Color Dilution Alopecia in Dogs

Category: Skin & Connective Tissue
Inheritance: Autosomal recessive
Breeds documented: 2
Published sources: 3

Overview

Some dogs with a blue or fawn coat gradually lose hair in those lighter-colored areas. In color dilution alopecia, unusually large pigment clumps are thought to weaken the hairs, making them break. The skin may also become flaky or develop repeated infections in hair follicles, the small pockets where hairs grow. Having a diluted coat does not mean a dog will develop this condition.

Signs to watch for

Thinning hair limited to blue or fawn areas
Flakes or blackheads on bare patches
Small red bumps from recurring skin infections

Signs begin in young dogs, after an initially normal coat.

When to get help Book a vet visit when thinning patches develop redness or bumps.

Diagnosis and tests

Vets consider the coat color, where hair is being lost and when the changes began. Microscopic examination of hairs can reveal large pigment clumps and damaged shafts. A skin biopsy, a small tissue sample, may show similar changes in the follicles. Other causes, including mites, fungal infections and thyroid disease, need consideration.

Breeds with documented risk

2 breeds

By breed size

2 Medium

Lacy DogMedium
DreverMedium · Foundation Stock Service

Inheritance

Autosomal recessive
A dog is affected only if it inherits two copies of the gene variant, one from each parent. A dog with one copy is a carrier: usually healthy, but able to pass the variant on. When two carriers are bred, on average one puppy in four is affected. A DNA test can tell clear, carrier and at-risk dogs apart.
As stated by University of Minnesota, Small and Large Animal Dermatology Handbook, Vol. 2

We've gathered what published sources say about this condition, so you can talk it through with your vet. It isn't veterinary advice: you and your vet know your dog best.