Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease (LCP Disease) involves degeneration of the head of the femur bone. Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease (LCP Disease) usually only occurs in small dog breeds. Although the cause of Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease (LCP Disease) isn’t known, recent research has come up with significant proof to suggest it is connected to blood supply problems to the femoral head. The reduced blood supply could be the result of injury, abnormal sex hormone activity or genetics.
Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease generally occurs in small dogs between 4 to 12 months of age. Loss of blood supply to the joint interferes with normal bone and joint development with the result, lameness and wasting of the affected leg. Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease affects both male and female dogs, but male dogs are four times as likely to develop the disease as female dogs.
Signs. In the early stages, your dog will experience pain when he extends his hip joint while exercising or being examined by the vet. He’ll also have a severe limp and as the disease progresses will refuse to use or put any weight on the affected leg. Once the disease has become more advanced, he will suffer a visible shortening of the affected leg.
Treatment. Surgery is the preferred method of treatment for Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease. Post-surgery physio will help and exercises such as swimming are encouraged to rebuild leg muscles.
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Patella Luxation is a health problem commonly found in small breeds of dogs such as Pomeranians, Toy and Miniature Poodles, Chihuahuas, Pekingese, Yorkshire Terriers and other small dogs and some cats as well. In the event your Pomeranian is limping, or in severe cases carrying a hind leg, veterinary advice should be sought.
Environment as well as genetic influences play a big part in the health of your Pomeranian. Correct Diet and Medication may improve this health issue. Feeding your puppy a balanced diet may help prevent many health problems later in life.
Figure 1 : Above 0 (normal) patella.
The kneecap (patella) is a very small bone found deep in the tendon of thigh muscles. The tendon is a tough inelastic band of tissue joining the bony attachment and the muscle. With patella luxation, the kneecap can slide out of its tendon and then slide back in again.
There are five grades, based on severity of the problem. Normal = 0. Number 1 signifies minimal movement of the kneecap and the dog’s owner might not be even aware of the problem. As time goes on and this disease may progress in terms of severity and duration, the lameness may occur more often until it’s there all the time. Pomeranians with severe patella luxation appear to have “bow-legged” back legs.
In grades 2, 3 and 4, surgical intervention usually proves successful.
Patella luxation – Grades Of Severity
Patella luxation has five distinct grades. Pomeranians should have patella’s evaluated yearly as grading can become progressively worse with age.
Grade 0: The patella fits snuggly into the knee joint and no movement is felt on examination by a veterinarian.
Grade 1: The patella is close to being normal. The only way to cause it to become dislocated is for digital pressure to be applied to the knee joint. Kneecap will pop back into place.
Grade 2: When the patella becomes dislocated it will stay that way. Pomeranians that suffer from this problem may have secondary osteoarthritis and joint cartilage problems if the patella is repeatedly being dislocated. Your Pom may carry his back leg for a couple of steps before putting it on the ground and walking normally.
Grade 3: Your dog’s patella is dislocated more often than not. If it’s put back in place, it has the tendency to slip out again repeatedly. Pomeranians who have this level of patella luxation also face a higher risk of the anterior cruciate ligament in the stifle rupturing. Dogs falling into this level often suffer some loss of functionality. There are more “skipping” incidents and he’ll try to avoid jumping up as it can cause pain. The patella can’t always return to its normal position.
Grade 4: Your Pomeranian’s patella is always dislocated. His legs have so much pain that he tries not to use them. He may be unable to straighten the leg and he may have little to no desire to jump or run.
Figure 2 : Above 4 (severe) patella luxation. The kneecap is dislocated out of the groove.
Correct Diet and Exercise may help prevent Patella Luxation.
