bald spot on minature poodle

Question
Hi,

I am hoping you can help me.  I have a 11 year old minature female black poodle.  3 months ago she developed a small spot on her back about 1 & 1/2 inches above her tail.  This was shortly before getting her groomed.  The skin isn't red or irritated, just no hair!  I have had the vet look at it a couple times now and he really doesn't know what the problem is.  She has had allergy problems in the past, but doesn't seem to be scratching the area at all.

The vet suggested giving her Melatonin twice daily which I have been doing several weeks now with no results.  I have tried a different shampoo also.  I have always used a hypo-allergenic shampoo from the vet and just tried a different type from him.

I just don't know what to try next, it is increasing in size now too.  It is presently approx. 2" x 2&1/2" right now.  She is a small dog and this is extremely noticeable.  She eats the same diet as always, Iams for mature dogs and some meat table scraps.  She does love her cheese scraps also.  I do give her cranberry tablets for her bladder, which I have been doing for a couple years now with the Vets approval. I give her a small amount of cream cheese every day with her vitamins.  (It has taken care of the bladder infections and the small accidents common with aging dogs.)

Please help, any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Tina Wenning

Answer
I am not a vet so the only think I can tell you is to take her back to the vet and ask him to do a skin scraping or biopsy to have her tested for Sabaceous adentitis or red mange.  Skin problems are not something that someone can just diagnos without seeing or having tests run.