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  1. #1
    Senior Dog sparky's Avatar
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    seasonal flank alopecia

    Mocha has a thinning hair spot on his flank. It looks like a blonde spot but looking at it closely the hair is actually thin. Google and a friend suggested seasonal flank alopecia. HE is scheduled to go back to the vet next week and we'll have it looked at then. He does not lick at the spot. Google suggests it could be thyroid issues but during his last vet visit they tested his thyroid levels and all were good. Anyone had a Lab with this?
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    Mocha:Born 7/13/14 Gottcha 9/13/14 Latte: Born 7/15/16 Gottcha 9/9/16
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  2. #2
    Senior Dog Berna's Avatar
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    Maybe it's because of the shedding?
    Cookie Black Snowflake
    July 12th, 2006. - May 25th, 2023.

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  3. #3
    Senior Dog
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    Is it perfectly round in appearance and relatively small? Could be ringworm.

  4. #4
    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
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    If the thyroid test was just the simple one, and the dog tested low/normal, he may still have a thyroid problem. You'd need a full thyroid panel to be sure.

  5. #5
    Senior Dog sparky's Avatar
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    The patch is about 2"X 3" oval shape.
    -img_20150527_124750027-jpg
    JenC- Not sure about the thyroid panel they ran but I will ask.
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    Mocha:Born 7/13/14 Gottcha 9/13/14 Latte: Born 7/15/16 Gottcha 9/9/16
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  6. #6
    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
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    Honestly, in the 12 years I have been on these boards, I have never heard of seasonal flank alopecia. But I can tell you I have seen a spot like that one Ellie (Grizz's sister) before she was diagnosed with low thyroid.

  7. #7
    Senior Dog
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    Quote Originally Posted by JenC View Post
    Honestly, in the 12 years I have been on these boards, I have never heard of seasonal flank alopecia. But I can tell you I have seen a spot like that one Ellie (Grizz's sister) before she was diagnosed with low thyroid.
    I think it’s fairly common in dilute dogs (I have a friend with blue Dobies whose dogs have had it, and I know it can be a problem in silver “labs”) but much less so in dogs without the dilute coloring.
    Annette

    Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
    Sassy (HIT Jamrah's Blonde Ambition, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015

    Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009

    And remembering:

    Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

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  8. #8
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    We had a boxer, maybe 30 years ago, who developed hair loss over both flanks. We took her to a doggy dermatologist who said she thought it was allergic inhalant disease. I doubt her thyroid was tested back then. I don't remember if it was seasonal or not. She got allergy shots!

    ETA, interestingly, I looked up Seasonal Flank Alopecia and the images they have show exactly what our dog had and one article said it's particularly prevalent in boxers and bulldogs but can appear in other dogs. The article below includes labs in the breeds more prone to it. Looks like these days they treat it with melatonin.

    Melatonin Therapy for Canine Alopecia (Hair Loss in Dogs) - Nashville
    Last edited by smartrock; 05-27-2015 at 06:20 PM.

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  10. #9
    Puppy LabraGal's Avatar
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    My boy unexpectedly and slowly lost a patch of hair on his nose late last fall. After thyroid tests, ringworm check, and a biopsy of the area turned up nothing, the vet dermatologist recommended treating it as seasonal alopecia. So he has been on melatonin since January. It took a few months, but the hair grew back in completely. He looks great now, just has a couple tiny scars from the biopsy. He is still on it but we are going to taper off.

    My regular vet and the dermatologist thought it was strange that it was only on his nose.

    Ask your vet about the melatonin. They suggested a specific brand of melatonin (Nature's Bounty), but it is sold in stores around here. It's a human supplement and it's pretty inexpensive. I observed no side effects in my guy. Just my own experience.
    Last edited by LabraGal; 05-27-2015 at 07:04 PM. Reason: no paragraphs on mobile!
    UACHX Remi AX AXJ MXPB MXP3 MJPB MJP4 NF
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    EmmaJo11 (11-19-2018)

 



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