Hair loss question

[puppy love]

My Cairn has lost a patch of hair on his tail about 1/2 way the tail. It is a streak about 1 1/2 inches long. I had noticed that this patch has been thin for about 2-3 months, but figured with the way my boys rough play that someone was pulling his tail and pulling the hair out. Now the patch is completely bald! It is nice clear skin, no redness or irritation at all. He is not bothered by it- no chewing or licking at it. I am perplexed! Anyone have any ideas? He has no other patches of thinning hair, no skin problems at all and is perfectly healthy & flea free.

Ideas??

[SharPeiMom]

On any medications? One of my SharPei has a long bald strip on her tail while she's on steroids and as soon as she's off it grows back. Not itchy or anything just bald.

[PAWS]

The area you describe sounds like where the oil gland is. I notice the hair is usually coarser and more sparse in that area on many dogs. I have not guess as to what is causing it, unless it is clogged/irritated and he has been chewing or licking it thus damaging the hair. Are there any other areas of the body that are affected?

[puppy love]

On any medications? One of my SharPei has a long bald strip on her tail while she's on steroids and as soon as she's off it grows back. Not itchy or anything just bald.

Nope, no meds at all except for his daily vitamin and he has been on that for a very long time. No new shampoo, no new food, no new cleaning products, no environmental changes. I have no idea short of having his vet come and do a skin test, which since there is no irritation or itching I kind of hate to do. If it bothered him in any way, I would not hesitate to have him checked out, but it appears to be more of a cosmetic thing. I just dont know why he has a bald spot...

[keyray]

Could it be thyroid? When one of my Cairn's developed a hypo-thyroid the first place he lost his hair was on his tail.

[Doubledogdare]

Am I the only one out there who has frequently noticed bald patched like that on the tails of Cairns, Scotties and Westies?

[puppy love]

Could it be thyroid? When one of my Cairn's developed a hypo-thyroid the first place he lost his hair was on his tail.

Did your Cairn have any other symptoms with the hypo thyroid problem like weight loss/gain? Taz' weight has remained the same for the past 2-3 years. No changes in appetite or food consumption either. Is that something that would show up in a blood profile? He had a blood profile done this past August prior to sedation to have his teeth cleaned and all levels were normal at that time.

[windywaycavaliers]

Could just be "stud tail", which is an area on the surface of the tail that excretes oils and pheromones for scent signatures. Sometimes the hair follicles will become clogged and pocketed and the hair is almost always thin, harsh and a different color on the dogs that have it. It can be on females, too. Always just double check with your Vet to be sure.

[keyray]

Did your Cairn have any other symptoms with the hypo thyroid problem like weight loss/gain?

Not to begin with. I called him a little hippopotamus because he skin thickened and got black, he gained weight and lost most of his hair. Even after we got his thyroid in check he didn't grow back his hair.

[Candee]

Could just be "stud tail", which is an area on the tail that excretes oils and pheromones for scent signatures. Sometimes the hair follicles will become clogged and pocketed and the hair is almost always thin, harsh and a different color on the dogs that have it. It can be on females, too. Always just double check with your Vet to be sure.

This is what I was going to suggest - I see it often in cairns and westy's and Scotties.

[Helly]

Did your Cairn have any other symptoms with the hypo thyroid problem like weight loss/gain? Taz' weight has remained the same for the past 2-3 years. No changes in appetite or food consumption either. Is that something that would show up in a blood profile? He had a blood profile done this past August prior to sedation to have his teeth cleaned and all levels were normal at that time.

Borderline thyroid issues often start with marginal hair loss. It's usually the tail, then the tips of the ears, then the feet. They may or may not exhibit other symptoms such as weight gain, lethargy, dry skin & coat. Sometimes they actually lose weight, rather than gain it.

No, thyroid levels won't show up in a general blood profile. The tests are specific T3/T4 tests. And they aren't always conclusive because while they show if the levels are within the range considered normal, they don't show what is normal for the individual animal. A dog with a low normal can still be hypothyroid.

But, considering where you noticed the hair loss, I'd suspect it's stud tail. I probably wouldn't rush right out and get a vet's opinion on it, though. Personally, I'd just watch it for changes, and the next time I had my dog to the vet for some other reason, I'd point it out and ask for an opinion. But that's just me, LOL. You have to follow your own instincts about having it vet checked.

[puppy love]

OK, so educate me on stud tail. Is there anything I can do to encourage the hair to grow back on the area that is bald? Will the bald area grow bigger?

Thanks so much for all your suggestions!

[PAWS]

Well I suppose it won't hurt to try some sugar scrub on the area to exfoliate! Harmless and worth a try : )