[Ian]

My little companion, Betty Boo, is a thirteen year old who was spayed at six months. She's just had her fourteenth set of shots and my vet gave her a quick check-up at the same time. She said she was in good condition for her age. However, Betty has developed a two inch wide strip of very thin coat (she's always taken to the groomer for a trim every two months) along the midline of her back. This starts about half way between her neck and tail and gets progressively thinner towards the tail (looking like a "landing strip from the air" when she walks ahead...). She's had this for several months but has now started to go thin along the top of her snout too. The vet says it's not related to any health problem such as ringworm or mange and so is most likely hormonal due to her advancing years. If this is the case, has anyone else had experience of this problem and any success at attempts to treat it? She's had age-related lameness in the past year and, having sought advice, she's now much better thanks to glucosamine/chondroitin complex and cod liver oil supplements in her food so I'm hoping to find some way to fix this new problem for her as well. She has a jacket for winter weather but I'm sure she'd rather have her own coat back! Many thanks.