Dog’s alopecia puzzling

By: Dr. Michael Fox, INFORUM
.................Dear L.A.: This kind of alopecia can be difficult to rectify once the hair follicles cease to function normally. Your dog’s condition could be aggravated by lack of exposure to sunlight outdoors, which can lead to seasonal alopecia in some dogs. You could set up a full-spectrum grow light or Vita-Lite by which the dog sleeps during the winter months may help.

Your pet’s diet (dry food) is lacking in essential fatty acids, so I would give your dog a teaspoon of cod-liver oil, flax or coconut oil daily with food and the same amount of brewer’s yeast. A good-quality multimineral and multivitamin supplement like Pfizer’s Pet Tabs or other beneficial supplements listed at my Web site (www.twobitdog.com/DrFox) may also help.

I would take her off any “stress” medication and have her checked again for Cushing’s disease. I would advise against giving her any more vaccinations. They may be responsible for some forms of thyroid disease in dogs; high fluoride levels in certain pet foods and fluoridated drinking water also playing a role. For details, visit my Web site.