A five-year-old Pomeranian, bald and lethargic from full Black Skin Disease, was six months away from being unrecognisable to his own family — once his owners started the Dermagic system. This is the letter they sent us.
A Pom in trouble
In September 2011, Mary and John Houska wrote to Dr. Adelia Ritchie about their five-year-old Pomeranian, Sir Winston. Two years earlier he had started losing his hair. As the disease progressed he slept more and more during the day, his appetite waned, his social skills faded, and walks — still his favourite thing — became shorter and less frequent.
By the bitter winter of 2011 his back, belly and tail were almost completely bald. His owners were dressing him in sweaters and coats to keep him warm. The vet had suggested melatonin and thyroid medication; neither helped.
They had, in their own words, all but given up.
The first bottle
On 17 September 2011 the first bottle of DERMagic Skin Rescue Lotion arrived. The Houskas started the regimen immediately — with cautious hope rather than confidence. The product was guaranteed, so they reasoned they had nothing to lose.
The first thing they noticed was the black skin gradually washing away with each bath. The dead, blackened outer layers shed as new skin grew underneath — the deep exfoliation that the Skin Rescue Lotion drives when it kills the underlying fungal and microbial load.
Six weeks in
On 29 October 2011, Mary recorded in her journal that hair was coming back. Sir Winston was more lively, more energetic, more interested in food. He had also started to enjoy his application times — the daily lotion massage had become a moment he looked forward to.
By late autumn 2011, healthy pink skin was visible on his chest and hair was growing in across his little body.
Six months on
By 18 March 2012, six months after that first application, Sir Winston was unrecognisable. The Houskas’ family who had last seen him at Christmas were “absolutely amazed.” Friends who remembered the bald, miserable dog from a year earlier said, “That isn’t the same dog.”
Mary’s full coat. Pink skin. Healthy weight. Restored energy and sociability. Even his hearing seemed sharper.
The principle the case demonstrates
Sir Winston’s story is what successful treatment of Alopecia X looks like in practice:
- Topical, not systemic. No steroids, no antibiotics, no antihistamines.
- Gradual. Six weeks for visible new hair, six months for full coat.
- Consistent. Daily lotion application, regular bathing with the shampoo and conditioner, no skipping.
- Patient. The black skin sheds layer by layer as the skin underneath rebuilds.
The Houskas closed their letter with one regret — that they had lost another Pom to Black Skin Disease before they knew about Dermagic. We share it. Stories like Sir Winston’s are exactly why we do this.
For guidance on treating Alopecia X in your own dog, email info@dermagic.eu or call 01624 829575.