Background -Post-clipping alopecia often has a clinically poor response to therapy and prolonged alopecia is a source of anxiety for some owners. In humans and dogs, superficial microtrauma via a microneedling (MN) device induces mechanical stimulation of the hair follicle with resultant hair regrowth. Human studies suggest that concurrent application of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) with MN induces more rapid regrowth of better-quality hair than microneedling alone.Hypothesis -Microneedling with PRP will induce more rapid regrowth of better quality hair.Animals -Four unrelated client-owned dogs diagnosed with post-clipping alopecia.Methods and Materials -This was a prospective study. The affected site was divided in half, with the first half treated with MN alone and the second half treated with MN + PRP. Hair regrowth was assessed by clinician and owner using a hair growth assessment scale (HGAS) at one, three, six and 12 months.Results -At three months, all dogs had improved and three exhibited greater hair regrowth on the MN + PRP side. A similar response was noted bilaterally in three dogs, which had improved by 76-100% at six months and remained unchanged at 12 months. One dog improved by < 26% at six months, but had> 50% re-growth by 12 months. The small sample size precluded statistical analysis.Conclusions and clinical importance -In dogs with post-clipping alopecia, MN + PRP appeared to induce more rapid hair regrowth than MN; however, overall results were visibly equivalent by six months regardless of method. Both MN and MN + PRP proved successful for treating post-clipping alopecia.

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Abstract— A commercial canned lamb and rice diet was fed to 20 dogs with previously diagnosed determatologic problems due to adverse reactions to food. Fifteen of the 20 dogs had concurrent atopy and flea allergy which were being treated with hyposensitization and agressive flea control. Palatability and acceptability were good in most of the dogs. Recurrent of previous dermatologic signs did not occur in 75 per cent (15/20) of the dogs while they were fed the diet. Gastrointestinal side effects, specifically diarrhea, caused the owners to stop feeding the diet in four dogs. Overall, 60 per cent (12/20) experienced some gastrointestinal signs during the diet trail.