Hair today, gone tomorrow

Home’s creative editor, Marian van Wyk of Sea Point, writes My rescue cat Nebukatneser had the most beautiful belly fur – a blend of white, grey, brown and ginger. In March last year, she had to undergo a battery of tests for a bladder infection that kept reoccurring and the hair on her tummy was shaved off. To our (and I think her) dismay, it still hasn’t grown back. Any advice?

Veterinary surgeon Analize Theron of Fourways Veterinary Hospital replies Hair follicles undergo a growth cycle consisting of several phases: a growth phase, a regression phase, a dormant phase and then a shedding phase. What happened to Nebukatneser is what we call hair follicle stasis.

We suspect it happens when the hair is shaved off in the regression or dormant phase but the specific reason is unknown. Fortunately, hair follicle stasis is extremely rare and occurs mostly in dogs with thick fur such as Huskies, Corgis or Labradors and sometimes in cats.

Unfortunately, there is no treatment. Nebukatneser (and her human family) will have to wait until the hair follicles recover on their own; this can take anything from six months to two years.

Although hair follicle stasis may occur in healthy animals, it is a good idea to take any pet suffering from this condition to a vet for a general examination. Underlying health conditions such as an underactive thyroid gland, among others, could contribute to hair follicle stasis.

CONTACT 011 705 3411, fourwaysvet.co.za