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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

How brushing and melatonin affect hair regrowth on clipped Siberian

By Diaz, Sandra F et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2006·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: The impact of body site, topical melatonin and brushing on hair regrowth after clipping normal Siberian Husky dogs.

Species:
dog
Skin & coatDogs

Plain-English summary

A group of normal Siberian Huskies had their fur clipped in specific areas to see how different treatments would affect hair regrowth. Some dogs received topical melatonin, while others were brushed vigorously, but after two months, there was no significant difference in hair growth compared to untreated areas. The study found that the clipped fur on the lumbosacral area (near the lower back) grew back shorter than on the thighs, but neither treatment helped improve hair regrowth. Overall, brushing and melatonin did not make a noticeable difference in how quickly or well the fur grew back.

People also search for: Siberian Husky hair regrowth · dog fur clipping recovery · melatonin for dog fur growth

Abstract

The aims of this study were to determine the impact of body site, vigorous brushing and topical melatonin treatment on hair regrowth after clipping normal dogs. Siberian Husky dogs were randomly assigned to three groups of eight dogs each. All dogs had the lumbosacral region and both lateral thighs clipped. The left thigh and lumbosacral area received no treatment and were compared in all 24 dogs. Eight dogs had the right thigh treated with 0.1% melatonin twice daily for 2 months, and hair regrowth was compared with the left thigh. Eight dogs had the right thigh brushed twice daily for 2 months, and hair regrowth was compared with the left thigh. Eight dogs had neither thigh treated. Hairs were plucked before and 2 months postclipping, and the proportion of hair growth from the original length was calculated and compared as described above. Biopsy samples were collected before and after treatment to determine if brushing induced dermal inflammation and melatonin increased the proportion of anagen follicles. Proportionally, left thigh hairs were significantly longer compared to lumbosacral hairs 2 months postclipping. No significant differences in hair regrowth were noted between the nontreated thigh and the thigh treated with melatonin or brushed. No significant difference in dermal inflammation was noted before and after brushing. No significant differences were observed in the proportion of anagen follicles before and after topical melatonin treatment. Our results showed that the hairs in the lumbosacral region were proportionally shorter than lateral thigh hairs 2 months postclipping. Moreover, topical melatonin and brushing had no impact on hair regrowth after clipping normal dogs.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16412119/