Last September or October, my boy Cocoa's hair on the tip of his tail
started to thin.  By Thanksgiving his tail was bald from the tip to
approximately 2 1/2 inches from the tip.  He had rather scaley skin there
with blackhead in the bald area.  I did not worry too much because this tail
thinning can be a result of a seasonal coat change.  But you DO always worry
a little when things are not perfect with your little ones.  Then during the
first week of December he went in for his yearly shots and had a severe
reaction.  He received 3 anti-reaction shots in the rear hind quarters.
These injections caused severe inflamation in his rear legs but saved his
life.  After a week or two he was getting back to his old self, except I
noticed that his hair had fallen out in the area of the left hind quarter,
right where he received some of his anti-reaction shots.  I called the vet
to ask if the shots may have caused hair loss or if she had shaved him in
that area during his treatment.  She hadn't shaved him in the rear leg areas
and also did not feel that the shots would have caused hair loss.  She asked
me to keep an eye on him for more hair loss.
 
I am now happy to report that all of his hair is growing back.  His tail
appeared blue around Christmas and I thought that his hair loss was making
his tail cold to the touch, but lo and behold, the blue was just brand new
guard hairs becoming exposed on his tail.  His rear hind quarter has started
to regrow hair, also.  YEAH!  He is getting back to being his fuzzy self.
The shaved parts around his neck and front leg are even growing new hair
slowly.
 
So, all of you fuzzy Mommies and Daddys keep your chin up when you start to
see hair loss, particularly on the tail tip.  It is not always bad news.  It
is always a good idea to have a vet check your baby over when something like
hair loss occurs, though.  Better to be safe than sorry.
[Posted in FML issue 2197]