loss of hair

Question
In june of 2005 when Kirby (my Pomeranian) was almost 2 years old, I told the groomer to give him a lion cut.  She shaved his entire mane off. Since then, I have moved to a tropical climate and his coat won't grow back on his neck and also his hind end and up his back. He looks ridiculous. He had such a lush coat before.  What can be done?  I have been told too many conflicting things. Thank you,  Carole in Key West.

Answer
Poor Kirby.  I am sure that he has some problems with his looks, but you know what? He doesn't know it and thinks he is as handsome as you tell him he is!
That said, it usually only takes one year for a coat on a Pom to grow back full and lush like it was never cut. So there is something wrong.
Since I cannot see the dog in person, I have just a few thoughts, that only you can decide what it might be.
First of all, I am thinking that the heat is preventing his body from thinking he NEEDS long hair. So does he shed?  His undercoat should be growing back in and he should shed if you comb him.  Keep him combed and that will stimulate the skin and encourage his body to be cool so that his hair will continue to grow.
Another thought, does he lay in the sun?  If he does, discourage that practice. it will cause him to be warm and fool the body into not growing the hair, and it will also dry the skin and direct sun will cause damage to the skin that may prevent the hair from growing back. This is because the delicate skin of a Pom usually NEVER gets sun or weather on it, because of the profuse hair it normally has.
I also wonder about his food. A bit of SAFFLOWER oil on his food will help his skin and coat. And feed him only dog food made for skin and coat. A 1/2 teaspoon of Safflower oil a day will do.  Get it at the grocery store. Start slowly with it and give it at least 3 to 5 weeks to work before you give up on it.
Finally, allow your dog to sleep in the dark.  Darkness will encourage hair growth, as when the seasons change, that is what tells the dog, (light and dark tells the dog) that it is time to grow winter hair.  Lots of light will keep the dog just shedding its coat, unless there is darkness as well. Some people have lights on all the time, and I do not know if you do or not, but it is worth mentioning.
Be very careful of fleas and irritations that may affect your poms skin.  Scratching and dandruff will cause hair to be lost faster than it can grow in!
The last thing is to rinse your dog with cool water when he is bathed.  This stimulates the skin and may encourage hair growth.

I realize these are a variety of ideas and reasons, and none of them may be correct, but hopefully you will notice one that makes sense and you can apply it to your dog. You should see a big difference in him in 6 months of time, with any change you make.
Good luck
Lori
Good luck.