# Old dog alopecia...maybe?



## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

So - sporadically (this isn't new, but at 14, this has not been a lifelong thing either - it's started when he was older, clearly I don't keep good records, but in the last year or so I think), Neb has had a bald spot on his wrist I guess it is. It hasn't looked red, and gets better. He bites his dew claws (does he ever! I haven't trimmed those darned things in...years) and even though it's not at the dew claw area I always just thought it was general rubbing from when he did that or something. Never seems to bother him at all.

He has it again, and the skin looks pink this time. 

He has an appointment tomorrow at the vet to have it looked at. He's not biting/licking, because he is a good boy, but I don't like how it looks. 

To me, it does not look like ringworm, mange etc. He is on bravecto and gets heartgard, if that's at all relevant. Fed acana (various flavours; for years - we recently tried another food, don't remember the name, Agis refused to eat it and Xerxes had the most incredible gas so we didn't even finish the bag) and he gets fish oil daily.

Both Agis and Xerxes and the cats are free from bald spots etc and I don't see any sign of fleas or what have you on any of them. I don't think this is a transmissible thing. I hope not. 

I was going to put like coconut oil or something on it, but he'll lick it then and without knowing what it is I don't want to. 

A few years ago - when he was 11ish I suppose - his thyroid was borderline hypo, but retesting showed it as normal, and I am pretty sure it's stayed that way. I can't remember if it was tested in May, but I'll try to find the bloodwork. 

I will say that despite fish oil, his coat is not as luxurious as when he was younger. But then - he's 14 - is that normal? Luc lived to 15.5 but I don't remember coat changes. 

I hope our big guy is okay...do dogs just go bald?


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

Found his bloodwork (May 26) and thyroid wasn't tested - didn't see any other hormones tested either.


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## Zeppy (Aug 1, 2021)

Jarn, our rottie went near bald, it was her thyroid. Hair grew back with the meds (that she now takes 2x daily for life) but she has developed white spots. We tell her she’s evolving into a Dalmatian. Lol


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Have them run a full thyroid panel, not just T4. You get back a lot more information to properly diagnose -- T4 alone can lead to false comfort that everything is okay when it's not.


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

Thanks @Zeppy and @Magwart - I have to say, I'm leaning thyroid too. Luc was hypothyroid, but he just gained 3lbs and I thought he was looking chonky, we got him tested, and sure enough... 

That's a good call about running the full panel though, thanks. 

I sure hope this is all it is. Thyroid is pretty easy to treat (based on experience with Luc, anyways) and the meds aren't expensive either. 

Toby is all grumpy at the cost (we just got over, kind of, the income loss from me being sick for 10 weeks, he's paying back CERB (we'd thought he was overpaid at the time and set money aside, contacted them a bunch of times to say 'He got too much, how do we pay it back' and kept getting told 'no no he got paid the right amount'. One tax season came and went, 2021 was done, when I got sick, we thought, 'okay, I guess it is okay to spend it' and literally a month later got a 'you owe us $2k' ARGH...at least it's interest free), and Toby had a root canal fail (tooth pulled yesterday) and he'll need an implant (especially given the location) and while we have dental coverage through work we still need to save up for the upfront and we won't get it all back I don't think. It never rains it pours. Yeesh.


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

Since I'm working at home today, took a pic of his wrist (I think; dog leg anatomy weirds me out) and you can see the bald patch.


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

Just bumping - our vet had emergency surgery yesterday so he goes in today. I’m busy fretting - does this look like anything? I’m trying not to freak out, I sent them that pic and they said yes he should be seen. Poor boober


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

So! Good news! (I guess?) It's definitely Neb pulling the fur out. We've now seen him do it. Silly boober!

His skin itself looks great, his fur (where he has it) is great...she sees no signs of anything that even inclines her to look at a hormonal cause. His range of motion is good. 

But she believes it's inflammation that's giving him discomfort and so he's worrying at his wrist. She said it could be a habit that formed from something earlier, but we both think ongoing arthritis is the likeliest cause. He stumbles on his front legs sometimes (Toby usually has him so I wasn't really aware of that), has trouble going down (but not up!) stairs (we live on the 3rd floor), and we do know he has arthritis. 

I asked whether x-rays were worthwhile and she said, honestly, some dogs with good x-rays have bad symptoms, and some dogs with terrible x-rays do well, not sure she'd bother. Which fair enough, I've heard similar about hip dysplasia too. 

Until the fur grows back, he's to wear the cone of shame when we can't supervise (at night/when not at home). Doubling his fish oil. Unfortunately he cannot tolerate NSAIDs and cartrophen (which helps the joint sorta regenerate, not carprofen) doesn't do much for him, we'd already trialled that. 

But, she was very happy with how he looks, his coat is great (to me, it's not as nice as it was, but apparently it'd be nice in a younger dog too - I guess it is soft after all), all in all, for 14, she raved. Even humoured my assertion he would live to 20 haha...only 5.75 years to go!

Oh! And, he's gained 2.1lbs, which for most older dogs would be bad, but he was getting quite skinny, so everyone is happy with that, even me (I am often accused by Toby of keeping the dogs too thin - even the vets sometimes are, about whatever dog, 'needs to eat a sammich'. Neb's good weight that everyone agrees on is around 38-40lbs (I'm Team 38lbs, Toby and the vets Team 40lbs) but he'd gotten down to 36lbs and was quite skinny).

The emergency surgery that caused the vet to reschedule us was for a (small!!!!!) dog that had been fed a corn cob. Yikes!


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Shadow seems to do the same thing, except she chews until it's a wound so I need to monitor her constantly. And I get most of the same comments about keeping her too thin and had the same issue with she suddenly did get too thin. 
Her vet in North Bay looked at me and said "I don't care if it's a McDonalds burger! If she will eat it, feed it to her!"
And had much the same issue with Gov. overpayment, except mine was EI. I said I got too much, they said no you are good. A year later, after money was spent, oh btw we screwed up and now we want it back.
Hope Neb makes it to 20!


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

Sabis mom said:


> Shadow seems to do the same thing, except she chews until it's a wound so I need to monitor her constantly. And I get most of the same comments about keeping her too thin and had the same issue with she suddenly did get too thin.
> Her vet in North Bay looked at me and said "I don't care if it's a McDonalds burger! If she will eat it, feed it to her!"
> And had much the same issue with Gov. overpayment, except mine was EI. I said I got too much, they said no you are good. A year later, after money was spent, oh btw we screwed up and now we want it back.
> Hope Neb makes it to 20!


Neb and Shadow must be secret twinsies or something! A lot of the stuff you say about her I relate to. Except Neb has a decent appetite - we were playing around with different foods and I'm not 100% sure why it happened, we try to feed based on calories (have a scale). Well, he's doing better now.

Yeah, the gov't - I mean, nice you have these programs (it is!) but get it together. 

I hope Neb makes it to 20 too! Well, right now he's barking at me (I'M eating breakfast - he already has) and wagging his tail).


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