# How to help hair grow back?



## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

A few months ago Kennedy chewed off two dime sized spots of hair on his back upper leg. When he is fluffy, it makes it look like there are two divets. It is bare in those two spots- no hair at all! I am assuming he chewed it off, although I never saw him do it. He never has mats, so it cannot be from that. I brush him daily with a soft pin brush and comb him sometimes as well. Any idea 1. where is this from, chewing? 
2. How can I help those spots grow back? 

He currently eats Nature's Variety raw food. I still have supplements but have stopped using them (Solid Gold sea meal).

I am going to attempt putting him in a continental this Friday, so the spots will be shaved off anyway, but I am concerned that hair is not growing back in those two spots.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Has he gotten any vaccinations in those areas recently? The hair loss could be a vaccine reaction. 

Here are a couple of pictures of Branna when she had a rabies vaccine reaction. One of the symptoms was hair loss at the injection site. 







She had to be shaved completely with a 15 blade and in some areas a surgical 40 blade, to find areas where the vaccine caused lesions on her skin. This is after she was recovering for a month or so and her hair started growing back. 










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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

He hasn't been vaccinated but he was sick once and he did have bloodwork done. I can't recall where they did the bloodwork exactly, but could that be the cause?


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Oh and the hair loss spread quite a bit, but then started slowly coming back months and months after. Branna had an extreme delayed reaction though. I don't think there is anything you can do to get the hair to grow back if it is a vaccine reaction, it just has to happen on its own. In some cases it will never grow back. My cousins Boxer is still bald in that area and her vaccine was given 5 years ago. 


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Hmmmm I don't think they would draw blood in that area, so probably not. Do you have any pictures of the area? 


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

What a shame! Veterinarians really should let pet owners know these risks before vaccinating. Maybe it is from previous vaccinations, I believe the previous owner had him updated before I rescued him from her.


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

I have many pictures of him but none are showing the spots. I'll have to take some tomorrow and post them here.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

They really should. I know when you get vaccines done at some vets they have you sign a release that states the reactions they can have and that they are not responsible if the dog does have a reaction. But they should actually speak to you about instead of assuming you will read it. Luckily the vet I took Branna to didn't have me sign a release so her after care and diagnostics were free. Well after a lot of nagging and legal talk on my part,lol. 
To me it does sound like a vaccine reaction but without a visual it's hard to say. It could also be a reaction to anything that might have been injected when he was sick. A lot of time vets will administer injectable antibiotics or various other drugs. Next time he is due for a vaccine tell the vet and ask if that's what it could be. And keep a close eye on the area after the vaccine just incase. 


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

Here are a few pictures of the spots. I won't be getting him vaccinated for rabies or anything like that again.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

How can you make that decision as it is required by law?


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Jamie Hein said:


> Here are a few pictures of the spots. I won't be getting him vaccinated for rabies or anything like that again.



It's hard to tell what it could be from. I wouldn't not not get him vaccinated I would just tell the vet about your concern and see if he can administer the vaccine in a more conspicuous place like inside the leg also he can give a little bit less of a dose. A little bit of hair loss is nothing compared to the disease that the vaccine prevents plus like was mentioned above Rabies is required by law. Now if he does get the vaccine and has a bad reaction your vet should right a note in the chart and give you a letter to file for an exemption so you don't have to get the rabies again.
I know with when Branna she had her puppy vaccine and got a mass the size if a golf ball, so I knew the next time she needed it there was a very high possibility if her having a reaction again and so did the vet. He let me decide if I wanted to have it done but said "you know you really don't have a choice because it has to be done by law." So I did and now I have to file for an exemption, but now I am sure it will be accepted where as before it would have been denied. It is a sucky thing to have to do but I try to support things like the Rabies Challenge Fund, and pray that they will eventually change the laws. 


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

Kennedy rarely goes outside in public areas. I groom him in my house. I do not even take him to the vet unless there is a specific problem. There are many many people who choose not to vaccinate since it has been proven to cause cancer at the vaccination site (which is why they usually choose a different area each time). Pets are very over vaccinated. The vet industry just seems to want to make an extra buck. But I have no problem with those who choose to vaccinate their pets, I just choose not to, and so do many other pet owners on the raw feeding group I belong to.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

I totally agree with you on not vaccinating. I just wish that I could do it that way. Unfortunately I have a very strict city and they go door to door ticketing people who don't have license tags on their dogs (which is their way if in forcing the rabies vaccine law) they even threatened to take my dogs. I also take my dogs to parks and dog parks and occasionally put them in daycare so I have to stay updated on the other vaccines. I don't give them annually though I follow Dr Dodds vaccine protocol. 


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

Wow, that is shocking! I am so glad that it is nothing like that where I live. The only places that check for rabies certification are grooming shops and training classes from what I know. Where I work we have to see paperwork to groom the dogs although there are two that are exempt because of health problems. If the person doesn't have the vaccine we just turn them away, no phone calls are made or anything serious.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Jamie Hein said:


> Wow, that is shocking! I am so glad that it is nothing like that where I live. The only places that check for rabies certification are grooming shops and training classes from what I know. Where I work we have to see paperwork to groom the dogs although there are two that are exempt because of health problems. If the person doesn't have the vaccine we just turn them away, no phone calls are made or anything serious.


