Q.I have a nine-month-old long-haired blue piebald dachshund who began to show signs of hair loss on her tail, back, and the back of her head. She has color dilution alopecia. Everything I have read states there is no cure. A dermatologist recommended giving her three milligrams of melatonin twice a day but said that she has a 50% chance of losing all her blue hair (she is blue and white but about 60% to 70% blue). Is there anything else you can suggest?

 

A.This is probably the closest thing we have in veterinary medicine that resembles typical male pattern baldness syndrome in men. This condition has been genetically engineered and created. Since melatonin does affect pigment, it is a wise choice. I would also recommend the homeopathic Hair and Skin by Heel’s BHI line, a good fish oil EFA supplement, and you could try Dermatrophin by Standard Process Labs. Although this is a genetic condition, I truly believe that even a genetically based disease, or at least the clinical symptoms, can be reversed to varying degrees.