Chemo Alopecia

DVM 6 Toni Ann Hardy

Objectives

Definition

Causes

Symptoms

Treatment

Specific Breeds
 Introduction

Chemotherapy drugs tend to targets rapidly growing cells, which damages hair follicles and
makes the hair fall out. Most dogs and cats do not have any hair loss secondary to
chemotherapy
 Specific breeds
Hair loss (alopecia) after chemotherapy is most common in non-shedding breeds.

The ones most at risk are animals that have hair that continually, normally these are curly-coated and wire-haired
breeds. of dogs such as Poodles, Bichon Frise, Shih Tzu, Old English Sheepdogs and most terriers.
 Cause
Time- The length of treatment

Dosages - High dosages of specific drugs may cause a higher risk of toxicity which would be
seen in hairloss

Specific drugs - Doxorubicin (Adriamycin) is the drug that generally causes the most pronounced
alopecia.
 Signs

The hair loss is first seen at injection sites and head but then can extend to the ventral neck, thorax,
abdomen, and inner surfaces of the limbs.

hyperpigmentation.

It can also cause scaling of the skin and dog.

In cats there are patches and sometime loss of whiskers

 Treatment

There is no treatment for the alopecia but there are things that can be done for

After chemotherapy the hair should return in full. The hair loss itself is more of a secondary
concern than a primary one. The hair does grow back, but it may change color and/or texture
Questions

Which breed of dogs is least likely to have hairloss?

A. Bedlington Terrier
B. Poodles
C. Bichon Frise
D. Shih Tzu
E. Bull Terrier
Which chemotherapy drug is most likely to cause hair loss?

A. Cisplatin.
B. Cyclophosphamide.
C. Dacarbazine
D. Doxorubicin
E. ifosfamide
Which of the following is not true about chemo alopecia?

A. Its normal and happens during chemotherapy and stops when chemotherapy stops.
B. It is sometimes followed with scaley skin
C. May cause cats to lose their whiskers
D. Mostly affects dogs with mixed fur patterns
E. All of the above are true