Hair of the dog!

This is Khan!

I've started writing this blog to try and help others in Khan's situation.

Khan is 5 years old now and for the past 4 years he has had seasonal flank alopecia (SFA). I've had to do my own research on this as the first time the vet seen him, she couldn't even tell me what it was. The second vet was a little more helpful, and by helpful I mean she confirmed my own diagnosis.

SFA is exactly what it says it is. It is loss of hair along the flanks which occurs seasonally. This means the hair could fall out in the autumn/winter and grow back in the spring/summer or vice versa. You will find that the hair loss is symmetrical and when the hair has fell out, the skin tends to go black.

Now, from the research I have done, there is no prevention or cure for SFA. The vet, if they know what it is, may suggest Melatonin injections. I found this definition of melatonin on Buzzle.com

"Melatonin, chemically known as N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, is a hormone that is naturally produced in the bodies of some animals and algae. It helps in the smooth functioning and regulation of the circadian rhythm (the 24 hour cycle) of various bodily functions and processes. It also plays a role as a powerful antioxidant in the body. Like everything else, this substance CAN lead to a few not-so-pleasant side effects, such as adverse drug interactions, allergies, hormonal imbalance, etc."

(Under no circumstances administer your dog medicines before consulting your vet!)

Before jumping to any conclusions that this is definitely what your dog has, it is best to rule out any other causes for hair loss.

The most common cause for symmetrical hair loss is hyperthyroidism. The coat will be thin, lacking quantity and fall out easily. Hyperthyroidism can involve hair loss on the neck beneath the chin, sides the of body, backs the of thighs, and top the of tail. A vet can determine whether your dog has hyperthyroidism with a simple blood test. Khans blood came back normal when tested recently. There are many other reasons for hair loss that I wont go into on this blog.

Back on point. My reason for this blog is simple. There is no where online to discuss methods of treatment tried.

I didn't want to go straight to extreme measures and start injecting my dog with hormones such as melatonin.

Last year I came up with the idea that a simple food change might work. Khans alopecia cleared up within weeks. I thought I had cracked the problem until mid winter; It came back with a vengeance. So it turns out it was just coincidence. An extra 20 quid a month on food for no reason. Back to square one I went. Although I have kept him on his food. He seems to enjoy it.

 

Khans problems got worse a few weeks ago, when I let him out of his crate for his morning wee and he seemed to have trouble walking on his back legs. The issue progressed as the day went on. With no way to get him to the vets (he is far too much of a lump to carry on my own) I spoke to the vet on the phone who basically suggested lots of warmth and bed rest. You tell that to a boxer that wants to play. It was a cold morning and with no fur, I'm betting it gets to your bones a bit. By late evening, Khan was back to his usual playful self, who I had to convince with ham that he wasn't poorly because his tummy was making funny growling noises. It was just hunger.

That's where I drew the line. My Internet and book research about SFA got a little bit obsessive but I still couldn't find any answers. I wanted to share with any other SFA sufferer owners things I was trying and to possibly get some ideas from you guys.

I have decided to try Khan on some supplements. It took a few days to read up on the hundreds of "miracle" products that could even make a Chinese Crested grow fur! Eventually, I came across a product called 'Yumega'. All the reviews seemed genuine and on a few different websites it was at the top of the list for what I was looking for.

Has anyone else previously used this product? What did you think?

When the bottle arrived, it was suggested to mix it with food to ensure your dog takes it all. That, I didn't need to do. On a whim I measured out the dose and put it in a pot on the floor. Khan couldn't get enough of it. He was looking for more when he was finished.

I've started on a low dose. Suggested dose for Khans weight was 10-15ml. For the first week your only suppose to give half the dose. So I started with 5ml. The website states that you can see improved results within 3 - 6 weeks. As I see Khan every day, I wont notice any small improvements. I have taken pictures of his fur before I started and will take some more every couple of weeks. Another bonus to this supplement is it doesn't smell. As it contains Omega 3 and 6 I automatically presumed it would smell like fish. My bad. Yumega actually uses golden flax and starflower seeds. There isn't really a smell to it.

 

 

(Khan's Alopecia)

 

 

I've also decided to try Khan on the joint supplements from the same company. These go by the name of Yumove. As he has only had one bad spout, I'm not giving the full dose suggested (which is 3 tablets). Khan has one tablet a day, and if I notice him starting to struggle, I can always up the dose to the full amount. Khan seems to think these are treats and will pretty much do any trick for one. This supplement, however, does smell of fish!!!

I would love to hear from anyone that has been using these products or if you are the owner of a poor poochy with SFA and anything you have tried that may help. I understand that every dog is different and what may work for one dog may not work for another, but c'mon, its about time people didn't look at my dog in disgust when I'm walking him because they think he's got scabies!