A pilot study evaluating the feasibility of blend electrolysis for hair removal in dogs.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the feasibility and effectiveness of blend electrolysis for hair removal in dogs.

ANIMALS: We studied 3 healthy adult laboratory beagles.

PROCEDURE: Small areas of palmar interdigital skin on the paws were treated with electrolysis using 6 procedures within 3 mo. The procedures were conducted under mild sedation and local anesthesia with lidocaine. Hair coat density was subjectively assessed by comparing pre-treatment dermoscopic images of the same areas.

RESULTS

The average procedure time was 55 min. There were minimal complications. The procedures were well tolerated and resulted in either reduced hair density or complete alopecia. This effect persisted for at least 3 mo following the last treatment. One dog, examined 21 mo after treatment, exhibited a minimally distinguishable hypotrichotic area with slightly shorter and sparser hair.

CONCLUSION

Blend electrolysis is a feasible, though time-intensive, method for temporary hair removal in dogs.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Further research is required to investigate the efficacy and effort-to-result ratio of this method for permanent hair removal in dogs of different breeds and across different body areas.