English Setters

[rosie beere]

Hi,

spaying/neutering  an Irish leads on the whole to a less than desirable coat. In the English Setter does the same thing happen?

Rosie

 

[Pat Aldridge]

In my limited experience yes, the coat can go rather manic LOL!  Woolly, fluffy, depending on the coat on that particular bitch.

[Finding_Beau]

Sorry to confuse but I have never seen any negative change in the coats of my English Setters, male or female, after they have been desexed. Their coats are different textures too, depending on their bloodlines.

[Michelle Walsh]

Hi Rosie, I have two English Setter boys, Legolas (9) & Theoden (7) both were neutered at about 6 months of age, both have quite different textured coats. Theoden's is quite silky & has a nice bit of feathering for a dog from working lines...whether he would have had alot more if left intact ,I'm not sure but Legolas' coat is totally different...feels alot drier & has a tendancy to stick out all over the place like he's statically charged ( just look at some of his photos :) ). It's possible that neutering has had a big influence on his particular coat. So my experience has been two neutered dogs, two different coats but who knows what either one would have looked like if left intact.

~Michelle

[Sue and Cash]

I just met someone who had two rescued bench bred english setters.  One was 7 and the other 5.  They had been neutered which I could tell by their coats.  They had a mess going on for sure!  It was nappy and wooly.  I knew if they were groomed up they would look so much better but being I barely knew them I bit my tongue.  I wanted to take my Mars Coat King to them both! 

[Finding_Beau]

Hi Sue and Cash, could the poor condition of the coats be related to their poor health and not to the desexing because they are both rescues? I agree that how a dog is groomed affects their coats irrespective of whether or not they have been desexed.

[Pat Aldridge]

I can assure you my speyed bitch WAS groomed regularly, WAS healthy, WAS very much cared for - it is wellknown that speying does affect a bitch's coat to a lesser or greater degree due to the lack of hormones.  I have no experience of neutered dogs' coats as I don't neuter males.

[Finding_Beau]

I just wanted to reassure you Pat that I was not referring to you. I was referring to the "two rescued bench bred english setters" mentioned by Sue. My Jessie was desexed at 6 months of age for a medical condition so maybe the reason the desexing did not negatively affect her coat was because she was not fully mature. My other English Setters who have been desexed are males. Hobson was only desexed in June 2011. So far the desexing has had no negative impact on his coat but a definite positive impact on his health because he has been suffering from a tumour for approx 2 years which has been misdiagnosed by several vets.

[Sue and Cash]

No, they appeared to be doting pet owners who had the dogs for years now.  Not new rescues if that is what you meant.  I had an irish years ago that never had coat issues after his neutering.  Cash has some.  I knew it was possible.  There are many breeds with long hair that this can happen too.  It doesn't mean ALL and it is a random thing.  And some neutered as puppies have it worse than some later in life, they had the benefit of hormones longer perhaps?  I have no idea.  But I still think that with grooming they can all look their best regardless. 

[Sue and Cash]

LOL Tracy!!

Mine might not look as good, and just don't look at the feet.  I can't get that part right yet at all.

I might...fingers crossed have a day off this week leading up to Turkey Day.  We want to come play.

[Finding_Beau]

Hi Cornelia, I am not a breeder and I have never had any interest in being a breeder so I have no experience with English Setter ladies being desexed after having litters. The reason Hobson was desexed in June 2011 was to remove a sertoli tumour which had been producing too much oestrogen in his body for 2 years! Would you believe several vets disregarded the tumour as well as the pigmented skin in Hobson's groin area and the enlarged nipples! If a tumour is growing inside the body upsetting the hormonal balance, particularly for this length of time, the skin has to be affected because it is the largest organ of the body. Even though we are now experiencing the worst time of the year for skin problems, and Hobson was desexed 5 months ago, Hobson's coat is now growing back beautifully. Hobson has a similar coat to my English Setter, Bandit because they have similar bloodlines. I rescued Bandit from a local dog pound. He was in a mess, his coat was in a mess. The pound desexed Bandit. After desexing, Bandit's coat improved but was this due to the desexing or a loving home environment and good nutrition? This is why I asked Sue the question. Hammer was desexed before he came to me. He and Beau have the same fine coat. Hammer's coat did not suffer after he was desexed and it did not grow woolly. Rose was desexed a long time before she came to me. All her coat including her feathering had been clipped off. Her health was very poor when she came to me at 7yo. This has affected the quality of her coat and also, she has different bloodlines from the rest of my kids.

[Finding_Beau]

Are you suggesting that I am trying to insult a member of this forum topic?

I will quote you: "Although I don't have English I have found that the coat changes on neutered Irish, male or female, depends on the original coat, some change, some don't .. I see no reason why it wouldn't be the same for English."

You admit you have never owned an English Setter.

You are also agreeing with me i.e. the coats of Jessie, Hobson and Hammer did not change from their original coat after they were desexed. Bandit's coat probably did not either except he was dumped in the pound and obviously this stressed him out. Once he was rescued, his coat returned to its original condition.

[Sue and Cash]

Okay now...let's regroup and relax a bit.  Sue H. does not insult here!   Text does not allow us to see gestures and tone of voice.  I can just assure you Finding Beau, this is not a lady who insults.  I think your sensitive to your wonderful breed as you should be, but I didn't see anything to get in a roar about.  I know that ill dogs can have coat problems but the question here was will desexing effect the coat of the English, like the Irish.  I think the answer is YES, but that is my opinion only.  And it does not mean ALL just some and that can be regardless of health, although that can be an issue to the coat also.  You were lucky that yours kept lovely coats.  And I will admit that the two rescued I mentioned, could have not have had good breeding which could have caused a funky coat as well.  Wow, I am starting to hate posting anything here!!  I feel like I am walking on eggshells and I don't even bring up anything controversial.