; is the spot on the flank)......When I didn't know those answers she said she'd give me a link to a site that would explain why she asked those questions - a broader site than what she would give if the diagnosis were refined. And she gave me one with pictures.

Seasonal flank Alopecia is most common to Boxers and Bulldogs (but not exclusive). The differential diagnosis is made via tests such as for thyroid disorder, Cushing's disease, and alopecia X, and by the time of year (seasonality, which is photo-related), the breed, because different breeds are more prone to different types of Alopecia, what part(s) of the body is/are affected, and skin biopsies.

Here are the topics I wrote down as she dictated them, reading them from a vet handbook called INSTRUCTIONS FOR VETERINARY CLIENTS: CANINE AND FELINE SKIN DISEASES, by David D. Duclos, DVM, Dipl ACVD.

ALOPECIAS:

Pattern Alopecia
Color Dilution (or mutant) Alopecia
Endocrine Alopecia (thyroid-related, e.g.)
Injection Site Alopecia
Seasonal Flank Alopecia (Canine Recurrent Flank Alopecia)
Telogen Effluvium

Besides autoimmune disease, causes can be traction, folliculitis, an endocrine disorder such as hypothyroidism, Cushing's, etc.

Here is a site which she said to check for pictures. She did not give me the exact page (just the "home" title), and I'm not positive that the web page I'm giving you is the one, but it appears to be. Anyway, it's the general site she said:
http://www.dvmnewsmagazine.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=7254

This won't be word-for-word, but here's what I scribbled: Seasonal flank Alopecia is easy to confuse with thyroid, hormone (sexual, melatonin, and others), and cortisonal problems, and the best thing to do is to get a referral to a veterinary dermatologist.

About visual diagnosis: She said that it was a very small area you're talking about, and that limits the usefulness of visual determinations. Also this is one spot, not bilaterally symmetric hairloss. I'm sorry........I didn't completely catch why that was significant. (Wrote as fast as I could! LOL!)

The seasonal flank Alopecia "might be less likely" to be the diagnosis in a non-Bulldog, Boxer, or Giant Schnauzer, and you "might want to be asking about bloodwork for Cushing's, thyroid, etc."

When I looked at the pictures here:
http://www.hilltopanimalhospital.com/seasonalalopecia.htm
I saw what she meant.

So I think what I got from the discussion and the sites she directed me to was this: The underlying cause can be things that should be treated, as opposed to seasonal Alopecia, which may be melatonin-related and often resolves spontaneously (seasonally), so you might want to consider a vet dermatologist, and the treatment depends entirely on the underlying cause.

I have never had a dog with this, so nothing here is from my personal experience. Also, I was scribbling fast, and what I've typed here should be double-checked if used.

I hope it help a little. Good luck!

I write this between fishing trips. Hope you all had good holidays.

Well...the pup was initially treated for a fungal infection, but did not respond at all - after 21 days of treatment. The vet went back to a potential Alopecia Areata diagnosis, which is an Immune system attack against the hair follicles (the vet described it as such), that can be alleviated by a slight, and local, immune system suppression (also as a means of diagnosis) using locally injected steroid. If the hair grows back, then the vet indicates continued oral steroid treatment - in small doses - and phasing it out...to see if the area grows hair back AND IT STAYS there.

This was done, and the pup (now one year old) grew its hair back, and so far so good.

I thought this was very strange. I had never seen anything like that. If any of you would like to comment on my vet's opinion, he's very open and would love to hear about this. He treated based on books, as he'd never seen Alopecia Areata (if that's what it is).

BTW Happy New Year to all.

Andres

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...the pup was initially treated for a fungal infection, but did not respond at all - after 21 days of treatment. The vet went back to a potential Alopecia Areata diagnosis, which is an Immune system attack against the hair follicles (the vet described it as such), that can be alleviated by a slight, and local, immune system suppression (also as a means of diagnosis) using locally injected steroid.

The fact that the hair did grow back -- couldn't that also mean that there was spontaneous resolution of melatonin-related seasonal Alopecia?

When I was gathering that info when this first came up, I learned that bloodwork for thyroid disorders and early-stage Cushing's might be a good plan.

But if it was recurring flank Alopecia, then I imagine you'll find out within a few months.

Meanwhile, I'm so glad it has been resolved and that you've been able to phase out the steroids!