Dog With Black Skin Disease
My 7 year old Pom has suffered from hair loss, severe itching and skin blackening for years. We have always been told it is allergies, so we are extremely careful with her food, keeping fleas off of her, ect. I recently had someone mention Black Skin Disease to me and I am wondering if any of you have experience with this? We have our annual vet appointment in a month and I like to go in well informed, as I try to eliminate an unnecessary medications or treatments if there is a natural alternative. Thanks in advance for any assistance.
Mpls., Mn
06/05/2015
Hey Clouse03!
Black Skin Disease [Alopecia X] is a genetic disorder in the Pomeranian breed - many cases are thought to be related to a deficiency in growth hormone.
http://www.pcoc.net/black-skin-disease.htm
BSD symptoms:
- Occurs in adolescence to early adulthood, usually by four years of age, although signs may appear at any time.
- Gradual loss of color and lushness of the coat.
- Gradual and symmetrical loss of outer coat, usually ranging from shoulders to hind legs.
- Increasingly dry, "cottony" undercoat
- Symmetrical baldness
- Hyper-pigmentation (darkening) of the skin
This condition typically does not cause your dog pain, and do not happen over night; they occur very gradually over time.
BSD is often misdiagnosed in Poms, however so other conditions such as malfunctioning thyroid or fungal or yeast infection should be ruled out.
Given the itchy nature of your Pom's skin my first thought would be allergies or a fungal infection. Paying close attention to her diet is the first place to start; consider a rotation protien diet [one month poultry protien, next month fish protien, and so on] and check your food labels to eliminate diets that contain grains as grains have been linked to allergies and systemic yeast infections.
Some other ideas:
Borax in the water for systemic yeast, or olive leaf extract capsules with each meal
Alkalize your dog's drinking water with baking soda
Dips or baths with Ted's Mange remedy to start, followed up with Ted's Anti-fungal/Anti-staph solution in a spritzer bottle for trouble spots
Quercetin - for inflamation, and colostrum - to build immune system, with each meal
Turmeric with each meal for inflamation and anti-microbial properties
Be mindful that during your annual visit the ONLY vaccine required by law is rabies - and this comes in a 3 year dose. Consider discussing with your vet obtaining a rabies waiver - this exception can be granted by your veterinarian for immune compromised animals or seniors. Make sure you get a thorough exam and have the heart checked for murmurs prior to a vaccine of any sort. And do your own research on vaccine efficacy; your dog **may not need any vaccines at all** if she was properly vaccinated as a puppy.
