Update on Abby....

We've gotten a second opinion with another vet whose focus is on skin issues... So many things have been ruled out already - mites, Demodex, Sarcoptic mange, fleas, bacteria, etc. so now we're going to even more rarer causes of hair loss... Abby is getting a bath twice a week now with medicated shampoo in the event it is some kind of fungal thing going on, plus twice a day there are medicated wipes we are using on her... We're running out of reasons for this hair loss that can explain it all medically, but some long-term tests were done and we'll see if any valid results come back... But in the meantime, this is preventative measures more than a known and validated form of treatment...

Abby has been spayed and that didn't set this back any, so it shouldn't be an auto-immune thing... In fact, her hair is starting to grow back in now and she's got peach fuzz across the crown of her brow...

Abby would do best with someone who wants to baby her and have her as only a solo dog... She prefers the company of either humans or older dogs that don't like to play and/or are high energy... I'm sure that bald head hurts without a coat of fur covering it, so I suspect this is why she doesn't care for other puppies or young dogs that like to play... Abby is TINY and from the looks of things, Abby will stay very TINY... An adoptive home with small children is just not a good option for her but otherwise, she should do fine!

Dear Abby...

Dear Abby,

I have this problem. I am very young, but I have lost all the hair on the top of my head due to stress. Do you think I will ever find someone to love me?

Signed,
Lonely in Ventura

This could be this pup's forlorn tale, for although she is not even 4 months old (born on 5/17/09) and just about 3 pounds, Abby has lost all the hair on top of her head... Numerous blood panels and other tests run show no physical reason for this loss of hair...

Pulled from a local shelter, I don't think I've ever seen a more filthy dirty dog before... In the first bath, the water was opaque (seriously!), second bath was better and the third was a normal bath water when we were done!... Even our vet is at a loss to explain how she's lost the hair on top of her except for stress, but it makes you wonder what she's gone through in such a short amount of time to have had this effect on her!

Her appearance didn't seem to stop Nacho from playing a 'kissin cousin' with her... But I'm not so sure that her tongue sticking out at the end was a comment about the secret they shared or not!