Black Hair Follicular Dysplasia in Black and White Saluki Dogs: Differentiation from Color Mutant Alopecia in the Doberman Pinscher by Microscopic Examination of Hairs

The study examined black hair follicular dysplasia in four black and white female Saluki puppies, which developed varying degrees of hair loss in black-haired areas. Histological analysis showed that follicles in these areas were dilated and irregularly shaped, with keratin and melanin clumps. In contrast, white-haired areas appeared normal. Microscopic examination revealed that blue Doberman pinschers with color mutant alopecia had more visible macromelanosomes than the Saluki. Scanning electron microscopy identified cuticular abnormalities in some white and all black hairs from the Saluki, with shallow, oval defects in the superficial cortex, while blue hairs from a Doberman showed similar but more extensive changes.