Coat changes after neutering

[Sue and Cash]

Here is a picture of Cash since we said we would watch him to see if his coat changes.  It has been about 8 weeks I think since his neutering maybe 7.  He lost the ripples and thick stuff he had all over his spine.  It was wild at times and I am glad it is gone.  I know that he is at the age now, 9 months this week, to lose puppy coat anyway.  But the hair in its place is so dry and wispy.  Lighter in color also.  And sheds.  Not sure if it is from the neuter or the coat changing naturally.  I thought it takes months to see the changes hormonally from castration.  At least that is what I read.    Here he is as of tonight.  He was always a fuzzy wooly coated puppy.  So it might not be a fair evaluation yet.  Since he was called Chewbacca for you Star Wars fans as a baby.  He is cute though.  And the hair growing over his ankles?  Do you guys trim that?  I was told leave it as long as it doesn't grow over the ankles.  Suggestions please.

[Dixie Cruise]

Thanks!

[eva ciechonska]

Sorry Gigi.........googled it and had to modify my original comment....see above. I understand there is still much debate for and against this oil and it's benefits. I give it only as a booster and not as a maintenance. I do give the milled linseed regularly and I see it is now being added more and more to foodstuffs.

[Catherine Carter]

Canola Oil was re-marketed in the UK under different names.....Hillfarm oil, Mellow yellow (Farrington Oil) and Munns Oil but the seed originate from Canada and it is exactly the same product. The only difference is that it is cold pressed now and not heat extracted as it used to be. When it is cold pressed they can charge the general public much more for it as they try to market it and compare it to cold pressed olive oil.....but it does not have the same properties as olive oil and quite a lot of people have developed allergies to it.

[eva ciechonska]

That is very interesting Catherine, thank you. I had already been in touch with Hillfarm and they assured me that it doesn't.....but then they would, of course, because they are protecting their interest. I must admit to using it on my dogs and myself without problem. However, maybe it might be better to err on the side of caution and eliminate it from the diet, especially as the jury is still out on this.
I have given my dogs extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil and found it can repeat on them as well. As there are different strengths of olive oil it might be better to give a mild form. Olive oil certainly helped when my bitch developed a dry nose. A week of adding it to her food cleared the problem.

[Kristin]

Hello, I got my Kelsey when he was about 1.5-2 years old. He came from a rescue group and was neutered right before I got him. They tell me he lost a lot of coat after the surgery - maybe it was puppy fur coming off, maybe hormone changes from the surgery, maybe stress, who knows. His coat reminds me very much of your Cash's coat. Kelsey to this day has a shorter coat, and a lot of fuzz on his legs. I would be interested in tips for working with fuzz in addition to the Mars Coat King, which I have. But bottom line, my experience has been similar to yours, but I have a health, happy dog who I consider the best dog ever and Kelsey gets compliments all the time. You can't help but love a setter in my opinion :)

[Paige P]

We had Dash neutered at 6 months. I just looked at photos of him at 6 months and 7 months and he is far less hairy than your boy - no lovely tail at all! If you click on my profile photo, you'll see Dash this June, at around 16 months. No woolies, but no big coat, either. I do use a Coat King on him (the best for getting rid of that fuzzy puppy fluff without removing the lovely long hairs) and he gets fish oil on his food at every meal. Additionally, he's always eaten Blue Buffalo dry dog food - I recently switched to the fish and sweet potato blend because Dash seems to prefer that fishy taste. I sometimes give him salmon and tuna just because he loves it, and I know it is good for his coat, skin and general good health. Dash is a very lanky boy, but he was before we had him neutered and his father is a moose. I think the primrose oil and fish oil supplements can't hurt. Handsome fella!

[Paige P]

Here's another thing: my neighbor's female Gordon is spayed and her coat is a huge woolly mess. She's about 5 years old, and she is never brushed and combed (as the neighbor admits). This is a real shame as a sleek glossy Gordon is a joy to behold. I wish I knew the neighbor better as I'm itching to get my hands on that Gordon to show how great a Coat King is! It certainly couldn't hurt, anyway. I think grooming really helps keep the woollies at bay and keeps the long silky hairs shiny. Dash is VERY unhappy about tangles, so I spritz them with water and a little No More Tangles and they work out much easier.

[Sue and Cash]

Dash looks lovely to my eyes. He has enough feathering for me because the maintenance is more than I need since we are only pet people. I laugh thinking Dash and Cash should be hanging out together. The names alone work so well together. Cash lost quite a bit of hair last week due to running into a burr bush. He came back with the whole bush wrapped around his body. Five hours later, his skirt and tail look great. He lost half of his front leg fringe and has a few bald spots on his belly where they were so attached up to the skin shaving them off was the only way to remove those matts. I bet your neighbor would be thrilled to have you clean up her dogs coat. She might enjoy how the dog really looks under all that fuzz. I know of an english setter we see that also has the most massive amount of hair I have ever seen. The dog looks like a Gordon because it is almost all black with the white hair underneath. If they would clean up the dogs coat they might find all this lovely white underneath!

[Louise Perry]

Love the idea, Dash and Cash hanging out together. And by the way the way they both look beautiful. I think Reuben is turning into a woolley mamoth as his bib has suddenly really thickened! I have to say though that last night when I brushed him, hardly any fur came out at all where as a few weeks ago it would be loads. So is this because of summer going and autumn coming or is it that he lost his puppy coat? I am totally non clued up on coat changes!

[Paige P]

Your profile photo is perfect! Big red dog and his three adorable kids, just as it should be. Dash and Cash are handsome, but I am envious of Reuben's coat. That's spectacular! I don't know about the weather where you are, but New Jersey tends to have cold, cold, cold snowy winters, gorgeous springs and falls, and VERY humid hot summers. Dash loves all weather, it seems, and actually seeks out sunny spots to sit and bask (me, I'm running from shady spot to shady spot). I have seen no difference in his coat, but that may be because he is pretty young and hardly has much fur. I'll know more after this next winter.

[Paige P]

Dash and Cash! I didn't catch that at first. We live in New Jersey, near Princeton, so if you are close by we can certainly plan doggy playdates and knock out everyone's eyes with the beauty of our gorgeous red goofballs. We are pet people, too, and I deliberately sought out a breeder with field line dogs because I didn't want the burden of that luxurious show coat. So funny, and sad, about Cash's run-in with the burrs. No more tangles helps get rid of burrs and stickers, I find - we have woods and a creek and Dash comes home pretty prickly sometimes. Our biggest problem is matts - behind the ears and in the groin. He HATES me to trim them, but they are impossible to remove by combing. If anyone has a suggestion other than cutting out matts, I'll be grateful to hear it. If it makes you feel better, Dash still doesn't have any belly hair and he'll be 2 at the end of February. I wish I could snap a photo of that Gordon - she looks like a yeti! Maybe her owner and I will have a chance to cozy up at the neighborhood block party and I'll ask if she'd like me to take a crack at that coat.

I met a woman with a lovely female English Setter - wonderful disposition and small build. The woman said they'd just had the dog spayed at 14 months and that she had dropped her coat about two weeks later. Prior to spaying, the girl had had a very lush coat and when I saw her (about 2 weeks later) she had lovely color and texture, but not much feathering. I'm sure the hormone changes have a lot to do with her shedding her heavy coat, but we were also moving from spring to summer and it may have been seasonal. I have no idea. My last dog, a female Lab, shed twice a year, so I don't have a clue about what to expect from my first Irish boy.

[Paige P]

"Jethro!" That's priceless!