Disease overview

Hypotrichosis is a condition characterized by a loss of hair, either at birth or within a few months after birth. In American Hairless Terriers, this mutation causes them to be hairless, but otherwise normal and healthy.

Gene name

SGK3

Inheritance

Autosomal recessive

Signs and symptoms

Affected dogs will have less hair than normal and can be completely hairless.

How is it diagnosed

A veterinarian will conduct a thorough exam, including a review of health history and any clinical signs. Genetic testing is necessary to determine an underlying genetic cause.

Breeds at higher risk

American Hairless Terrier, Scottish Deerhound

Citations

Parker HG, Harris A, Dreger DL, Davis BW, Ostrander EA. The bald and the beautiful: hairlessness in domestic dog breeds. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2017 Feb 5;372(1713):20150488. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0488. PMID: 27994129; PMCID: PMC5182420.

Hytönen MK, Lohi H. A frameshift insertion in SGK3 leads to recessive hairlessness in Scottish Deerhounds: a candidate gene for human alopecia conditions. Hum Genet. 2019 May;138(5):535-539. doi: 10.1007/s00439-019-02005-9. Epub 2019 Mar 29. PMID: 30927068; PMCID: PMC6536473.

Disclaimer

Disease diagnosis and treatment should always be performed by a veterinarian. The following information is for educational purposes only.