Vet School 101 Bald-faced cures: Post clipping alopecia and poor hair regrowth in pets

Your dog or cat’s had surgery, an IV catheter or an ultrasound and the only sign of its ever having taken place is the wide swath of hair loss the clipper blades left behind in their wake…six months ago.

Six months!

Clearly that’s not right, you say to yourself. Your vet might even shrug his or her shoulders in the way we do when more pressing cases (like the cat trying to die in the oxygen cage in the back) recruit more of our attention.

Sure, it’s not a major health concern but hair loss can be frustrating…even more so when it seems to last forever…even more so when no one seems to take it seriously.

Hair loss like this is relatively common. So common we even have a name for it: “post-clipping alopecia.”

Some pets are so afflicted their hair may not re-grow for 12-16 months—if ever. In these cases (I usually jump into it after a couple of months if the owner is concerned), there may be something truly wrong with the animal.

Hormone (endocrine) related alopecia is a complicating factor in many of these cases. Disorders like Cushings disease, hypothyroidism and sex hormone alopecia may be playing a role here. And if that’s the case it’s crucial to diagnose the condition for more than just the benefit of your pet’s lustrous haircoat.

Once tests have been properly performed to rule out significant contributing factors, and let’s say they come up negative, you’re stuck with even more frustration: Dammit! Why isn’t my pet’s fur growing back??

Many vets throw up their hands at this point. No harm no foul, right? If it’s not causing a big problem why worry about it? After all, that cat in the back needs more of my brain capacity right now.

I speak from experience. A family member’s arctic breed mix (arctic breed with their heavy coats are overrepresented among post-clipping alopecia patients) had gone months without hair regrowth at a clipped site. They kept asking me for ideas—and, I admit, I had none after recommending the necessary bloodwork for endocrine disorders and adding in basic supplements including fatty acids (which are great for skin and joints).

Finally, I decided to take on the Web like most of you do. I discovered that melatonin might make a big difference (thank you Veterinary Information Network). Administering this supplement three times daily, starting with once daily dosing in the evenings (because it makes them sleepy, especially at first) comes highly recommended.

(In case you're interested, the melatonin dose is 3 to 6 mg once to three times daily (3 for a small dog, 6 for a big one and somewhere in between for a medium dog.)

Since then, hair regrowth has been progressing nicely. After months and months of “what should I dos” at least I had something to offer.

Now, you may think my lack of knowledge astounding (especially those of you who already had the ready solution to this problem in hand), but even vets can’t know everything about everything, right?

For post-clipping alopecia as for many other seemingly minor conditions for which we cave to our hectic schedules and choose to focus on our “needier” patients, being the squeaky wheel helps. And begging for help on the Internet isn’t too shabby an option either, is it?

August 29th, 2008

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Melatonin is a first-line treatment for both breast cancer in humans (especially for those treating their disease with alternative or complementary medicine) and atypical Cushing's syndrome in dogs. Both of these disorders are typically related to hormone disruption. If you have a dog suspected to have hypothyroidism or Cushing's who keeps "failing" all the standard tests, it might be a good idea to have an adrenal panel run at the the University of Tennessee Vet School, where Jack Oliver,DVM, is a pioneer in this area of research.

Lisa Paddock August 29th, 2008 01:41:00 PM

Are there any recommendations as to what dosage of melatonin should be given?

Vicki T August 29th, 2008 04:26:00 PM

Years ago (winter '96 & '98), my Scottie Alice , lost a 3" x 4" irregular bordered patch on her back before the base of the tail. It stayed bald for months! No skin issue, no itching---crazy! So, we went through tests, no positive results and it grew back almost silver. I thought sure something was wrong the first time. Lo & behold Scotties, along with a few breeds are known for "sas" seasonal alopecia syndrome, described exactly, and melatonin thought to cure.

Coincidentally (?), she had a pregnancy in 95 & 97, and never lost the patch before or after, in her years.

Barbara A. Albright/New Hampshire August 29th, 2008 09:34:00 PM

Sorry--I did mean to include the dose. Will fix that. But here it is, too: 3 to 6 mg three times daily, starting with a once-a-day dose in the evenings. Gradually increase to three times daily if it doesn't cause too much sleepiness. I would use 3 mg for a small dog, 6 for a large one, somewhere in-between for a medium one.

Dr. Patty Khuly August 30th, 2008 07:52:00 AM

Thank you for posting this! Here in Vegas a lot of people get their dogs shaved completely bald, down to the skin. I'm not talking about poodles, I'm talking Huskies, Malamutes, Labs, Pugs, Shelties, Chihuahuas, Chow Chows... if it sheds, people get it shaved. We always try to talk people out of it because so often it just ruins the coat, and once-beautiful dogs suddenly have hideous bald patches on their backs. We have had several people ask how to make the fur grow back. I'll let people know that they can google "post-clipping alopecia" and "melatonin" to find out what vets recommend.

Charity August 30th, 2008 10:51:00 PM

As we show dogs and always have at least one or two dogs in training or being shown regularly, hair growth and re-growth are a prime concern. My vet is kind enough to limit shaving to the bare minimum but some is unavoidable.

Jojoba oil works very well. We put it in a spray bottle and spritz the area lightly, then brush it gently with a wire slicker once a day. It seems to cause a very very mild irritation that the dogs don't even notice but does seam to stimulate hair re-growth. Also once daily application of a good moisturizing lotion seems to be of value.

We have certainly used and will continue to use melatonin as well but have found it hit or miss.

For dogs affected by seasonal alopecia, a common issue in bulldogs, we have put in full-spectrum lighting in those areas the dogs hang out the most in during fall and winter. The dogs instinctively bask under them! Since we instituted that program, NO seasonal alopecia, even in dogs who had had it year after year previously.

Of course, since we live in a rural N. California county famous, er.. infamous for it's unofficial cash crop and world renown as the birthplace of brownies made of such, I always feel a bit self-conscious walking out of the store with a big armful of grow lights!

One thing we do not do is shave for hot spots. Short hard shaved bulldog hair often seems to become ingrown due to the swelling around skin lesions, causing more problems than we started out with. Instead we bath the area with a good anti-microbial, then blow dry the lesion. After that we alternate topical witch hazel and chlorhexidin (sp?) applications. Or betagen spray. It was a protocol my first veterinarian had developed for his show clients because he knew that the hair lost to the hot spot would grow in far faster than the hair shaved around it!

JenniferJ August 30th, 2008 11:47:00 PM

Will this also work for cats? I saw nothing specific mentioned about it, only for dogs.

Clarice, Baton Rouge September 21st, 2008 08:37:00 AM

I have a 4mo old blue & tan mini dachshund who was diagnosed with alopecia. we have not run any blood test for the diseases you mentioned. we were told skin & coat issue are pretty common with blues. do you think the melatonin would work on my puppy?