Ya it really sucks in this city, especially when you see an animal control truck going down your street it makes your heat jump a bit, but then you realize you are doing everything legal so you are fine. I am so glad I don't have to take Branna anywhere to be groomed, I don't know if I could even get a grooming shop to accept her without the rabies shot. I don't think she will be able to go to daycare either when her vaccine expires in 2015. At petsmart we were allowed to call the veterinarian or another petsmart to get verification of the rabies and would accept them then, but we also had the Satisfaction Guarantee so we would kind of had to, to make sure the customer was happy the only time we would send them away is if there was no way to verify they had the vaccine. We would still get in trouble though if the customer complained because it was our fault no matter what, the customer is always right. 


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Molly has two 'bald' spots too! Rabies shots are always given in the right thigh muscle so reactions can be traced to rabies vacs! That is what I was told anyway.....
When Molly got her 1st rabies vac she was 5 months old and the spot did not appear until weeks later so I didn't connect it to her rabies shot, I just thought she got bit by something and chewed it because the hair eventually grew back.....but when she got her 2nd rabies shot this year the spot reappeared along with another one right above it and that's when I connected the bald spots to her getting a rabies vac! It's been almost three months since her rabies shot and at this time the bald spots are still there! Hoping against hope the hair will eventually grow back! In 3yrs she'll be due again, but I will ask that it be done on the inside of her leg!!!!
I took a picture of it a week after the vac..(5/28/13):Cry:

P.S. only her rabies reacted, I give other vacs myself SQ in back of neck and she has no reaction to her DHPP
NO lepto as it is not needed here!


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

MollyMuiMa said:


> Molly has two 'bald' spots too! Rabies shots are always given in the right thigh muscle so reactions can be traced to rabies vacs! That is what I was told anyway.....
> When Molly got her 1st rabies vac she was 5 months old and the spot did not appear until weeks later so I didn't connect it to her rabies shot, I just thought she got bit by something and chewed it because the hair eventually grew back.....but when she got her 2nd rabies shot this year the spot reappeared along with another one right above it and that's when I connected the bald spots to her getting a rabies vac! It's been almost three months since her rabies shot and at this time the bald spots are still there! Hoping against hope the hair will eventually grow back! In 3yrs she'll be due again, but I will ask that it be done on the inside of her leg!!!!
> I took a picture of it a week after the vac..(5/28/13):Cry:
> 
> ...


That looks similar to Kennedy's spots. Maybe it is from the rabies vaccine. He was vaccinated before I rescued him I think, which was last year.


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## NorthJerseyGirrl (Aug 15, 2011)

You could try giving him melatonin - a version without any vitamins added. My veterinary dermatologist prescribed 3 mg per day for hair loss. It worked well with no side effects. (She said to give less if it made him sleepy, but it didn't.) After a while, we took him down to 1 mg and now he is off it altogether. Apparently the hair is still growing although I will not declare victory for another couple of weeks. Anyway, we started seeing results from the melatonin within a week or two. It may be worth a try.


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

NorthJerseyGirrl said:


> You could try giving him melatonin - a version without any vitamins added. My veterinary dermatologist prescribed 3 mg per day for hair loss. It worked well with no side effects. (She said to give less if it made him sleepy, but it didn't.) After a while, we took him down to 1 mg and now he is off it altogether. Apparently the hair is still growing although I will not declare victory for another couple of weeks. Anyway, we started seeing results from the melatonin within a week or two. It may be worth a try.


I have 3mg timed release melatonin source naturals brand. It has 31 mg calcium per tab also... wonder if this would be alright? Kennedy weighs about 6 pounds.


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## NorthJerseyGirrl (Aug 15, 2011)

I don't know, but as my vet specified no added vitamins (I believe she mentioned the B vitamins) maybe it would be well to look for a more basic version?

The one I used does, however, include dicalcium phosphate and vegetable cellulose in unspecified amounts as well as silica and vegetable magnesium stearate. What can I say? It worked. 

My boy weighs 7 lbs -- pretty close.


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

Thanks! I will look into the idea, maybe ask my vet since Kennedy has a heart problem.


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## NorthJerseyGirrl (Aug 15, 2011)

FWIW, this is my veterinary dermatologist. I love her!!!
AERA | Specialties - Dermatology


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Here is an interesting article on melatonin therapy for canine alopecia. 

http://franklintnvet.com/melatonin-therapy-for-canine-alopecia/

And another that is a bit longer and more in depth. 

http://www.kipridge.com/krb-melatonin.pdf

They are both quite interesting. Thanks for the tip about using it. I will have to keep it in mind. I hope it helps for Kennedy if you decide to use it. 


