Concerned About Brooke

[greytpups]

I've been watching Brooke because I'm concerned about the amount of fur she's losing.

 

She has a greyt appetite, in fact she has a "Slow down" bowl, plus a stainless steel ball we put in her bowl to slow her down from inhaling her food. She's energetic, playful, alert, and no signs of lethargy. I haven't observed any worms, etc. in her stool, however they are a bit soft.

 

But she's not just shedding, she's getting bald in areas such as her neck and legs and underside. She was a deep rich red colour when she arrived but now she's fading a lot along with her baldness. I've added oil to her meals because her coat is kinda lacklustre.

 

Anyone experience this or have any ideas? I've checked out the (oops forgot the name) Greyhound Medical book and can't really find anything other than thyroid issues, but that doesn't really address the fading colour.

 

Bailey shed a lot and and coat faded just before she died, but I'm not going there Ok...maybe it's crossed my mind and I may be a little bit sensitive.

[Batmom]

Sure it isn't just shedding season? Joseph has gotten pretty bald again with the warm weather, and very hairy Gidget is starting to shed some, too.

[Guest Energy11]

Curfew's coat is thin and lack-luster. All of mine are shedding BIG TIME, and I mean, BIG TIME! Curfew is the hariest of all of mine, and we have been through this before. He sheds until he has bald spots and grows his coat back beautifully. He is on thyroid meds, but his numbers are good.

 

Oakly is also shedding big time, and looks pretty ughy right now.

 

If the thyroid is good, eating, no lethargy, it MIGHT just be seasonal shedding, especially with all this recent heat!

 

Good Luck!

[seeh2o]

Carl & Claire are shedding a lot right now, even with all the furry gains Carl has made with the melatonin, he is still getting a thin summer coat.

[TheFullHouse]

Jan, it sounds like she's blowing her coat. Most of my hounds are bald under the neck, belly and back of the legs. Some came to me that way and some became that way after blowing their kennel coats.

[Guest Spencers_Greyt]

Start with a thyroid test first and then go from there.

[TheFullHouse]

I could make another whole dog out of the hair my hounds are losing right now.

[Guest KennelMom]

we noticed a similar issue with our blue girl. dull coat, balding spots (tail, belly, back of legs, butt)...and even her color changing to a blechy brownish color (not sun fading...she's not out enough for that). Her skin sometimes looked a little pink to me and I have noticed she has been a bit lackluster in personality too (but she is getting older I told myself...) Anyhoo...even though we've been feeding this kibble for almost a year and this has been within the last few months I decided to switch her to a different version - from bison based to salmon based and we're already seeing a difference in the right direction.

 

It could just be summer shedding...ours are certainly blowing their coats right now but they don't typically bald out. Just normal dog shedding type stuff, which is what bothered me about Stella. Since you mentioned soft poop, I just thought I'd throw out the possibility of a food allergy.

Edited June 18, 2010 by KennelMom

[Guest LindsaySF]

You could check her thyroid for peace of mind. Rogan is having some wicked seasonal shedding right now. His thighs, tummy, and neck, all bald! He came to me that way and the hair grew back, I assumed from a food change, but now I think it was just the colder weather. We'll see if it comes back in once winter rolls around.

[Guest BlackandBrindle]

How old is she?

 

Spudzie was really never fuzzy but he had more fur when we adopted him. Our first spring he got bald on his neck, buns, and chest. After almost five years he's finally growing it back.

 

I see a lot of crazy fur on the track pups. Sometimes it's puppy coat, or just blowing their coat. If you haven't been through the cycle with Brooke before, it can make you question if it is 'normal.'

 

Doesn't sound like thyroid to me (but I'm not a vet). I'd give it a month or so. See if the fish oil helps. Maybe consider changing her to another food (especially if the stool isn't what you want it to be). If she starts exhibiting more symptoms take her into the vet and have her checked out.

 

Oh, and take pictures every week so you can document the change (for your own sense of sanity). If there is something I'm worried about on the pups, I take a picture so I can compare it at a later time.

[greyhead]

It was thyroid in our house. Loss of fur on sides and throat were prominent. After correction he changed from fawn to the red fawn he had been before, and the hair regrew. Testing for thyroid isn't that expensive. And being hypothyroid involves a lot more deficits than hair loss, deficits which the dog will notice but you may not.

 

 

[Guest Samantha]

Maddison came to me as a huge fat ball of fluff now she's shedding a lot and has been for weeks, she had very very thin patches of hair on her sides, which after afew weeks are looking a lot better, the hair must be growing back. She still looks like she has a brown coat in areas where the hairs thicker. We had her thyroid checked, everything was fine. I put it down to normal seasonal shedding.

 

Maybe thyroid checked, it puts your mind at rest.