Pomeranian puppies going through the teething stage who are lacking sufficient calcium in their diet might suddenly start limping or even carrying one leg. Other signs of a diet deficient in calcium include down on pastern, east west front, flopping ears and tails doing funny things. Your Pomeranian’s diet needs to be reassessed. No red meat at all. Feed puppy tinned food and dry PUPPY food and lots of dairy products until 12 months. Do not consider any type of patella surgery until at least 12 months. If your Vet does want to perform patella surgery on a Pomeranian under 12 months of age, serious consideration should be given to changing your Vet.
It’s vital that you feed your Pomeranian a well-balanced, nutritious diet and ensure his weight stays within a healthy range. I personally reccomendAll-Natural Hip & Joint Supplement for Dogs – With Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM, and Organic Turmeric – Supports Healthy Joints in Large & Small Canines – 90 Chewable Treats
Oral joint supplements for dogs may prove beneficial.
Don’t let your Pomeranian jump up and down from furniture, beds or steps and while mild and regular exercise to build muscle may help Pomeranians with lower patella grades, avoid too much exercise.
If the problem is severe and your Pomeranian is in pain, surgery may be the only option.
Pomeranians should be removed from breeding programs if the grading is a 2, 3 or 4.
When Is Patella Repair Surgery An Option For Your Pomeranian?
Most vets generally recommend undergoing surgery if your pet has been diagnosed with a luxating patella.
Personally, I don’t often advise undergoing surgery if your dog has a floating kneecap except if your pet’s quality of life is seriously affected. If your Pomeranian can’t walk or run without feeling pain, that’s when it’s time to think about the surgical options.
If your pet’s patella is a grade 3 or 4, there are two operations to choose from.
One is to make the trochlear wedge deeper. If your pet’s joints are flat, the surgeon will make a deeper V-shaped incision to hold his kneecap in that grove.
The other option is to tighten the joint capsule to ease tension on the ligament or patella capsule.
I recommend analysing ALL other possible non-surgical options that can add stability to your Pom’s knee BEFORE even considering correction of the problem through surgery.
If surgery is the best choice, be aware that there are always potential risks during surgery, especially from infections and anaesthetic. However, the list of risks grows longer because the procedure is carried out on one of your pet’s moving parts that’s also a weight bearing part.
The list of risks include:
Pin problems.
If a pin is inserted into your pet to assist with the task of holding the joint in position. The pin may move and that means more surgery to take it out. At the pin’s site, an abscess (also called a seroma) may be created and either surgery or drainage is needed.
A repair may collapse.
After your beloved pet Pomeranian has undergone surgery, he’s not allowed to jump or run for approx. two months because that’s the length of time needed to fully stabilise your pet’s health once more. It’s nearly impossible to prevent your dog from being physically active so the repair may easily break down during that “restful” period.
Failed surgical procedure.
10% of canines don’t demonstrate any significant improvements after undergoing surgery. They still feel pain and it’s possible for this problem to cause more issues with other joints and bones.
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The subject of teeth will definitely bring out much angst among many Pomeranian exhibitors. It is not uncommon to see a Pomeranian mature into beautiful representatives of the breed only to be kept out of the ring due to lost dentition.
The main reason our Poms lose their teeth is really due to periodontal infection. This is the region of the gums around the tooth that holds everything together. Therefore as the gum infection progresses, the gum recedes, the periodontal ligaments supporting the teeth also loosens and the tooth gets progressively more shaky until it dislodges. When dogs get gum diseases, it seems to deteriorate even faster than in humans, probably due to the fact that they chew relatively harder food and the ligaments are subjected to more stress. Pomeranians as a breed tend to depend more on mouthbreathing and tend to have drier mouths. This also predisposes them to gum and teeth problems as salivary flow and saliva itself has definite cleansing and protective properties as well.
Bacteria related to gum diseases
Many strains of bacteria are found in these diseased gums, some of the chief culprits are strains such as Actinomycetemcomitans, P. Gingivalis etc.
These strains of bacteria are mostly anaerobic, which means that they need to thrive in environments of very low oxygen content. To eliminate these bacteria, one of the most effective way is thus to disrupt these low oxygen environment. A simple illustration of this is tooth brushing, where mechanical movement of the bristles disrupts the stagnant gum pockets.
