Extreme shedding...Is this normal?!

[steph131]

Hi chow owners! I'm hoping those with a little more experience of owning a fuzzy bear can help me out. I'm new to having a chow...or indeed having a dog full stop! I had Barney in June last year at 13 weeks.

In the last couple of weeks his fur is coming out like crazy, I mean in literal clumps! I know they shed their winter coats in preparation for the warmer weather, but he literally looks like a stray dog he's so untidy. He's got patches around his legs and on the side of his belly which aren't bald by any means, but significantly thinner than the rest of him. I can't brush him even 3 strokes at the moment without having to remove it from the brush, I'm collecting the stuff by the bag load and having to empty the hoover after just one lap of the living room!

Is this normal?

Steph

[applebear]

It sounds like he's blowing his coat, which is completely normal and looks pretty much as you described....a homeless dog ran in a dryer of barb wire. As long as he isn't getting bald spots, it should be no concern and the hair should die down after you get some good brushings in. Maybe even give him a warm bath, that is suppose to help the hair fall out a bit more.

Hope that helps.

[chowchowdaddy]

Our first chow didn't really blow her coat to the point it came off in clumps, but she was really good about her daily brushing so we got it all along that way. Tempest, however, can walk along during "coat blowing season" and clumps of hair just fall off of her while she's walking, and I could truly fill a punch bowl with this downy undercoat every night. So, you just get used to it...

[Rory's Dad]

Even without blowing seasonal coat or puppy coat a normal Chow brushing will pull plenty of dead fur. We brush every other day without fail and send Rory off for a full grooming session 1x a month.

Using the right tools is essential. A rake at shed time will save lots of time (particularly in the rear area). A comb to get out and knots (ears and throat area). A finish brush to smooth out the top coat. And finally, a pin brush for a quick go-over.

Much easier if you have a smooth Chow.

I agree, unless you see bald spots, its a normal shed. The new growth may appear different in texture, but its pushing out the old.

[steph131]

Thank you! No, definitely not bald patches, they just looked so thin compared to his old coat which worried me a little. Starting to look a little more normal now they're evening out. Barney gets a bit excited when we brush him and keeps going for the brush, so have to wait until he's tired and then he doesn't care I may have to invest in one of the rakes though if you recommend

Thanks again

[Grab]

Both of my dogs blow coat in clumps. Right now my smooth female is very raggedy looking...we're going to have to sit down and take care of that

I will say that my male's first shed after he got all of his adult coat in was horrible. He was so sparse that I had his thyroid tested (it was perfectly normal). He grew his hair in properly and he's never repeated such a drastic shed since.