# Dark skin, extreme hair loss.



## ChuckS117 (Oct 14, 2012)

Hello,

I have an 8 year old female Golden Retriever.

Around 3 years ago dark spots appeared on her tummy and have now spread to almost all of her body.

She started biting and scratching herself from time to time, but today it's almost uncontrollable and she has cut her skin (nose, knees, legs and near her eyebrows) several times as a result.

We've tried at least 6 different doctors and none of them seem to know whats going on. Some said it was thyroid problems, other said allergies and so on. 

She's gone through different blood tests and skin samples. They gave us different treatments (special baths, different food ingredients, pills and even cortisone) to follow but none of them seem to work.

My family is just desperate and worried, she's down to almost no hair (ears , low neck, legs, chest are gone) and we just don't know what else to do. 
We clean the house at least 4 times a week.

I hope someone can help me here, or at least point me in the right direction.

Thanks!.
Sorry for my bad english.


----------



## vrmueller (Jun 14, 2008)

If some said it was thyroid, was she put on specific thyroid meds? If so, have you been consistent with them? Controlling skin issues isn't a one step simple fix. It is 24/7 management of food, meds, baths and if possible eliminating the allergen(s). Your girl will most likely need to be on an antibiotic and steroid at first to get the condition under control. Weekly baths with the right shampoo and finding a food that agrees with their allergies and digestion issues. Also, organic apple cider vinegar has helped my girl tremendously with her biting and chewing. Do a search on the forum for posts on the topic. I know how frustrating it is to go years not knowing what is wrong. I hope she can get some relief.


----------



## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

It almost sounds like "Elephant Skin" disease... I think also Alopecia X as dermatologists call it.

It's VERY common in Pomeranians... haven't heard of it in Goldens but it could happen??



















The skin goes black and the hair falls out.

I had a friend with a Pom who had it and lived a great life.. just wore a lot of sweaters.


----------



## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

So did the thyroid test come back as normal?


----------



## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

This is all symptomatic of hypothyroidism. Have a complete thyroid panel run. Including Free T3 and Free T4. If anything comes back as "low normal" or below, INSIST on supplementation. What is low normal, or even normal, for many breeds, is very low for Goldens.


----------



## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Are you SURE it isn't sarcoptic mange? I had 2 young puppies suffer with it for several months. It was so bad I considered putting them down, when I came home to find them sitting in blood in their crates. None of the vets I took them to were able to diagnose it. Finally, Foster & SMith was able to.

Failing that, I agree with PG-it could be thyroid. I would have a full thyroid panel run and sent to either the U of Michigan or Dr. Dodd. And I agree-insist on supplementation even if the results are low normal. You have to take into account the whole dog-low normal + symptoms = treatment.


----------



## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

I wrote out a whole post on oxidizers- but it seems to have been lost in cyber world.
H2O2 is an oxidizer- all molecules (made up of atoms) and atoms want to have an outer "shell" (for a simplistic view of how they work) that is stable and that takes a balance of electrons. Oxidizers steal electrons from other molecules to get stable themselves, or bond with other molecules to between them reach stability.

This sales pitch is a dangerous one. Any tissue that comes in contact with an oxidizer is going to be destabilized as a result. Peroxide is poison to tissue. Please don't buy into the idea that peroxide can cure cancer, or skin disease or anything else by ingesting it. Further, I would classify it as an antiseptic not an antibiotic, and would be reasonably certain that while 6 drops mixed w an ounce of water is going to make only a weak acid and probably not going to do much harm, it also is not going to cure anything fungal presenting on the skin. Bad science and coincidence only.
*edit: there were posts here that were selling a very dangerous product- removed due to the spam link in them. But ya'll all brush up on your witchdoctor meds today lol!


----------