I will list some of the common methods pom owners used to manage their poms’ teeth. I do not adopt all of them myself but will try to give my opinion on them.
Teeth Brushing
This is one of the most effective way in caring for our dog’s teeth. In brushing, the plaque is removed, giving little substrate for bacteria related to gum diseases to thrive on. However this has to be done on almost daily or two days frequency to be most effective. This is because plaque builds up within a day, hardens in 2 days, after which it will be difficult to remove. This requirement of diligence on the owner’s part often presents some problems, especially for owners or breeders with large number of dogs.
Toothpaste is often used with brushing. The composition of toothpaste varies greatly. In different way most of these components do contribute towards greater effectiveness of brushing. In humans, we know toothpaste in general help us clean teeth up to 30% more effectively. However the owner should still be mindful not to use excessive amounts as the main beneficial component in brushing is still the mechanical removal of plaque..
Oral rinse/ swab
The most effective mouthwash to date for gum diseases would have to be chlorhexidine. It is most effective at 1.5- 2% concentration. However it is often only available at 1% concentration at drugstores. This is because at 2% it is very bitter, stains teeth quickly, and with long term use may affect taste buds on the tongue. I know that my poms hate the taste of it, at even 1%, so it gets doubly difficult to clean their teeth or swab their mouths, even with the most cooperative poms.
Some breeders I know use hydrogen peroxide as a swab. Hydrogen peroxide is a very strong oxidant. It works by oxidising the area, eliminating these anaerobic bacteria. Because of its strong oxidsing characteristics, peroxide is also a teeth whitener. You will probably have found that peroxide can make your pom’s teeth nice and white, but you have to be careful because if there is a cavity in the teeth that you have not noticed, it can enlarge the cavity significantly, to the extent of hurting the pulp. In high concentrations, peroxide can also damage the periodontal ligaments as well as be toxic. If your pom has receded gums and roots of the teeth exposed, they can also be demineralised by the harsh action of peroxide.
Water additives
I have seen a number of water additives at pet stores, which claim to protect gums and teeth and reduce foul odours. Many of these carry active ingredients which are also found in pet toothpaste, namely, bicarbonate, enzymes such as amylases, chlorophyll etc. I have not personally found them effective, probably because my poms do not seem to agree with the taste of water with such additives and seemed to reduce their water intake. While I agree that many of the active ingredients do work from a theoretical perspective, I feel that with such a mode of delivery, ie drinking water, the contact time is too short to allow them to be truly effective. Presence of plaque on the teeth may also impede their action.
Bone chewing
The common knowledge is that chewing on bones help keep their teeth clean. This is because the tough chewing actions breaks up the hardened built up of plaque. It also stimulates saliva flow which is beneficial. I do give my poms bones from time to time but care should be exercised because of the fine teeth that many of our show poms have, which are at risk of fracture with bone chewing. Suitable bones must be selected and they must also be supervised to make sure they do not choke.
I personally do not like to feed raw hide because they soften with chewing and I am concerned that a chunk may come off and cause the pom to choke. Nevertheless I suppose with careful supervision they work fine too. I have found the Nylabone brand of chews quite useful, especially the one with little ribs. However not every of my poms seem to enjoy chewing a piece of rubber as much as they do with a real bone.
Vet visit
Despite all our efforts to upkeep our poms teeth, it is not uncommon to pull back the cheek and notice a fair amount of tartar which have built up on the teeth without our notice. At such occasions it may be necessary for a dental scaling visit at the vets. The poms are often put under general aneasthesia and subjected to manual or ultasonic scaling to remove their tartar. I personally do not fancy the idea of putting poms under general anaesthesia but I do acknowledge that there are many times when such visits are necessary.
It is important to start scaling visits even before the teeth starts to become shaky, This is because once teeth mobility is detected, it is usually hard for the teeth to be firm again, even with subsequent care and elimination of active gum disease.
