Yogi was diagnosed with Black Skin Disease at age 10 and told it was “just cosmetic”. Years later, his family found DERMagic — and got their dog back.
Yogi’s diagnosis: told it was cosmetic, told to live with it
Yogi was diagnosed with the “Black Skin” condition in 2005, at 10 years old. As the condition worsened, so did his overall health — but his family were told the skin disease was cosmetic, and his other problems were age-related.
Yogi’s owners, Tom and Debbie Gilman, weren’t convinced. They felt their dog was slipping away from a disease everyone kept telling them not to worry about.
What changed with Skin Rescue Lotion
When the Gilmans started using DERMagic Skin Rescue Lotion on Yogi, the difference was visible. The first photograph they sent in was taken in mid-June 2010, three weeks into treatment. The scale and crusting had cleared and healthier pink skin was showing through.
By the time they wrote to Dr. Adelia Ritchie, Yogi was nearly 16 — and his family said the products had saved his life.
More than a coat: a dog returning to himself
What surprised the Gilmans most wasn’t the new fur. It was watching Yogi’s personality come back.
- Energy and appetite returned — exactly as Dr. Adelia had predicted
- Little quirks of personality reappeared — Yogi became more interested in people and his surroundings, a happier dog overall
- Sleeping patterns normalised — less constant sleeping, more engagement
- Even his bladder improved — Yogi had been needing three attempts to fully empty his bladder; that stopped, and his confident “back-kick and strut” after a good pee came back
His family couldn’t see any explanation other than the improvement in his overall health from clearing his skin.
What it tells us about Black Skin Disease
Yogi’s story is a useful corrective to the idea that Alopecia X is purely cosmetic.
The hair loss itself may be cosmetic. What happens to the skin afterwards often isn’t. Bald skin is exposed skin: it loses its coat’s protection, it gets scaly and dry, and it readily picks up secondary yeast and bacterial overgrowth. A dog in that state is not a comfortable dog, and chronic discomfort drains energy, suppresses appetite and dulls personality.
That secondary problem is the part topical care reliably addresses, and it’s why a dog whose coat hasn’t changed much can still be visibly better off. We’re careful about the distinction: we can’t tell you a lotion restarts an arrested hair cycle, and nobody selling you anything for Alopecia X can. We can tell you what exposed skin needs, and Yogi’s case is what looking after it does for a senior dog.
The takeaway
Yogi was nearly blind and hard of hearing by the time his family wrote in — but they described him as a very happy little dog. That’s what success looks like at 16: not a perfect Pomeranian show coat, but a comfortable, engaged, well-skinned dog living his life.
“We are forever grateful.” — Tom & Debbie Gilman
Yogi’s story is a common one for the breed. For the full picture — why Pomeranians are affected so often, what your vet should rule out first, and the step-by-step protocol — see Pomeranian alopecia: natural treatment for Black Skin Disease. And if you’re weighing up melatonin, neutering or trilostane against the topical route, Alopecia X treatment: what works, what doesn’t, and why compares them honestly, ours included.
Start the treatment
DERMagic Skin Rescue Lotion
Start treatment — dermagic.eu →For guidance on Black Skin Disease in a senior dog, email customerservice@dermagic.eu or call +44 7425 388643.