Roo's Thighs Are Getting Bald?

[Aerosmom]

Our 11-month-old puppy Roo, who has never raced, is getting bald patches on her thighs. The only changes in her life are:

 

- spay at the end of March

- new brother Doc about four weeks ago

- change in food from Nutro lamb & Ricearge breed puppy to Costco puppy (chicken based) she is still eating a little bit of the Nutro until we finish the bag

 

She was very fuzzy this winter and it seems odd that she has gone from one extreme to another. Do you think I should have her checked at the vet, or is she just a dog who has a sparser coat in summer?

 

I should also mention that she didn't really like the Nutro and would often just push around the food in her bowl with her nose. She devours the Kirkland chicken & rice.

 

 

 

 

[Guest KennelMom]

Our blue girl goes bald-thighed in the summer and fuzzes up for the winter.

 

eta: Could be the adjustment to the new food or change in her hormones from the spay. I'd just keep an eye on it and give it some time.

[Rickiesmom]

Arlie is the same - fuzzbutt in winter, bald in summer - she's just starting the transition now.

[Guest adoptagreyhound]

Ani had bald thighs when we got her a year ago but we put her on Springtime's "Fresh Factors" and she has all of her hair back now. She looks great too.

Edited April 28, 2008 by adoptagreyhound

[Guest tricolorhounds]

I don't really think the bald thighs has anything to do with the time they spend in a crate while racing... It's genetics. The hair on Bonky's thighs comes and goes, he raced for 2 years... Sometimes it's really thick, sometimes there are little bald patches. Gaines had bald thighs when we adopted him after only 5 races, there is a little hair starting to grow back but don't think he'll ever be fluffy back there... Savannah on the other hand, raced for 3+ years and has a hairy little monkey butt

[Guest simile]

I've had Chloe since she was a pup, and her thighs started balding right around a year old. It seemed to happen when she lost the last of her puppy coat. She's 19 months old now, and the hair on her thighs is regrowing, but I'm thinking she's always going to be a little sparse back there. Tip, our retired racer, came to us with completely bald thighs, but is now getting quite fuzzy. I think it's in self defense of the -45 degree weather we had this winter .

[TheFullHouse]

I have some that fuzz up in the winter and shed the hair when the temperature turns warm.

[Aerosmom]

I've had Chloe since she was a pup, and her thighs started balding right around a year old. It seemed to happen when she lost the last of her puppy coat. She's 19 months old now, and the hair on her thighs is regrowing, but I'm thinking she's always going to be a little sparse back there. Tip, our retired racer, came to us with completely bald thighs, but is now getting quite fuzzy. I think it's in self defense of the -45 degree weather we had this winter .

 

That makes me feel a little better. I have been wondering if she is stressed out over having a new brother, if her food change is bad...she has lost most of her puppy coat, which was very fuzzy. I thought the bald thighs were only something that happened to the racers.

[CaliforniaGreys]

I've heard so many theories about the bald syndrome. The most common were stress, and low thyroid

[Guest FreddyGirl]

Freddy's loss of hair on thighs, as well as chest and belly were symptoms of her low thryoid levels. Almost all fur has returned after being on meds for @4 months.

[Batmom]

Zema is another fuzz-butt in the winter, naked in the summer. FWIW, she has rather high thyroid for a greyhound. (Somebody reputable did a study -- there's no correlation between bald thighs and low thyroid in greyhounds.)

 

Our whippet Rocco tends to get thin hair, tho not really bald, on his butt in summer. Moreso when he was younger and wilder than now in his senior years (15).