What's going on with his coat???

[SWEET AS FUDGE]

I've read on the forum many times about hair/coat problems but i post as i've been through so much to find out what's wrong with my dog Fudge.Around 2 years or so ago he had a flea infestation in the heat where he dribbles so much,he had lots of hair whilst younger under his chin,(he is now 4 years old) the vet shaved the neck area,too much for my liking but it has only grown back in sections,however he started to lose it further around his neck up towards his ears and even now i'm forever stripping out loose undercoat but it seems to be slowly getting worse,his skin has had some scaling in the past and some small brown flakey areas in the past.Ifeed both my Chows (the other is only 6 months and no probs,same diet etc oh and same sire!) on a Hypo-allergenic food and always use fish oil in their food,he has been for blood tests and allergy tests only show a tiny intolerance to a couple of things,some pyoderma previously too,i have mainly hard flooring and use no chemical on it or the carpet,maybe it's something in my garden? i have grass and paving,no plants/flowers to speak of,any ideas please guys-what else can i do

[jacqui]

has the vet checked his thyroid ? I've had 2 female chows with hypothyroidism and their fur doesn't grow back like it should.just a thought.

[chownuzzle]

Have the vet check it out. We used to have to buy my Chow special Doggy shampoo because he would lose a patch of hair in this one area. The shampoo seemed to take care of it. I forgot what sort of condition he had but the shampoo took care of it.

[SWEET AS FUDGE]

Thanks for the ind help guys! i'll check things out,ps i'm having trouble posting pictures,i dont know what im doing wrong,can anyone give me an idiot's guide please??

[fillyok]

If you're unable to use the upload attachment at the bottom of your post, then you can use a site like photobucket to post your pics.

[SWEET AS FUDGE]

yes i have them on photobucket,i copy and paste the code but the preview doesnt print a photo,justd the code??
ps my dog drinks a lot too,i feel that its to do with his condition also?
thanks again

[SWEET AS FUDGE]

[SWEET AS FUDGE]

FUDGE as a pup!

[SWEET AS FUDGE]

Fudge now...

[CoraP.]

Fudge is a very handsome fellow. I hope you get some answers to help him get better.

[chownuzzle]

Fudge is adorable. I think it might be that skin condition I mentioned the one I can't remember. The shampoo that you buy is almost like a doogy prescription one. My Chow hair start growing back like normal and then you just continued to use the Shampoo. Have you took Fudge to the vet? Let us know

[SWEET AS FUDGE]

yes i have been to the vet and have some shampoo for him,i'm going to give it a go asap!
thanks!
Roo is still only a pup but he's fine

[Rowlee]

OMG, they are both so cute. Hope you get Fudge's skin problems sorted out.

[chownuzzle]

They're beautiful. It shouldn't be too long before Fudge starts growing normal again. I forgot how long it took for Pooh Bear hair to grow normally. If I stop using the Shampoo though it would come back. I'm glad you were able to get the shampoo.

[akheila]

kira is doing the same thing...sort of...not her neck, but its her hips and now onto her side. but she seems to be scratching until she bleeds. and she looks so sad. bald patches. the groomer thinks its bad breeding. the vet says not to worry...we've had some allergy testing and a while back we had her thyroid tested and it was fine then...we were told it was likely her diet...seems to me we've tried tons of food..and short of going raw...I"m out of ideas.... so any ideas you guys can offer is great!

[chownuzzle]

I think that might be consider a hot spot. Pooh was more of shedding or bald spot. I used to get this special shampoo from my vet and took care of it.
Here's a link on hot spots info but I also copied it below http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/firstaid/hot_spots.php You can also do a forum search other members have posted good information about hot spots. Hope you find something that will help.

Hot Spots
Also called moist eczema, hot spots are the sudden appearance of wet, circular patches of infection on the skin that create intense itching and irritation. Hot spots are the result of a tick or insect bite, or even from a mild abrasion or moisture contacting the skin. They can spread very rapidly across the skin surface and beneath the fur, so they may be difficult to see. It is best to trim the fur around the affected area to allow air to assist in drying.

Daily cleaning of the hot spot with sterile saline, NOT hydrogen peroxide, every two hours for the first day or two will speed up the healing. Also, any topical antibacterial ointment with arrest growth of the bacteria. Sometimes oral antibiotics and steroids are necessary to help these areas to heal. These skin lesions can take a week to finally dry and look like they are going to heal. The fur begins to grow back, sometimes a different color, within two weeks.

[mswhitney]

If it's not a skin condition, have them also do a liver panel... that can cause coat issues as well.

[chownuzzle]

If it's not a skin condition, have them also do a liver panel... that can cause coat issues as well.

Ooh wow I never would have known of this

[SWEET AS FUDGE]

Thanks guys,i'm armed with a few things now as i'm consulting with the vet,he's drinking more and off his food,very sluggish too,sleeping more

[chow fancier]

Have you had a Thyroid panel done?? Just a blood test, but could be the issue. And if your pup is hypothyroid the solution is easy, pills everyday but very inexpensive.

[Bears of Blighty]

I have been through the vet and seen a dermatologist now for a long period of time and had blood tests,skin tests and swabs etc,tried numerous medicines not to mention spending a fortune,but Fudge has got slowly worse,losing his coat along his back,its pretty thin,and more around his neck,up towards to his ears and to our horror,Roo has started to lose his under his neck now too,its thin under the neck from one side around to the other,you can see his skin,he is around 2 1/2 years old now
Is it too warm in the house? i have mostly tiled floor which we clean with no detergents,decking and some grass outside,we think it could be the enviroment maybe? it would seem odd that both dogs turn out to have the same allergey to foods etc wouldn't it?
Any more help would be greatly appreciated!

[Sirchow]

I am so sorry to hear about your chow skin problems. I presume you have been through the normal allergy trials with your dermatologis. Have you tried different foods? Changing things in their envirement etc. One of our chows here is allergic to wool and another to grass for example. Is there something you wash their bedding in or an air freshener you use? You will need to examine everything they come in contact and consider any products used in the home. All treats as well. As far as I know there are blood tests that can be done to determine what a dog is allergic to and then they can be given injections to help them get over it. Others will know more about this or ask your vet. Sorry not to be a lot of help.

[JasonandNat]

Food! We solved issues with good food, mixed a few varities till we found what worked. We thought it was the shampoo, allergies, something unknown, in the end the food resolved all issues.

Currently we use a third NRG (Buffalo and Salmon alternate days), third Wellness fish, third Source Gold.

This has made a huge difference for our fur kids. FengHuang had hotspots and lots of itching, ShenLung had a very sensitive tummy, both lost a lot of coat early on and now both grow in and stay healthy, thick and strong. We tried shampoos, chats with vet and some threads here, after experimenting with foods and starting to see results we descerned this was the root of the issues.

Hopefully this can help you and others.

A chow needs its fur!!!!

[Bears of Blighty]

That's great advice thanks guys,I'm in a wheelchair due to a motorcycle accident and feel the cold a fair bit,i'm really wondering if the house is too hot? i try to keep the heat down and Roo always sleps in the colder,conservatory but his hair is going at quite a rate now

[JasonandNat]

Ours get 2-3 hrs a day out. We do keep the temp down in the house but even in the summer they don't lose it all (almost did the first year whenwe realized the issues). A nice cool spot like tiles or abasement is nice as is a sliding door usually.

Sorry to hear about the accident.

We wish you and the fur kid the best and a quick resolution to both your problems.