Pomeranian losing outer fur, undercoat thick. Is it Alopecia X?

The only way to know if this is truly alopecia X is to either do a skin biopsy or to do a short trial of melatonin to see if he grows the hair back while on treatment. However, alopecia X typically only affects adult dogs age 1-10, so it isn't my first suspicion. I would rule out Demodexx mites and allergies (especially if the skin is red or crusty) first with a skin scrape and response to allergy medication. I hope you get to the bottom of Dudu's hair loss. Take care.

If she has fleas, this is most likely the reason for the hair loss - she is probably biting at / scratching at the affected areas causing the loss. There are a large variety of flea preventives / treatments available, coming in the form of oral medications, topical formulations, or collars. Because there is such a large variety of products, some of which work better than others depending upon your geographic location, your best bet would be to ask other dog owners / vets in the area which products have resulted in the best experiences. I won't pretend to know which is best in southeast Asia since I live in the United States. If fleas are the not the reason for the hair loss, certain auto immune conditions, allergies, or endocrine conditions could also be possible causes. Lastly, the Pom is one of the breeds known to suffer from a condition known as Alopecia X. It is characterized by progressive hair loss without itchiness, leaving behind dark skin in place of the hair. Before you consider any of the latter, get rid of the fleas and see what kind of a difference it makes. Hope this helps.

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is a variety of reasons that can explain alopecia or hair loss. The causes can easily be differentiated by the clinical signs associated with it and the physical exam findings. If Cookie is only showing some hair loss without scratching or overgrooming then it could conditions such as alopecia areata that can affect dogs and cats and usually resolves on its own. If there is evidence of scratching and you start noticing some redness or irritation associated with it, then other conditions such as allergies are possible. If you notice her overgrooming herself in that area then it could be something like psychogenic alopecia which is more of a behavioral issue. I think that since she is not having overt clinical signs and it is mostly hair loss, I think it is possibly transient and could resolve on its own. You can monitor this closely and if it does not resolve or it worsens then have her examined by your veterinarian. Good luck!

This website can offer you mmore information on why your pomeranian has a poor coat https://pomeranian.org/coat-loss/ Your vet was not wrong to suggest neutering, as there is a condition in poms that causes the poor hair coat that is releived by neutering. I suggest returning to your vet and investigating further into your dog's skin condition. If you don't feel your vet is willing or able to provide your pet with the proper care, ask for a referral or get copies of your records and go to another one, prefferably a vetrinary dermatologist. They are specially trained to treat pet skin problems and have aaccess to w ider range of diagnostic tools than the average veterinarian.

I am sorry to hear about Norik! We can see shedding at certain times of year, especially when the seasons are changing, however we would not expect a bald patch of skin as a result of this normal shedding. If Norik has a bald spot we would worry about things such as a hot spot forming (a bacterial infection of the skin), a fungal infection such as ringworm, ectoparasites, or other disorder. I would recommend Norik have an exam by his vet to check the patch of bald skin so we can figure out why he is losing this hair and treat appropriately!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Cortisone can help if for example this is due to allergies and it is causing him to be itchy. This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are medications such as Apoquel or prednisone which may help with the itch. 

 There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. 

Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). 

If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests.

 Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!


Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing him allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed.  

There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. 

Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). 

If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests.

 Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!