Normal rate of hair regrowth

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tmacmo
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Normal rate of hair regrowth

Post by tmacmo »

About 5 weeks ago adopted a sweet Chow from a shelter. The vet thinks that Harley is from 2 to 4 years old. He had a full, beautiful but horribly neglected coat. Horrible, horrible mats, encrusted with bugs and dirt. Just awful. Our choices were to shave him down, or put him through hours of painful combing to try to get them out. It broke my heart to shave him, but we just couldn't put him through that. So, we're now one month since the shave. His mane and his "bottom ruffles" seem to be growing in okay, and evenly. Everywhere else looks pretty much like it did after the shave...maybe 1/16 of an inch growth, with some random guard hairs and a few patches of longer fuzzy undercoat. He was at the vet yesterday for somethimg else, and she really thought it should be farther along and much more even. She suggested waiting a month and then running some bloodwork if it's not better by then. My question - is this normal for the regrowth to be so patchy and slow if he's otherwise healthy? Will it grow back okay with time? How long would you think it would take? Thanks for your thoughts.
Constantina
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Re: Normal rate of hair regrowth

Post by Constantina »

I had to shave my baby when she got a chronic case of demodex mange with bacterial nfection. It took six months minimum for people to identify her as a chow chow. Before that it was 'what breed is your dog'. Or no way is she pure chow is she half spitz? The worse was is she dying? Cancer? Chemo?
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Sirchow
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Re: Normal rate of hair regrowth

Post by Sirchow »

Hair regrowth depends on many things....the diet you are feeding now, the condition of the chow when you got him and what he has been through and most of all where he is in his hair growth cycle. Different types and areas of hair grow at different times. Unaltered females moult their entire undercoat twice a year and males less often but they do not loose their long guard hairs as frequently so if all is shaved then it will regrow when it is signaled to grow by the the hormones in his body. When my Bramble had her legs shaved for surgery the first one grew back the soft short red hair but none of the long light coloured hair of her pantaloons. When the next on was shaved six months later the hair all grew back together and the light coloured hair on the other leg began to come in too but both legs were left with a strip between the two colours of fur that took over a year to fill in and she had to have a comb over till then :lol:

I wouldn't worry too much for a couple more moths but if you see him scratching and his nose starting to loose fur he should probably be tested for a hormone imbalance as it could be his thyroid. I hope you begin to see some growth soon. You could try a little more protein in the diet if he can cope with it. Perhaps a bit of fish added in a few times a week.
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Siriol, Bramble, Izzie and Isla.
szczurolapka
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Re: Normal rate of hair regrowth

Post by szczurolapka »

after 6 months my little boy was fluffy like a toy ;p
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