What is seasonal flank alopecia?
Seasonal flank alopecia is a skin condition in which dogs lose hair from the flanks seasonally, usually in winter, and without any other skin involvement.
Seasonal flank alopecia is also known as cyclic flank alopecia or recurrent flank alopecia.
Hair loss usually begins in a dog's early adulthood, at the average age of 3.8 years and can continue for the rest of his life.
What causes seasonal flank alopecia?
This condition is still relatively poorly understood and no cause has yet been identified with precision.
A genetic predisposition is nevertheless possible because cases have been reported in dogs that belonged to the same family. Certain dog breeds such as Boxer, Airedale Terrier, English Bulldog, French Bulldog and Schnauzer are also more commonly affected.
The implication of the photoperiod (modification of the modification of the length of the days according to the seasons) is also studied taking into account that alopecia occurs more frequently in winter in the northern hemisphere, in summer in the southern hemisphere and much more rarely in all countries that are close to the equator.
What are the symptoms of seasonal flank alopecia?
Dogs with seasonal flank alopecia shed hair, usually in the hollow of the flanks, just in front of the hind limbs and symmetrically (on both sides of the abdomen).Alopecia occurs in well-defined areas and takes the form of a geographical map. It happens, in some dogs, that the alopecia is not localized on the flanks.
In general, hair loss occurs in winter and hair begins to grow back spontaneously the following spring. We can observe the regrowth, the appearance of a coat of a different color, generally darker than the original color and the appearance of welts on the coat.
Apart from hair loss, the dog's skin shows no signs of skin inflammation. In some cases, hyperpigmentation of the affected areas can be observed.
Recurrent alopecia on the flanks is therefore seasonal and the affected dog may therefore present with alopecia that returns each year. In some cases, dogs experience only one episode of alopecia while in others the alopecia is permanent (the hair no longer grows back).
How can a veterinarian diagnose the disease?
Seasonal flank alopecia can only be diagnosed on the basis of the clinical signs presented by the dog. Your veterinarian will suspect this entity when your dog loses hair in well-defined areas and if he belongs to a breed predisposed to the condition.
Definitive diagnosis of seasonal flank alopecia, however, requires your veterinarian to rule out other possible causes of alopecia. To do this, he will be able to carry out additional examinations such as blood tests to eliminate, in particular, hormonal diseases that can cause similar symptoms.
A skin biopsy followed by a histopathological examination can also be performed to confirm the diagnosis. To do this, the veterinarian will take a small sample of your pet's skin (usually under sedation and local anesthesia) to send it to a laboratory which will process it and examine it under a microscope.It is the presence of characteristic abnormalities of the hair follicles that can then confirm the diagnosis.
How is seasonal flank alopecia treated?
Seasonal flank alopecia does not cause any discomfort in your pet and does not affect its survival. It only has aesthetic consequences so that no treatment is really necessary.
However, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of future episodes of hair loss by administering melatonin to the animal. This molecule can be administered orally or via subcutaneous implants.