A couple days late to answer but we had this same situation with Winston. When we first rescued him (he was almost 5) he loved to lay by our patio door for hours and sun himself. We would find him there panting and we worried he'd cook himself so we had the patio door tinted. Within weeks he started losing his hair on both flanks. We deduced that by tinting the patio door he wasn't getting his usual dose of sun and therefore it was seasonal flank alopecia (vet concurred). The area looked almost black (he was brindle) so it didn't look too too strange. We tried Melatonin pills but it didn't work.

The funny part of this is, that when we took him for acupuncture a couple years later for his back and legs issues, one of the side effects was that his hair started growing back a bit in both spots - but only the black hair.

A couple days late to answer but we had this same situation with Winston. When we first rescued him (he was almost 5) he loved to lay by our patio door for hours and sun himself. We would find him there panting and we worried he'd cook himself so we had the patio door tinted. Within weeks he started losing his hair on both flanks. We deduced that by tinting the patio door he wasn't getting his usual dose of sun and therefore it was seasonal flank alopecia (vet concurred). The area looked almost black (he was brindle) so it didn't look too too strange. We tried Melatonin pills but it didn't work.

The funny part of this is, that when we took him for acupuncture a couple years later for his back and legs issues, one of the side effects was that his hair started growing back a bit in both spots - but only the black hair.

This is a very interesting thought. Where did you find an accupuncturist who treats dogs? I would definitely be willing to try this, but I have never heard of accupuncture for dogs.

This is a very interesting thought. Where did you find an accupuncturist who treats dogs? I would definitely be willing to try this, but I have never heard of accupuncture for dogs.

http://www.mckeevervetderm.com/documents/diseases/Flank%20Alopecia.pdf

If it is SFA, I know some people treat with Melatonin. Ask your vet.

http://www.mckeevervetderm.com/documents/diseases/Flank%20Alopecia.pdf

If it is SFA, I know some people treat with Melatonin. Ask your vet.

My 3 year old male started exhibiting the same symptoms in November of this year - fairly small spots, not necessarily round but round-ish, with blackening of the skin in the affected areas. I thought it was demodectic mange, which he had as a baby, but the vet did scrapings and said it was sta. He said that it could be related to thyroid under-functioning, but since he seemed to have absolutely no loss of energy or discomfort, the vet advised to wait it out, and showed me the writeup on it in his medical book. Thurston now has hair loss over most of both sides, and it really bothers me but I must say it has not gotten worse rather than improved as the vet said it would in spring. The vet said the only treatment he knew of was melatonin implants but he did not recommend that since it seemed to be only a cosmetic issue. He also said that this is common in bulldogs, boxers, and one other breed and especially affects those who are fawn colored, which Thurston is. I hate to look at it but it has not affected him other than to make him less beautiful. My female, who is red, has never had this problem, nor have the other two bulldogs I have had in the past (one white female and one fawn male). I think that if I knew the melatonin would work, I would use it, but it doesn't seem to be a foolproof treatment.

My 3 year old male started exhibiting the same symptoms in November of this year - fairly small spots, not necessarily round but round-ish, with blackening of the skin in the affected areas. I thought it was demodectic mange, which he had as a baby, but the vet did scrapings and said it was sta. He said that it could be related to thyroid under-functioning, but since he seemed to have absolutely no loss of energy or discomfort, the vet advised to wait it out, and showed me the writeup on it in his medical book. Thurston now has hair loss over most of both sides, and it really bothers me but I must say it has not gotten worse rather than improved as the vet said it would in spring. The vet said the only treatment he knew of was melatonin implants but he did not recommend that since it seemed to be only a cosmetic issue. He also said that this is common in bulldogs, boxers, and one other breed and especially affects those who are fawn colored, which Thurston is. I hate to look at it but it has not affected him other than to make him less beautiful. My female, who is red, has never had this problem, nor have the other two bulldogs I have had in the past (one white female and one fawn male). I think that if I knew the melatonin would work, I would use it, but it doesn't seem to be a foolproof treatment.

Sorry I can't be of more help. If you find something that works, let me know!!!

Emily

Sorry I can't be of more help. If you find something that works, let me know!!!

Emily

Thank you for the link. This explains alot. I appreciate your help.

Thank you for the link. This explains alot. I appreciate your help.

Thank you very much for your response to my posting. The description of your dog, is exactly what we are experiencing with Harley. I really appreciate your assistance.

Thank you very much for your response to my posting. The description of your dog, is exactly what we are experiencing with Harley. I really appreciate your assistance.

My four year old male started the same symptoms about a year ago. SFA, seasonal flank alopecia, is what our local vet and the local vet teaching university has diagnosed it as. He lost hair on both of his sides last year and the skin turned dark black. The research says that it MAY regrow, but in our case it has yet to show any regrowth (I know, not what you wanted to hear). Then this spring, the spots started to "grow" as the hair around the existing bald spots started thinning. He is currently on melatonin twice a day, 3mg a dose, and the dramatic loss has stopped but we have yet to see any regrow. The good news is that it doesn't bother him at all. We've learned to deal with the stares and questions when we take him places, so it's mostly been an adjustment for us to see our beloved bulldog go mostly bald! If we find anything else that works, I'll let you know! Good luck!

My four year old male started the same symptoms about a year ago. SFA, seasonal flank alopecia, is what our local vet and the local vet teaching university has diagnosed it as. He lost hair on both of his sides last year and the skin turned dark black. The research says that it MAY regrow, but in our case it has yet to show any regrowth (I know, not what you wanted to hear). Then this spring, the spots started to "grow" as the hair around the existing bald spots started thinning. He is currently on melatonin twice a day, 3mg a dose, and the dramatic loss has stopped but we have yet to see any regrow. The good news is that it doesn't bother him at all. We've learned to deal with the stares and questions when we take him places, so it's mostly been an adjustment for us to see our beloved bulldog go mostly bald! If we find anything else that works, I'll let you know! Good luck!