Back
|
ALOPECIA - CONGENITAL
Note for Pet Owners:
This information is provided by
Provet for educational purposes only.
You should seek the advice of
your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise
on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for
your pet. Topics on this Page:
|
Description
Alopecia means hair loss. It can be localised to one area of the body, or
generalised. It can occur unilaterally or it can be bilaterally symmetrical. The
distribution of the hair loss is very helpful iin determining the likely
cause.
Cause
There are three main types of alopecia
- Congenital / hereditary -
- Acquired - develops during the life of the animal
- Secondary to another disease process - skin infections (eg ringworm), self-inflicted injury (eg allergy, parasites)
Congenital alopecia is a genetically inherited defect of hair follicles resulting in lack of hair (baldness)
Breed Occurrence
The following breeds are bald at birth or develop hair loss within 2-4 weeks of birth as a breed characteristic : American hairless terrier (autosomal recessive inheritance), Chinese crested dog, Inca hairless dog, Mexican hairless dog (autosomal dominant inheritance), Peruvian Inca Orchid. The Sphinx cat.
The following breeds have been reported to develop the disease of congenital hypotrichosis and they are born with symetrical hair loss, or develop it soon after birth: the American Cocker Spaniel, Basset Hound, Beagle, Belgian Shepherd, Bichon Frise, French Bulldog, Labrador Retriever, Lhasa Apso, Rottweiler, Toy and Miniature Poodles, Whippet, Yorkshire Terrier. There may be a sex-linked inheritance as males are usually affected.
The following breeds of cat have been reported to develop congenital hypotrichosis : the Birman (autosomal recessive inheritance - affected cats have no thymus on postmortem), Burmese (affected cats have no claws, tongue papillae or whiskers) , Devon Rex and Siamese (autosomal recessive inheritance).
Signs
Complications
Diagnosis
Congenital hypotrichosis is confirmed from the presenting history and signs, and
by histopathological examination of skin biopsy samples which demonstrate low
numbers or an absence of hair follicles, sebaceous glands, sweat glands and
arrector pili muscles.
Treatment
There is no satisfactory treatment for this condition. Because it is an
inherited defect affected animals should not be used for breeding, except in
those breeds which are naturally bald.
Prognosis
Hair loss is not a serious disorder and affected dogs can be expected to live an
otherwise normal life. However, they need protection from extreme cold weather.
Mexican hairless dogs have a shorter life-expectancy than other similar (hairy)
breeds
Long term problems
Updated January 2016
d>