Sebaceous adenitis (SA) is an inherited skin disease of many breeds, but most often the Poodle. It has been dignosed in the Lhasa Apso, and may be on the increase in our breed. SA appears most often in young adult dogs. The disease is characterized by an inflammation of the sebaceous (oil) glands in the skin. As the disease progresses, the sebaceous glands and hair follicles are destroyed, leading to loss of hair. As part of the inflammatory process, secondary skin infections can occur.

Presentation
SA can take many different forms: from so severe that the dog is euthanized, to so mild it can go unnoticed. The presentation also varies with the breed. Biopsy and microscopic pathology examination is required for diagnosis. The lesions seen in SA are all associated with skin exfoliation (dandruff), and hair loss. In severe cases, the lesions can involve pigmentation, severe greasy or dry scaling, a characteristic odor, and secondary skin infections. The accompanying hair loss can be quite extensive. The disease is often cyclic in nature. The inflammation subsides, the hair regrows somewhat, and then the cycle recurrs.

The Cause
In Poodles, test breeding funded by the Poodle Club of America has proven SA to be inherited as a simple autosomal recessive trait. The carrier rate among Standard Poodles may be as high as 50%. SA has not been thoroughly studied except in Poodles, but it is thought that the mode of inheritance is probably the same in other breeds. The actual causative mechanism is, as yet, unknown.

Diagnosis and Treatment
Since many other diseases, like hypothyroidism or an allergy, can have features similar to SA, microscopic examination of a skin biopsy is necessary to make the diagnosis of SA.

There is no cure for SA, but the lesions can be treated palliatively to improve the comfort and appearance of the dog. Frequent baths and oil treatments have been found helpful in removing scale and lubricating the skin. Antibiotics are often necessary to treat secondary infections. No doubt other treatments will be found to offer additional benefits as owners and Veterinarians learn to recognize the condition, and try various approaches to its management.

New Research on Incidence
Anyone having a dog diagnosed with SA please contact the SA Survey. Your communication will be completely confidential, and will be very helpful in tracking the incidence of this problem.