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

poodlecrazy#1 said:


> Here is an interesting article on melatonin therapy for canine alopecia.
> 
> Melatonin Therapy for Canine Alopecia (Hair Loss in Dogs) - Nashville
> 
> ...


Great articles! Thank you! I am thinking I will try half of the 3 mg. pills I have and see if he gets sleepy or weird. If he doesn't, then I will start giving him half daily and see if there is any improvement.


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## ItzaClip (Dec 1, 2010)

Something that really helps with hair growth from the outside is epi-pet shampoo and skin spray. Brush area daily to stimulate follicle. Also eqyss megatek conditioner (apply to spot) .

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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

ItzaClip said:


> Something that really helps with hair growth from the outside is epi-pet shampoo and skin spray. Brush area daily to stimulate follicle. Also eqyss megatek conditioner (apply to spot) .
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I'll look into that. Right now I've been using espree tar & sulfa medicated shampoo and espree mud bath conditioner when I bathe him. I brush him a few times daily with a pin brush.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Your welcome, I thought the were very interesting. Let me know how it goes, I am quite interested to see how it works.  
Oh by the way I LOVE Espree's mud bath! I love the smell and how great it conditions the coat and skin. I need to get more of it. 


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

Poodlecrazy:
I know it smells sooo good! I admit I have put it on my own hair. It was nice. Their hot oil treatment is nice too haha, but I haven't used it on Kennedy since I think it might weigh down his coat.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Jamie Hein said:


> Poodlecrazy:
> I know it smells sooo good! I admit I have put it on my own hair. It was nice. Their hot oil treatment is nice too haha, but I haven't used it on Kennedy since I think it might weigh down his coat.


Omg! I am glad I'm not the only one that has used it in my own hair! I thought it was nice too. Left my hair super soft. I have the hot oil treatment too but have only used it for Winters ears and Brannas top knot when they kept matting. It helped a lot with the matts. Other than that I can't see using it all over, it's such a tiny bottle and how are you supposed to get it massaged into the entire body without using a lot?I guess I'm to used to concentrated shampoo and conditioner. But it's good for stubborn areas. Who knows I might try it on my hair next, it needs something it is so dry, lol. 


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

Our salon has the gallons so I can use a lot of it when the person pays for the treatment. But I've seen the at home bottle and it is small.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

That's nice! We never got to use good products like Espree at Petsmart . Ya the bottle is very tiny, I didn't want to get a big one to just try it out. 


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

A few of the groomers I work with said the same thing! I like the Espree products but then again I haven't used any other line to compare to. I am partial to the more natural products for myself and my little ones.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Jamie Hein said:


> A few of the groomers I work with said the same thing! I like the Espree products but then again I haven't used any other line to compare to. I am partial to the more natural products for myself and my little ones.


 Haha lol. 
Ya,we only got to use hydrosurge shampoo and conditioner. we usually had to bath 3-4 times to get them clean. we would get in trouble if we brought in our own shampoo and conditioner and no mixing bottles for concentrate were tolerated. 
there are other really good ones out there like groomers edge, fresh n clean, and biogroom are some of my favs, but Espree has the best scents. I really like the natural products too.


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

poodlecrazy#1 said:


> Haha lol.
> Ya,we only got to use hydrosurge shampoo and conditioner. we usually had to bath 3-4 times to get them clean. we would get in trouble if we brought in our own shampoo and conditioner and no mixing bottles for concentrate were tolerated.
> there are other really good ones out there like groomers edge, fresh n clean, and biogroom are some of my favs, but Espree has the best scents. I really like the natural products too.


Haha that would really annoy me. On some dogs I use the full strength shampoo or conditioner. Have you tried the Ikaria brand? I see it in the Pet Edge magazines and the scent descriptions appeal to me.


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## patcheeze (Aug 22, 2013)

Jamie Hein said:


> A few months ago Kennedy chewed off two dime sized spots of hair on his back upper leg. When he is fluffy, it makes it look like there are two divets. It is bare in those two spots- no hair at all! I am assuming he chewed it off, although I never saw him do it. He never has mats, so it cannot be from that. I brush him daily with a soft pin brush and comb him sometimes as well. Any idea 1. where is this from, chewing?
> 2. How can I help those spots grow back?
> 
> He currently eats Nature's Variety raw food. I still have supplements but have stopped using them (Solid Gold sea meal).
> ...


just a little curious ... as to why you stopped feeding solidgold seameal? I thought it's a good supplement for coat and immune. though now i'm using keepers' mix


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

patcheeze said:


> just a little curious ... as to why you stopped feeding solidgold seameal? I thought it's a good supplement for coat and immune. though now i'm using keepers' mix


I stopped using the seameal because I wasn't noticing any difference in his coat. Since he chews his feet I tried eliminating anything he didn't need and just moved to the raw food. He used to have occasional diarrhea, no more  Right now I am trying melatonin for his bald spots and anxiety. I haven't noticed a difference yet though but it has only been a few weeks.


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