With an overall healthy dog and the history of clipping and lack of hair regrowth at the surgical or catheter sites the diagnosis of postclipping alopecia is straightforward. It has historically been suggested that evaluation of blood, urine, and hormone levels, in addition to skin biopsy should be performed in these cases. Although somewhat controversial, if your pet is otherwise healthy the additional testing is likely not necessary.
Zinc plays an important role in regulating cell metabolism, fatty acid synthesis, inflammation, and the health of the epidermis or skin. Zinc deficiency can be seen in our companion animals as two distinct syndromes. The more common syndrome is zinc-responsive dermatosis of Alaskan malamutes and Siberian huskies and appears to be associated with decreased intestinal absorption of zinc. The less commonly seen syndrome of zinc deficiency is seen in rapidly growing dogs or young adult dogs fed a diet deficient in zinc.