Vaccines
Pfizer has released a vaccine (for selective dog use only) for gum disease. It does not seem to be available yet at where I am but I will be most keen to know how well it works and what other effects it will have with widespread use.
Scientists have been talking about a parallel for human use for years but there does not seem to have any progress to date. My personal guess is that perhaps too many strains of bacteria are involved to have a truly effective vaccine
Finally I wish everyone success with managing their poms’ teeth. It is a common problem area, but compared to many other problems, eg skin disease, testicles, patellas, it seem to be a more preventable disease with good care.
Thanks to Dr Peter Chow for this informative and very helpful article.
Dr Peter Chow, a Singaporean based Dentist, is also a Pomeranian breeder and exhibitor.
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How to Clean a Pomeranian’s teeth
Probably the most neglected area of our tiny Pomeranians are their teeth. Often this major health concern is not noticed until a dog’s bad breathe alerts an owner to a problem and at this stage your dog will have suffered tooth loss and possibly gum infections.
When should you commence brushing your Pom’s teeth ?
The Pomeranian’s teeth need care and attention from an early age. Paying attention to your Pomeranian puppy’s teeth should start at 3 months of age.
Brushing teeth frequently should protect your Pomeranian against tartar accumulation, tooth decay, tooth loss, and a reduction in jaw bone mass. If tartar is allowed to accumulate, cleaning at your vet’s will be required. Since your Pom will be anesthetized at your vet’s before cleaning their teeth, it is important to make those occasions as infrequent as possible. Pomeranians often do not do well with anaesthesia and have been known to perish from a simple teeth cleaning. This is a task that should not be overlooked as your Puppy’s dental health is just as important as caring for your Pomeranian puppy’s coat, nails or any other necessary maintenance tasks.
Keeping a Pomeranian dog healthy and happy requires a commitment.
Exercising, bathing, brushing take care of external requirements, of equal importance is internal health of which dental care is a very important part.
Diet does play a huge part in general health and dental health of your Pomeranian. Try to analyse the food your Pomeranian eats by reading the breakdown on commercial packets. I try to avoid feeding too much commercial dog food and try to feed a natural as possible diet.
A good product is Newman’s Own Organics Adult Dog Food Formula another one is Natural Balance Dry Dog Food, Ultra Premium Formula, or a visit to the site Doggie Dinners.
I do not like to give my Pomeranians doggie treats, chews pig ears etc as most are processed in China and I worry about the health of my small doggies. It is safer and more beneficial for the health of your Pomeranian to go to your butcher and buy a bone or a chicken frame. It is safe to feed your Pomeranian raw bones and raw chicken frames. If you are concerned about bacteria on raw chicken frames and bones simply freeze the raw meat to kill any bacteria, thraw in your refrigerator and then feed the chicken frame or raw bones. I do spend a few minutes removing any loose fatty pieces from the chicken frame that my Pomeranian could choke on.
If small pieces of food remains in your Pomeranian’s mouth, this will offer bacteria a rich place to develop and cause gum disease and other health problems, including kidney and heart disease in older Pomeranians.
Start young with brushing your puppy’s teeth two or three times a week is sufficient. Never use human toothpaste. There are many products available that will help to keep your Pomeranian’s teeth gleaming white.
Best Toothpaste for Pomeranians
There many doggie toothpastessuitable for Pomeranians available including CET Poultry flavoured Dog Toothpaste.
Use a doggie toothbrush or a very soft child’s toothbrush. A very good brush for a Pom is a Petrodex Toothbrush Dog Dual-Ended Soft Bristle
I use a battery operated human toothbrush on the Dochlaggie Poms.
You will need to examine the Pomeranian puppy’s teeth by gently parting it’s jaws. You could start opening the puppy’s mouth and just rubbing the teeth with you finger. Make this a fun thing and reward puppy with heaps of praise and treat. When your Pomeranian puppy is comfortable with you opening his mouth to see his teeth, you can then follow this simple procedure to brush puppy’s mouth.
