Hair Loss Or Just Blowing Coat?

[Guest Celestrina]

Angie has been shedding like crazy. I don't remember her ever shedding like this in the fall before. We've also noticed flakey skin. Some areas look like the fur isn't growing back. The areas are the same on both sides. It started on her lower thighs and is working its way up. She doesn't have any bald patches, just very fine fur. I first noticed this about a month ago. The vet wasn't too concerned, but ran some tests (including mange) just to be sure. All came back negative.

 

She had been on low doses of prednisone for IBD, which she stopped taking around three weeks ago. She is on Science Diet z/d for both the IBD and food sensitivities.

 

Should we wait and see what happens? Should we be concerned?

[Wonder]

Mine are shedding right now

[RedHead]

EVERYTHING in this house is shedding right now....

[Guest Lochshumans]

Loch sheds like crazy and he loses the fur on the back of his thighs too. The one thigh never has much fur on it anyway and it's been like that from his racing days. The other thigh, grows fur then he sheds it again and it goes bald. He has had this cycle twice in the year we've had him. It's just his way to shed, no worries on our end and the vet said this can be common in greys with the backs of their thighs from the crate life on the track.

[Guest Celestrina]

Thank you. I wasn't sure if the prednisone could cause something. We've had her three years and we don't remember her shedding like this in the fall before.

[schultzlc]

Luna turns a kind of tawny brown color from all of the summer sunshine, and right now, fur is flying off of her like crazy! I can't wait to have my sleek black pup back again.

[Feisty49]

Annie sheds 365 but right now, she's shedding more than usual. She has no bald spots though.

[ramonaghan]

Annie sheds 365 but right now, she's shedding more than usual. She has no bald spots though.

 

Is that a fawn thing? Sweep's a year-round shedder too; her chest and belly have bald spots but her thighs and butt do not. We have been using Missing Link with her and it seems to help with the shedding a bit, but it definitely makes her coat soft and shiny. We recently got this formula (previously, we'd gotten Ultimate Skin & Coat), which contains a probiotic, so there's a great side benefit: perfect poos!

[Guest chickenpotpie]

Oh good, I'm not the only one seeing this! Lucky is shedding like crazy at the moment. The furmigator is getting a heck of a workout!

[Guest RMarie]

James seems to shed all year round too, but he seems to have a lot more fur than other greys we've met so I just blame it on that. His butt is so fuzzy I could trim it with scissors.

[2greyhoundMINI]

Anything seems to shed less than the cats.

[XTRAWLD]

Ever since I've been giving the boys Fresh Factors, Kasey is a fur shedding factory! I can't ever remember this much fur coming off a dog in my life. I know it's typical for them to shed a couple times a year, like now, but it's non stop ever since we put him on these supplements. Thought I'd mention it since you are finding some fine spots, and flakey skin. Sounds like it's pretty normal shed cycle, but if you want to consider a little boost, look up Fresh Factors by Springtime.

 

Edited to note: Kasey has been on a low dose of pred since 2008 so I wouldn't say he sheds more because of it.

Edited September 26, 2013 by XTRAWLD

[TexasMermaid]

Connie is shedding a lot now. She is almost a 365-day-a-year shedder, but it seems worse when the seasons change. We had a short burst of cooler air here in TX over the past week or so then the temps cranked up again in the 90s yesterday. Her bum gets fuzzy when it turns cold. She is brindle. Chase (black and white tuxedo) doesn't shed nearly as much, although he gets a little "fuzzy bum syndrome" in the winter usually.