Sebaceous Adenitis

[Laila]

My apologies for sending this as a message to the group. I am still learning to navigate Doodle kisses. Please disregard it if you already saw this in your inbox.

Hi,

The love of our life, our almost 3-year old Doodle just got diagnosed with Sebaceous Adenitis. I suspected this condition following my own research, but decided to follow through with Vet's recommendations. However, with months of testing and treatment with no results, I decided to take things in my hand and make an appointment with the dermatologist directly.

Nonetheless, things were not that smooth: the Derm wanted us to go through a lot of ancillary tests, but I was pretty firm that the first thing I want her to do is punch biopsy and get those results before subjecting my Laila through other tests. Once again, I was glad for standing my ground. The biopsy results arrived today and Laila indeed has Sebaceous Adenitis. Out of the 4 punches, three showed no sign of sebaceous glands, and fourth one had some signs of glands.

As for Laila, she has lost a lot of hair, mostly on her back, bilaterally. She also has a lot of dark scabs all over her body. I don't think my dermatologist has anything more to offer than a prescription for Atopica (cyclosporine). She has absolutely no knowledge of other kind of research-based interventions that have had some success (oil bath etc.). Therefore, I know I am on my own in this journey with Laila. I have been doing a lot of reading, but wanted to seek input from others who might have any helpful suggestion for dealing with this condition. Please trust me, I have read everything that I could over the internet so I know what is out there. I am strictly looking for people's personal experience with this disorder. The purpose of my posting is three fold:

(a) Please, please, please always do your own research about the condition of your pet, instead of thinking that your vet knows everything. I cannot tell you how upset I would get when people would ask me to talk to Vet for every little problem. We have gone through 3 vets for the same problem with zero results. Trust yourself and don't hesitate to stand your ground if you don't think the vet is listening to you. If only we had been more proactive with our own research, we might have had some success in alleviating Laila's condition by starting the treatment 6 months ago, when the symptoms first appeared.

(b) Don't blindly trust the treatment recommended by vets or specialists. Both, our vet and Dermatologist were interested in selling us their products. The Derm talked to us about Atopica as if that is the only treatment in the world. She assumed that I did not know that Atopica is the brand name for cyclosporine, which I could get for $100 cheaper with a prescription from Walmart or Target pharmacy.

(c) Lastly, and which is the primary reason I am writing here, I sincerely request others who are dealing with this condition to share what they have found helpful over the years.

Our Laila will no longer look like the fluff ball or Teddy bear that she was, but our love for her will be the same.

Sincerely,
Laila's mom

[LucyR]

This is not a death sentence for your doggie!  It's a common problem in poodles.  The first thing I would do is advise your breeder of this issue, because there is some evidence it is genetic.  Next, I would contact the people at UC Davis Veterinary school to see what the latest treatment regimen is for this problem.  Sounds like you have done all the right things.  Keep us posted as to how you move forward.  Certainly now that we are aware of your issues, if anything comes up that could be helpful, we will certainly be in touch.  I urge you to contact the Vet School sooner rather than later.  Good luck. 

[Jacque Reynolds]

I am so sorry to hear about Laila's diagnosis. I am glad that you posted because Doodle owners need to band together and help each other as much as possible.

I notice that you got Laila from a breeder. It is critical that you tell your breeder about this diagnosis. Your breeder needs to be aware so that she/he can inform other puppy owners from the same parents in case any of their puppies get the disease and are not able to get a quick diagnosis.

Additionally, the breeder needs to inform whomever has or bred Laila's parents so that they can make good decisions if they are breeding this line.

It is so hard, as a breeder, to know about SA because the only way to know if your dogs carry it is to track the pedigree and identify affected dogs.

I am glad that you stood your ground with your veterinarians. I hope that Laila receives treatment that will help her live a long and comfortable life.

[Copper's Family]

Sorry to hear about Leila. We hope her treatment goes well. We haven't seen you guys lately at Evergreen Square or we keep missing you.

[Lynda Kamrath]

So sorry to hear this, but I know you have been concerned for a while.  It sounds like you are on top of it, as I would expect.  Sorry, I have no information for you.  Hoping to see all of you at the doodle romp on Apr. 28.  She may not be the beautiful dog we all remember, but we still love her too.  Charlie, Harpo, Groucho Too and I will be there.