- Develop a habit of checking its teeth often; this can be done a few times daily while patting your puppy. Always reward puppy afterwards with praise and treat.
- Next step is to introduce your Pomeranian to a toothbrush in its mouth. Put a tasty treat on the brush like a small piece of cheese, sardine etc. At this stage do not attempt to brush your puppy’s teeth .
- Once your puppy is comfortable introduce doggie toothpaste. Reward puppy with a treat and much praise at the end of this teeth cleaning session.
- While you are taking care of your Pomeranians teeth keep an eye on the progress of your puppy changing teeth. Some Pomeranian puppies can start changing teeth as young as 4 months of age, other Pomeranians may be slower and not change teeth until 7 or 8 months of age.
- Another good product is Proden PlaqueOff Dental Care for Dogs and Cats PlaqueOff effectively fights bad breath, tartar and plaque and is simply added to your Pomeranian’s food.
Smaller Pomeranians are slower to change teeth than their bigger brother and sisters. Often the canine teeth ( the long teeth on either side of the upper and lower jaw ) do not fall out as expected. Retained canine teeth can cause problems and your veterinarian should be contacted for advice. I always advise new Dochlaggie Pomeranian owners to have their Pomeranian puppy’s teeth checked and any retained baby teeth removed at the same time as the puppy is desexed.
When to worry
If your Pomeranian suffers from any of the following; Bad breath, Sores on the tongue or gums, Weak teeth/ broken teeth, Bloody saliva, You should at this point contact your veterinarian for a professional diagnosis and treatment.
The Pomeranian grooming Booklet has full details on how to care for your Pomeranian’s teeth Copyright Denise Leo 1997-2016.All Rights Reserved.
Breeder of Best in Show winning Champion Pomeranians Not to be reproduced in any form without written consent of the author.
Black Skin Disease Pomeranian
Pomeranians and most other Spitz dog breeds are susceptible to a type of hair loss known as Black Skin Disease (BSD). Black Skin Disease is known by many other terms, including Alopecia X, BSD, Coat Funk, Castration Responsive Alopecia, Pseudo-Cushing’s Syndrome, Adrenal Sex Hormone Alopecia, Biopsy Responsive Alopecia, Hair Cycle Arrest. Black Skin Disease / Alopecia X in the Pomeranian refers to symmetrical coat loss and resulting dark pigmentation of his skin in the bald areas.
If your Pom has Black Skin Disease / Alopecia X /BSD he’ll slowly lose his fur and there are different stages:
1. He’ll start having odd patches that look different to the rest of his fur or his coat may appear very dry, dull and dead looking. Usually the first signs of coat loss problems begin with thinning tail coat and areas on the back legs.
2. The patches will get thinner and increase with time.
3. Over time his fur will keep falling out until there are parts with no fur at all and you can only see his skin.
4. It’s known as Black Skin Disease because the dog’s skin, when exposed to air, will discolour and appear black. Alopecia X is another name some people use for this disease. Alopecia X simply means “unexplained loss of fur or hair,” which doesn’t provide the answers that owners seek.
The onset of Black Skin Disease in Pomeranians
Early onset BSD (Alopecia X):
Black Skin Disease/ BSD /Alopecia X Pomeranian
Pomeranian puppies with beautiful, full, fluffy coats as puppies may develop early onset BSD. Pomeranian puppies with these types of coats often lack the harsh guard hairs and feel like “cotton” to touch. These puppies often do not shed puppy coat and go through the ugly stage like the majority of Pomeranian puppies. Coat loss usually occurs at around 14 to 16 months and these cases are referred to as the early onset version of black skin disease.
