Signs of XHED include symmetrical hairlessness, missing or misshaped teeth, and lack of sweat glands. Affected dogs lack secondary hair and have no hair on their forehead or pelvis, which is apparent soon after birth. Biopsies of affected areas reveal a complete absence of hair follicles and supportive tissue. Moreover, affected dogs suffer from dental abnormalities, such as missing or misshaped teeth. Other signs of XHED include decreased tear production, chronic discharge from the eyes and nose, and a somewhat compromised immune system. XHED may also predispose affected dogs to generalized Demodex infections due to a weakened immune system.

Therapy is limited to symptomatic treatments for resulting skin infections and general supportive care. There is no cure.

There are many responsibilities to consider when breeding dogs. Regardless of test results it is important that your dog is in good general health and that you are in a position to care for the puppies if new responsible owners are not found. For first time or novice breeders, advice can be found at most kennel club websites.

This disorder is X-linked recessive, meaning the genetic variant is found on the X chromosome. Given males only have one X chromosome, a single affected copy will increase the risk of being diagnosed with the disorder. Females typically require two copies to be at an elevated risk of full clinical signs. Use of dogs with one or two copies of the variant is not recommended for breeding as there is a risk that the resulting litter will contain affected puppies. Please note: It is possible that clinical signs similar to the ones caused by this variant could develop due to a different genetic or clinical cause.