Neutered male, ruined coat, will hormone replacement therapy work to restore coat?

[Bill Fish]

I have looked at a lot of posts and haven't found anything about hormone being used for neutered males to restore their coat.  Has anyone done this and did it do anything for the coat.

My male Barkley is a great dog, but I'm tired of people asking "What kind of dog is that." BTW he is 6 years old.

Thanks,

Bill

[John B. Hughes/Absinthe]

Bill,
First of all, have your vet do a blood test and check Barkley's testosterone level. If it comes back low, then he may benefit from an increase and therapy. If not, then you have to ask yourself what is it that you are trying to achieve or fix?
Coat is so very much a function of heredity and breeding and what is not in the genes cannot be achieved with chemicals or nutrition. Nutrition and conditioning is your best bet for the best quality of coat possible and beyond that you may be tilting windmills.
All Irish setters do not have the coat as pictured in GQ-some hardly have any and that is their lot and destiny. So if you have Barkley on a great diet and his testosterone level is normal, then you have to accept him for who and what he is. You can maximize his attributes with hygiene (bathing and conditioning and care) but you cannot create a coat that his genes won't support. It just can't be done.
If you decide to up a normal testosterone level in the hope of growing coat, then you have to be prepared to cope with the consequences of creating an artificial environment and how that might affect the quality of Barkley's longevity and existance. Testosterone in humans has been postulated as a male youth drug but it has consequences. Do you want to chance them? Is it that important to you and to Barkley? Personal questions that only you and Barkley have the answers to-Good Luck!

[Howard Glansfield]

Every setter that I have had,male or female, that has been neutered(and not all have) have resulted in their coats going like a dandelion clock! They look rather like an Afghan cross! It seems a peculiarity to the breed.
My vet refused to give hormone replacement.
If you have had a male castrated because of aggressive behaviour then there is not much point in giving him testosterone.I was told a female can still attract male dogs if she has oestrogen.I think you will be best to grin and bear it,if you keep their coats short the fluffines is not be so noticable.
I have to go and chase the puppy now ,he has pinched something!

[Susan Stone]

Sorry, Bill, but I don't think there is much you can do if the coat has changed is due to castration. I've had a few 'fluffy sheep' when I have decided a bitch needed to be spayed. I'd recommend careful trimming by someone who knows what they are doing. The puppy fluff that developes can overrule what remains of the glossy setter coat and maybe by carefully removing the excess fluff you will may there is a bit of shine underneath.

Hormone replacement does not seem to make sense when you had the hormones removed by intent in the first place;o)

[Ossian]

bill there isnt a quick fix to this. Presumably you had him neutered for a reason so it doesnt seem so useful adding hormones back into the mix at six just because you are "sick of comments about his coat". Talk to the vet but also get grooming advise. What are you grooming with? If for instance you are using a Coat King, removing guard hairs etc you are and have been damaging the coat. Look at diet use more oil (sardines, tuna etc and bath with an excellent shampoo and conditioner that will add weight to the coat. You would be best to keep a working coat too rather than the much favoured longer feathering that appears in USA

[Ossian]

Furminator good!! for neuter coats not show coats!!

[Lindsey Jones]

My 3 year old (unspayed) bitch's top coat has gone wiry & flicks up when she gets damp, it has been a problem for most of this year. She used to have a lovely silky coat & we have tried adding sardines and other fish oils, Doreen Paige Vita oil to her food not much improvement. We are now trying Royal Canin Skin Support food as my vet thought this may help.
She has recently moulted heavily so am hoping the new coat will come through better. I am not sure if hormones are to blame? My other bitch has the same diet and has a beautiful glossy coat.

Any ideas?

[Cassie Allen]

I agree with checking the thyroid even if low normal I have seen thyroid med make a difference.

[Lindsey Jones]

OK I will arrange this ,I really appreciate your help, will let you know how we get on!

[Lindsey Jones]

Hi Cassie & Barbara, The thyroid levels are normal which is a relief. She has just had a huge moult so hopefully the new coat will be better. Thanks for your suggestion anyway

[Norma Pape]

I've found that fish oils help to keep the coat glossy in neutered males but no idea if it works on bitches as they tend to go woollier. A breeder in the U.K. that I once knew was going to try having a bitch only partially neutered [no I don't know] to see if the coat could be saved but the bitch would still be unable to breed. Never heard any more so no idea if it worked. Any one heard of this and the results?

[Howard Glansfield]

I discussed this with my vet for the only bitch we had spayed that wasn't done as an emergency Pymetra proceedure. She pointed out the pitfall of the dog still having seasons ,as you have done.I felt it wasn't worth still having all the problems that seasons bring for the sake of a sleek coat.
Oddly enough Ellie(who had Pymetra) and whose coat is like a wooly sheep,has stared to become sleeker since Arthur the puppy arrived.Strange but true!

[Norma Pape]

Could this be hormones kicking in again with a new male in the pack????