Late onset Black Skin disease
This usually occurs at around 3 to 4 years of age. Pom owners may at first believe their dog is simply going through a coat change. Instead, however, a dull, dry, thinning coat may be the first indicator of BSD. There’s still a lot of research to be conducted on the topic of Pomeranian Black Skin Disease. However, studies so far have shown that a Pom is usually at least one years old before he shows any signs of this disease. But he can actually be almost any age, from as young as 3 months to as old as being a senior dog in double digit figures. The last stage of BSD is when he has lost most or all of his fur, usually the hair on the dog’s head and legs remain with a few wispy hairs on his body and tail. His skin will be black. A Pom isn’t in pain but care needs to be taken to ensure his condition doesn’t get worse too quickly.
Vital Facts:
1. Poms don’t suffer pain, discomfort or itchiness from BSD / Black Skin Disease / Alopecia X, unlike other skin diseases.
2. You need to cover his exposed skin to guard against the weather and the heat from the sun. A soft sweater will help regulate his body temperature. He’ll burn easily and quickly if he goes out without sunscreen on. Let it sink into his skin for 15 minutes before taking him out.
3.At this stage, there’s no known cure for BSD / Black Skin Disease / Alopecia X. However, you can do things to help your dog. RULE OTHER CAUSES OUT. Even though it’s simple to observe the symptoms of BSD, it’s essential that you eliminate other possible causes.
Black Skin Disease Pomeranian Owners Should Take Their Dog to the Vet to Run These Tests:
• A skin biopsy.
• A blood panel.
• Testing of his thyroid.
• Urinalysis.
• Adrenal hormone tests.
• Thyroid testing
These tests will help your vet eliminate other possible causes including: mange, mites, allergies and other options.
Blue Pomeranians and coat loss.
If your Pom has the blue gene and BSD, it’s called Blue Alopecia. This can also affect lavender dogs because that’s a diluted type of blue. He should still have the tests previously mentioned. Blue Alopecia is different. If his fur is blue, lavender or a mixed range of colors including white, the white bits stay the same and the colored parts of his fur will become thinner, change in texture, point out in different directions or it may completely fall out.
Treating Black Skin Disease
Desex your Pomeranian
One method that isn’t guaranteed to always work, but often does work well, is for your vet to spay or neuter your dog if he should develop BSD. Researchers have said that BSD is connected to an imbalance in the dog’s sex hormone…but this theory is still being studied in greater detail. The most vital point is to never breed a dog who has BSD.
Black Skin Disease / Alopecia X BSD-affected Pomeranians should be removed from any breeding program.
Sterilisation
Alopecia X sometimes resembles a sexual hormone imbalance, hence the label “castration responsive alopecia.” You need to start by spaying female unspayed dogs and neutering intact male dogs. Sterilisation has various health benefits, whether the dog has lost hair or not. A lot of dogs will regain their hair (but that may not be permanent) so this is the first place to begin. It’s wiser than investing in confusing, complicated diagnostics.
Melatonin Treatment
Melatonin can also help sometimes. It’s an oral medication that’s not harmful so why not try it? You can buy melatonin in 30mg tablets at the majority of health food shops or places where vitamins are sold. 30% of dogs will usually show a response within approx. 6-8 weeks. Give your dog this supplement for 2 – 3 months before assessing if it works for him, if his fur starts to grow back and then you keep giving it to him until the rate of hair growth begins to plateau. Then you slowly reduce the dose over a couple of months until you no longer need to use it. Sometimes you can stop using it completely and at other times you may need to use it a second time. But if the fur falls out again after you stop using it, it may mean the melatonin isn’t going to work as well this time around. Melatonin is a supplement, not a prescribed medication. This means the FDA doesn’t maintain the same level of quality as it does for prescriptions. Different brands can contain different amounts of melatonin and some brands are better than others.
Feed your BSD/ Black Skin Disease / Alopecia X Pomeranian Home Cooked Food.
A complete change of diet will often help BSD- affected Pomeranians. Avoid all bought dog food and only feed fresh him nutritious home cooked meals. Supplement this diet with a couple of tablespoons of tinned salmon, two or three times per week. Add Coconut Oil to his meals daily and it may also be used on the exposed skin areas.Bathing your Pomeranian.
