What Is Black Skin Disease in Dogs?

Black skin disease in dogs is characterized by hair loss, or alopecia, along with skin darkening, or hyper-pigmentation. The condition can be distressing to the owner but is not life-threatening and does not cause significant health problems. Black skin disease mainly affects the dog's comfort because of dryness and itching, and the lack of fur in large areas can make the dog cold.

  1. Affected Breeds

    • Black skin disease is most common in Pomeranians. Called Alopecia X because many more males than females develop the disorder, which suggests that black skin disease is connected to the X chromosome. Additional breeds likely to develop this disorder include the Alaskan malamute, American water spaniel, chow chow, dachshund, keeshond, poodle and Samoyed.

    Characteristics

    • Hair loss in black skin disease usually begins at the neck then spreads down the body to the end of the tail, not affecting the head and front legs. Puppies may grow a first coat that breaks off rather than sheds then falls out. Sometimes dark skin from increased pigmentation develops on the hairless areas.

    Treatment

    • Growth hormones can effectively treat black skin disease in dogs that have growth hormone imbalances. Drugs that alter the production of the hormone cortisol also can effectively treat the condition. These drugs are usually prescribed to treat Cushing's disease, and Alopecia X is sometimes called pseudo-Cushing's. Spaying females and neutering males sometimes leads to the hair regrowth. Occasionally, the hair grows back with no treatment.

    Age Considerations

    • The disorder usually affects dogs between 1 and 5 years old, and often puppies as well, but it can occur at any age. In older Pomeranians who develop black skin disease, the occurrence is sometimes linked to reduced levels of enzymes associated with reproductive hormones.

    Research

    • The American Pomeranian Club, the Pomeranian Club of Canada and the Pomeranian Charitable Trust have pooled financial resources for scientists to identify a genetic marker for black skin disease, in order to eventually eliminate the disorder from this breed. Other researchers are investigating causes and treatments; the University of Tennessee School of Veterinary Medicine, for instance, worked with an estrogen receptor antagonist as a potential treatment, but it was not effective.