hi everyone … elsa is now 11 months ... and her fur is looking very bad ... a month ago she looked like she was losing some very small areas of fur on both sides of her neck ... the vet tested for mites and all was negative ... we thought allergy but she is not scratching. After a week's vacation last week, we picked her up from boarding in a home daycare environemt (where she had had a bath before we picked her up) she she visually looked like her fur was thinning everywhere! We took her to the vet and she has a parasite in her stools (thanks daycare) and the vet is testing her thyroid due to the "allopecia". Has anyone had experience with this ?? Is this an age where baby fur goes away and adult fur is growing in? HELP! Elsa's mom!
she is at the age that they will start to shed baby fur… is she spayed or intact? Have you talked to her breeder?
And if she has some parasites in her stools, that may or may not have been for the daycare... unless you know that before you left she was parasite free...
Best thing is to talk to her breeder.... first
We have had elsa since she was 8 weeks and no parasite until this week when we picked her up from her 9 days/nites at daycare during our vacation … she had profuse diarrhea for 24 hours ... the Vet is not worried ... said common from daycare situations ... she is on pills for 20 days ... the fur loss is worrisome ... not coming out in clumps ... just that her coat is clearly thinning and becoming brittle ... the diagnosis was "allopecia" ... should get thyroid results tomorrow ... what am I supposed to ask the breeder ... if there is thyroid in her background?? thanks!
Is she spayed? My first female had an hysterical pregnancy at that age and her coat got very thin/dry–it was at this time of year, too.
What are you feeding her--I usually go for a lower fat food (10-12% or so) and supplement generously with fresh Omega 3 rather than buying a kibble that contains it: it can go rancid quickly in kibble & cause diarrhea. I also split large bags of food into batches and keep it in the freezer. I've had a number of fosters arrive with very thin, brittle coats and that fill out beautifully with a quality Omega 3 supplement–the good stuff isn't cheap, but everyone remarks on my pack's shiny coats. Plus it's an anti-inflammatory, helps keep them young & healthy. As sighthounds, B's have less oily skin that's prone to dryness in winter climates
Also, foods with a lot of soy protein or phyto-estrogens can also cause coat thinning. So can environmental toxins: Febreeze, chemical spray cleaners like Lysol, scented candles & rug cleaners. I use a lot of vinegar, baking soda & lemon juice for cleaning.
Hope this helps!
there was the thread a little while ago about the owner's use of topical estrogen causing hair loss on their basenji.
… and supplement generously with fresh Omega 3 ...with a quality Omega 3 supplement–the good stuff isn't cheap, but everyone remarks on my pack's shiny coats. Plus it's an anti-inflammatory, helps keep them young & healthy. As sighthounds, B's have less oily skin that's prone to dryness in winter climates!
YodelMa - can I ask you what the brand is of the Omega 3 and where you get it (I'm in B.C.)? When it comes to my Kipawa, I'll pass on my lattes to make sure he gets products that are quality.