Change your Pomeranian’s Bathing Routine.
Washing your Pomeranian as often possible can help improve this condition. Black Skin Disease Pomeranians appear to have dry skin blocking the skin pores. Any shampoo is suitable for this task. Scrub the exposed skin using an exfoliating mitt until they appear a healthy pink color. Ensure your dog is completely dry and then apply oil to affected areas. The bathing regime may possibly take up to 6 months to produce results. Many Pomeranians have successfully regrown full coats following this routine and the use of products advertised on this site.
Dermabrasion and Microdermabrasion.
Another BSD option is dermabrasion and microdermabrasion performed by a specialist Vet.
The Hormone Profile Of The University Of Tennessee
When researching effective therapies for Alopecia X, one possibility to consider is offered by the Tennessee University. It’s is called the “Adrenal Sex Hormone panel.” The experts do this particular test by first taking a baseline blood panel. Then a pituitary hormone (ACTH) is administered. An hour later, a second blood sample is drawn and used as a comparison.
The samples are sent to Tennessee to evaluate various adrenal sex hormones. The results of these tests will demonstrate which hormones react abnormally and the researchers in the university will suggest what therapies may work. Testing is expensive and the wait for the results could take a couple of weeks to come through but they may indicate the next step to take.
Treating an Adrenal Imbalance: Lysodren And Trilostane
Lysodren (also known as mitotane or o, p’-DDD) is usually selected to treat Cushing’s disease, where the adrenal gland produces too much cortisone-type hormones. Lysodren erodes the adrenal gland’s outer layers to control how much cortisone is produced. If the adrenal gland becomes over-eroded, electrolyte imbalances can happen which may become being permanent (although you can treat them). The adrenal gland also creates sex hormones so Lysodren aids Alopecia X as it’s able to prevent the hormones being produced by eroding the section that creates them.
Dogs with Alopecia X don’t have Cushing’s disease or excessive amounts of cortisone. Therefore, if you treat your dog with Lysodren, he may end up with a cortisone deficiency and/or the more serious issue – Addison’s disease, an adrenal gland deficiency. Signs of a reaction to Lysodren may include: diarrhea, vomiting and listlessness. Your dog should have regular blood tests to manage the levels of cortisone while he’s on Lysodren.
Cushing’s disease can also be treated with Trilostane. It’s also handy for Alopecia X if he has adrenal gland hyperplasia. However, it’s critical to remember that this drug can also lead to a dangerously low level of adrenal steroids. It has been shown to help regrow hair in some cases, despite the potential risks.
Growth Hormone
There used to be a time when people believed this would cause a growth hormone deficiency. After all, the only effective way to use it is via an injection. The product is genetically engineered and, although sometimes unavailable commercially, it can be purchased through academic channels. Blood sugars need to be checked regularly as this medication can cause diabetes. If you use a six week course of the therapy, the positive results may last a couple of years.
There are a variety of other medications that can affect the adrenal hormones and there has been mixed results when used to treat Alopecia X. These other choices include: cimetidine, leuprolide, anipryl, prednisone and ketoconazole. Alopecia X is one of those conditions that causes immense frustration now and will continue to do so for many years. Studies continue and eventual progress will be made but it will certainly take a long time.
Deslorelin Implants
A vet hormone called Deslorelin prevents testosterone and estrogen production and vets commonly use it as a timing method for ovulating mares. The product is an implant and has been tested recently as a treatment for Alopecia X. During the first three-month period, three quarters of the male unfettered dogs had regrowth of hair. No such luck for spayed females. In the first full testing year, there weren’t any side effects so it may become a useful treatment for intact male dogs.
Conclusion:
Detailed above are the present Black Skin / Alpoecia X treatment options. Patience is necessary, as the coat wont grown back immediately. As a caring Pom parent each option may necessiate exploring for a time period of 6 to 9 months.
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Oral joint supplements for dogs may prove beneficial.
