Hello! My name is Amber and I'm a silky terrier. I was born with a beautiful, silky, fluffy coat just like my mom and dad. But when I was 6 months old, my coat started to fall out on my legs and sides of my body until eventually it looked like a clipper had shaved those areas. After veterinary testing, I was discovered to have what is called Color Mutant Alopecia, which simply means baldness. This is an hereditary condition that appears in one out of hundreds of silkies, yorkies, dobermans, and other breeds with the blue coat coloring. Unfortunately, there is no cure and as a result, dogs like me develop dermatological problems and, in some cases, may have only a thin layer of coat on these areas for protection.

So, since nature deprived me of a full natural coat, I have accumulated many fashionable man-made sweaters and coats that I wear when I go for walks, shopping or visiting friends. With this in mind and needing to store all of my fashionable items, Amber's Armoire^TM was born.

Color Mutant Alopecia

Color Mutant Alopecia appears in a number of dogs that have a variation in coat color. Most affected are the coat colorings of "fawn or blue". Dogs usually acquiring this form of alopecia are Doberman pinchers (often called "Doberman Blue"). Other dogs affected are the Yorkshire and silky terrier, poodle, chow and Chihuahua to name a few. These dogs have the coat colorings of grey-blue and fawn.

The term Alopecia refers to baldness or hairlessness. Symptoms include patchiness of haircoat that can spread to a large area and most often permanent loss of hair. Abnormal hair follicles and clumping of pigment in the hair shafts are what is thought to be responsible for this inherited condition. Although dogs are born with all of their haircoat, they do not show any of these signs up until about 6 months old and sometimes up to 3 years old. There is no cure for alopecia, however, this condition does not affect your dog's health otherwise.

Follliculitis is a common problem associated with this affliction but can be treated with antibiotics. It appears as tiny bumps on the dry scaly skin. The use of moisturizers can help reduce the dryness and flakiness.

Since your dog has been deprived of a normal haircoat, remember to protect him/her from weather conditions. Keeping your dog clothed in cold weather and shielded from the sun completely or dressed in a lightweight cotton tee will protect him/her from the sun's rays.

If you suspect your dog to have alopecia, please see your veterinarian. Laboratory testing is the only way to prove positive for this condition.