Canine Alopecia Secondary to Human Topical Hormone Replacement Therapy in Six Dogs
February 2015
in “
Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association
”
TLDR Dogs exposed to their owners' hormone therapy developed hair loss, but symptoms resolved after stopping the therapy.
In this study, six dogs from three different households developed alopecia due to accidental transdermal exposure to their owners' topical hormone replacement therapy (THRT). The alopecia affected specific areas such as the ventral neck and lateral trunk, and five dogs showed signs of feminization. Despite normal serum total thyroxine levels, skin biopsies revealed consistent histological changes, and all dogs had elevated estradiol levels, with four also having elevated progesterone. The average time for clinical signs to appear was 5.5 months after THRT began. After the owners discontinued THRT, all dogs fully recovered within 5.5 months.
