Dakota - Clipper Alopecia (hair loss)

Meet Daytona. Like many longer-haired dogs, Dakota is shaved down each spring. This allows him to be cooler during the hot summer months. As the summer progresses his hair will grow back and he will be fully coated for the winter.

Last year, after being shaved, the top half of his body regrew normal hair while the bottom half of his body did not. There are several skin conditions that can cause alopecia or hair loss and/or poor growing hair. Most of these conditions are endocrine diseases such as hypothyroidism, Cushing's disease, or seasonal flank alopecia. In addition, a condition called clipper alopecia or groomers alopecia can cause this phenomenon. Dakota had several blood tests and a skin biopsy to confirm that the cause of his hair loss was true groomers alopecia. The biopsies also revealed that his hair follicles were in a state that would allow him to regrow new hair.

Over the next several months, Dakota finally grew his hair back. Today, he looks perfectly normal. Many dogs with groomers alopecia will eventually grow new hair. However, some will not. There is no known cause for this condition and no specific treatment. 

Special thanks to Daytona's owners for allowing us to share this case.