Fact Sheet

Toy, Miniature and Standard—with the majority of cases diagnosed in Standard Poodles.

Skin disorder in which the sebaceous glands are inflamed and/or completely destroyed.  (Sebaceous glands produce sebum, which lubricates and protects the skin and hair follicles.)

Mild cases with no outward symptoms are classified as sub-clinical.  Moderate to severe cases may have hair loss and/or thinning, scales, and secondary skin infections accompanied by a musty odor.  Hair that grows back is often a wiry texture.

Currently unknown.  A previous publication concluded inheritance was autosomal recessive, perhaps with variable penetrance (both sire and dam must carry the gene to produce affected offspring).

Recent studies (see https://www.standardpoodleclub.com/copy-2-of-home-1) suggest that SA is not inherited as a simple autosomal recessive with high penetrance.  The researchers state that a likely explanation of their result is that SA is complex and is caused by multiple genes or by the interaction of gene(s) and the environment.  It should be noted that this is a preliminary result.

Punch skin biopsy using a local anesthesia (lidocaine).

Submit skin samples to dermatopathologists approved by:

Orthopedic Foundation for Animals
2300 E. Nifong Boulevard
Columbia, Missouri  65201-3806

Phone:               573.442.0418
Fax:                    573.875.5073
Email:                ofa@offa.org
Web site:           https://www.ofa.org/diseases/other-diseases/sebaceous-adenitis

From 18 months to 9+ years.  Cases have been diagnosed earlier than 18 months and later than 9 years, but the majority of clinical cases are seen between 18 months and 5 years.

There is no known cure for SA at this time and there are no effective treatments that are guaranteed to work for every dog. Some owners, however, have found that bath oil soaks or a soak made from a coat conditioner and a hair emollient product, followed by thorough shampooing may help the hair to re-grow.

The soaks help maintain skin moisture, get rid of the scaling and leave the skin soft.  Hair re-growth varies depending on the dog.  Secondary skin infections may be controlled with antibiotics.  Treatment is lifelong in clinically-affected dogs.

See http://vipoodle.org/informational_sheets/home-treatment-sebaceous-adenitis/ for a more detailed bathing protocol.

Every dog being used in a breeding program should have its skin evaluated annually, and only dogs with normal test results should be considered for breeding.  Results should be reported to OFA.  Sub-clinical cases of SA can only be detected through microscopic evaluation.

Dogs that produce SA-affected offspring carry the gene(s) for SA.  Great care must be taken to avoid breeding a known carrier to another carrier.

An ongoing research project at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, England, aims to identify the gene(s) involved in SA See https://www.standardpoodleclub.com/copy-2-of-home-1 for information on submitting samples.