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Our 2 year old white english bulldog is losing his hair on both sides of his stomach. The hair pores seem to have a dark black look as the hair falls out?? He is currently on thyroid meds-levothyroxine and taking fish oil. We see no change. The bare spots are cold to touch?? His dog food is Royal Canine since a puppy. The vet has done a skin scrap and blood tests and found nothing. Is there something else we need to look at??

Submitted: 222 days and 14 hours ago.

Category: Dog

Value: $9

Status: CLOSED

Age: 2; Male; Breed: englishbulldog

Already Tried:
2 vet visits, blood tested for thyroid,(soloxine meds) skin scraps, special vet shampoo. salmon oil 2Tbs. daily He is 70 pounds and we have put him on a diet of 1 c. 2x a day of Royal Canin bulldog food.

Posted by Drew 222 days and 14 hours ago.

Info Request

Are the patches approximately the same on both sides?

222 days and 14 hours ago.

Reply

The patch on his left side is about 4" x 6" with some hair still intact in 2 nickel size patches in the middle. The right side isn't as bad. When I looked real close last night under a light, I could see that the hair pore where the fur had fallen out, it looks to be black. The skin is flaky as you scrap it with your finger nail. In the bald area, it feels cold to the touch?? At times, his bald skin looks pink instead of white?? He is an indoor dog and only is out side to use the bathroom. This problem started as a small area around 6 months ago and continues to get worse??

Posted by Drew 222 days and 14 hours ago.

Info Request

Is he itchy at all? Is there any odor to his skin?

222 days and 14 hours ago.

Reply

we don't notice any odor. he tries to itch but can't reach the area. he itches his face at times and licks his feet too.

Posted by Drew 222 days and 14 hours ago.

Answer

OK, thanks for the information.

I suspect that this is one of a few possible problems:

This could be an area of allergic dermatitis, possibly with secondary yeast infection (which often causes blackening of the skin). However, this usually causes odor, which you report is not there.

ANother possibility is Seasonal flank alopecia, which occurs in boxers, bulldogs, and similar breeds -- and we really don't know why. Melatonin supplementation seems to help somewhat, but it rarely will regrow all of the hair.

There's also the possibility that there's a genetic disorder that causes the hair follicles to atrophy and die for no known reason. A skin biopsy is usually needed to diagnose this.

222 days and 14 hours ago.

Reply

Is there some over the counter dermatitis ointment or melatonin supplement you would suggest??

Posted by Drew 222 days and 14 hours ago.

Answer

You can try any over the counter melatonin supplement, a human dosage is acceptable. I would not encourage any other over the counter therapy at this point with the exception of a fatty acid supplement such as fish oil or flaxseed oil, which can be helpful for many different types of skin disease.

222 days and 14 hours ago.

Reply

would it help to bathe him in selsun blue shampoo? thanks for all your help....

Accepted Answer

I don't recommend human shampoos for use in dogs, because their skin is very different from our skin, and as a result, most human shampoos will dry out dog's skin to some degree.

Accepts:
Expert:	Drew
Pos. Feedback:	100.0 %
Answered:	4/14/2009

Veterinarian

Canine Medicine and Surgery

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Optional Information

Age: 2; Male; Breed: englishbulldog

Already Tried:
2 vet visits, blood tested for thyroid,(soloxine meds) skin scraps, special vet shampoo. salmon oil 2Tbs. daily He is 70 pounds and we have put him on a diet of 1 c. 2x a day of Royal Canin bulldog food.

Info Request

Are the patches approximately the same on both sides?

Reply

Info Request

Is he itchy at all? Is there any odor to his skin?

Reply

we don't notice any odor. he tries to itch but can't reach the area. he itches his face at times and licks his feet too.

Answer

Reply

Is there some over the counter dermatitis ointment or melatonin supplement you would suggest??

Answer

You can try any over the counter melatonin supplement, a human dosage is acceptable. I would not encourage any other over the counter therapy at this point with the exception of a fatty acid supplement such as fish oil or flaxseed oil, which can be helpful for many different types of skin disease.

Reply

would it help to bathe him in selsun blue shampoo? thanks for all your help....

Accepted Answer

I don't recommend human shampoos for use in dogs, because their skin is very different from our skin, and as a result, most human shampoos will dry out dog's skin to some degree.

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Optional Information

Age: 2; Male; Breed: englishbulldog Already Tried: 2 vet visits, blood tested for thyroid,(soloxine meds) skin scraps, special vet shampoo. salmon oil 2Tbs. daily He is 70 pounds and we have put him on a diet of 1 c. 2x a day of Royal Canin bulldog food.

Info Request

Are the patches approximately the same on both sides?

Reply

Info Request

Is he itchy at all? Is there any odor to his skin?

Reply

we don't notice any odor. he tries to itch but can't reach the area. he itches his face at times and licks his feet too.

Answer

Reply

Is there some over the counter dermatitis ointment or melatonin supplement you would suggest??

Answer

You can try any over the counter melatonin supplement, a human dosage is acceptable. I would not encourage any other over the counter therapy at this point with the exception of a fatty acid supplement such as fish oil or flaxseed oil, which can be helpful for many different types of skin disease.

Reply

would it help to bathe him in selsun blue shampoo? thanks for all your help....

Accepted Answer

I don't recommend human shampoos for use in dogs, because their skin is very different from our skin, and as a result, most human shampoos will dry out dog's skin to some degree.

Related Dog Questions

Age: 2; Male; Breed: englishbulldog

Already Tried:
2 vet visits, blood tested for thyroid,(soloxine meds) skin scraps, special vet shampoo. salmon oil 2Tbs. daily He is 70 pounds and we have put him on a diet of 1 c. 2x a day of Royal Canin bulldog food.