Sebaceous Adenitis is a hereditary skin disease that occurs primarily in Standard Poodles, but has also been reported in a number of other breeds, including the Lhasa Apso.

Signs include excessive dandruff, greasy or dry scaling, darkened skin, a musty odor, thickening of the skin and hair loss ranging from scattered to total baldness. These signs are caused 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.

There is no cure for SA, but it can be treated. Frequent baths and oil treatments have been found helpful in removing scale and lubricating the skin. Antibiotics are used to treat secondary infections.

The incidence of SA in Lhasa Apsos is unknown, but it is safe to assume that many cases are initially diagnosed as allergies, hypothyroidism or various skin infections. Since staph infections often occur secondary to SA, a Lhasa with SA could conceivably be diagnosed as having only a staph infection. If your dog has not responded to treatment for another problem, please ask your vet about the possibility of SA.

SA appears most often in young adult dogs, but unfortunately, can occur later in life. SA can take many forms, from so severe that the dog is euthanized, to so mild it can go unnoticed. A punch biopsy of the skin is required for diagnosis. SA is often cyclic in nature. The inflammation subsides, the hair grows back somewhat, and then the cycle recurs.

There is also a subclinical form of SA that can be detected only by biopsy. Therefore, since SA is probably hereditary in Lhasas as it is in other breeds, related dogs should be biopsied before breeding them. In Poodles, biopsies are done yearly on dogs as late as age 10 to make sure the condition does not exist. unfortunately, there is no genetic testing yet, so there is no way to determine if a dog is a carrier.

In Poodles, a test breeding funded by the Poodle Club of America has shown SA to be inherited as a simple autosomal recessive trait, and the carrier rate in this breed may be as high as 50 percent. There are no sufficient data yet on Lhasa Apsos to form any such conclusions, but with the help of breeders with affected dogs, such a database can be established.

It would be helpful if all biopsies of Lhasas done in the U.S. were sent to one of the two following veterinary specialists so the data can be centralized. If necessary, your veterinarian can call to request information about the biopsy procedure. The cost of the biopsy is $30.

Robert W. Dunstan, DVM, MS Department of Pathology
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48224-1314
517/355-6504

Ann M. Hargis, DVM, MS
Dermato Diagnostics
c/o HCS
1254 West Pioneer Way, Suite E
Oak Harbor, WA 98277-9907
206/775-6903

The procedure is quite simple. If there are no clinical symptoms, the vet will take a minimum of two 6 mm. Punch samples from the dog's back between the top of the head and the withers. If there are any scaling or hair loss areas, those areas should be tested too. The area should not be scrubbed or cleaned at all for this procedure. A local anesthetic such as Lidocain into the subcutis is recommended. The biopsy sites are usually closed with one or two sutures. All very simple! It is usually not necessary to anesthesize the dog. The samples are then put in a leak-proof, crush-proof container of 10 percent buffered formalin for mailing

The Genodermatosis Research Foundation (GRF), established in 1990, provides education and scientific support for research leading to the alleviation of the suffering of our canine friends through understanding, diagnosis, treatment, cure and prevention of heritable skin disease. The GRF publishes a quarterly news letter, Progress in SA Research, which is free. Write to the GRF to have your name added to the mailing list.

GRF 1635 Grange Hall Road
Dayton, OH 45432