CYCLIC ALOPECIA OF THE FLANK

TheCyclical flank alopecia, also called seasonal flank alopecia, is a very common pathology in English bulldogs and is characterized by the presence of alopecic areas, often markedly hyperpigmented, non-itchy, affecting the flank region, but which can also involve other areas of the thoracolumbar region.
Its evolution generally consists in a spontaneous regrowth of the hair within three / six months from the onset of the first signs of falling. The majority of affected individuals are usually subject to relapses having a cyclical character over the years, almost always on a seasonal basis.

The cause of seasonal flank alopecia is still unknown. A recent orientation is to consider this disease as a cyclic follicular dysplasia-dystrophy, most likely related to the photoperiod and, in particular, modulated by the hormones that are released according to the photoperiod. For this reason, the most accredited theory today about the etiology of seasonal flank alopecia sees the genetic deficiency of melatonin, a photodependent hormone regulating hair growth, as the cause of the disease.

Since this form has the characteristic of tending towards spontaneous remission and then reappearing in the same season in the following years, the main purpose of therapy should be to prevent future episodes. Melatonin has provided apparent successes in this regard since it is plausible that in this pathology it acts not only as a non-specific promoter of hair growth, but also intervenes on the real mechanism.
At present the suggested daily dose appears to be 5 mg / dog orally. The minimum reported administration interval is 24 hours, but the very short half-life of melatonin would seem to justify the administration of one dose every 8 hours. However, let us remember that these are experimental protocols that must be undertaken under strict veterinary control.