Loosing Puppy Coat
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| Any advice or knowledge on sheepies loosing there puppy coats would be appreciated. I have read that they will lose 2 coats before they get their adult coat. Thanks |
| Hi,
Yuppers your Max is losing his puppy coat which occurs around six months of age - it's completely normal. I've also heard they look pretty unkept while this is happening until they get their adult coat. The suggestion I was given from my breeder is to perhaps clip the coat while this is occuring and let the adult coat grow in. I'm not sure if I'll go that route as have about 2 more months to go until Merlin is at that stage so haven't been through it yet. Good luck and hang tight as it's only temporary!  |
| Your puppy is probably losing its puppy coat. It was easier to keep it trimmed to less than 2 inches for us because Abbi also went thru her adolesence at about the same time (which means we had a difficult time keeping her in place to groom her for more than 20 minutes at a time). It is temporary, but can take up to a couple of months for it to occur head to rump.
It happens again at about 18 months or so, but not as noticeable. At least for Abbi it was a more gradual change and she ended up with coarser, more manageable hair. Grooming has been much easier the past year or two. I think it is a combination of no more coat changes and practice. She had an severe allergic or autoimmune reaction back in October and lost some hair on her back (she lost her nails and her pads would bleed after our walks, her gums turned white and I thought she was falling apart ....). That hair has grown in black. I wonder if it is going to turn silver next year, like her puppy coat did. She lost hair on her leg when she was a year old. It grew back black and has lightenned up, but is still a darker gray than the rest of her leg. Even if you cut or trim the coat, keep brushing or you will regret it. The dog will be hard to work with when the hair does grow back and it can still mat because it doesn't all fall off and can get stuck in even short hair. Just use the pin headed brush or a comb. If the dog develops a rash or anything at any of the balding spots try some hydrocortisone or exzema ointment, then go to the vet. Even though bald spots are normal for some dogs, you still need to watch the areas to make sure it isn't anything else. Abbi never had bald spots while blowing her coat, but every dog is different and I have heard of others who did go bald in spots. Don't worry unless it looks irritated or infected. |
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