Bear, my wife's dog, is three years old weighs about 105 pounds and has the sweetest disposition of any dog I have ever known. Recently he was diagnosed with seasonal flank alopecia, for which there is no known cure. It is more prevalent in the fall than now. He exhibits some moderate hair loss around the hind legs. It does not affect him at all.

The treatment suggested is fish oil and melatonin. My questions are, what is your experience with this condition if any, and what is your suggested treatment? --JS

(Answer) Most of the dogs I have seen with this condition have been German wirehairs. In these dogs the alopecia usually manifests in the late fall to early winter and seems to resolve in May--not great timing for a hunting dog.

 

 

These dogs also had hair loss along the sides of the trunk back into the flank and on the ears. Most of my treatment plans are aimed at protecting the dog from injury to the skin as well as keeping it warm. I have also tried various vitamin supplements, zinc supplementation and fish oil preparations with omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.

I don't think anything works very well and if you can just get the dog through the season of affliction then go on with it. I also would say that in GWPs there is a hereditary component to this disease and if breeding is anticipated do so with caution.

Contact Tom Holcomb, DVM, at: htholcombdvm@qwest.net