Is this shedding normal?

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FosterandPrincess
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Is this shedding normal?

Post by FosterandPrincess »

Hi all.

Princess is my first Chow, and I just wanted to check and see if this was normal shedding. I did some searching around here, and I think it's normal, but it won't hurt to ask.

Princess has been shedding since the beginning of August, especially on her sides right in front of her hind legs. It seems to mostly be her top coat, and her skin seems fine underneath. She doesn't seem overly itchy. I rescued her in July last year and I can't really remember if she shedded like this last summer.

I brush my baby every morning, and she is dropping about a plastic shopping bag every three days or so. She is still happy, active, and ever vigilant at keeping all the bunny intruders out of our yard, but I just wanted to make sure this was normal.

Thanks!

Foster Disbelief and his faithful canine sidekick, Princess Anastasia
Kurosbuddy
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Re: Is this shedding normal?

Post by Kurosbuddy »

Hi Foster,
It is funny that you post this because I have had a similar issue. I have had my Kuro for 5 years and just this year, since the beginning August, he has gone through a MAJOR shedding cycle. It is the worst ever. He seems to be losing most of it in the same place as your Princess, the sides of his back legs and also his shoulders. Like you, I am getting BAGS of fur out of him. He seems happy and healthy though. Mostly it is the undercoat and not the top coat. I think it is just a seasonal shed that is more noticable this year. But if it keeps up he'll be bald and the vacuum can barely keep up! :lol:
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nean007
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Re: Is this shedding normal?

Post by nean007 »

I'm going through the same thing with Dargo. I'm beginning to wonder if our chows are getting thicker summer coats because we leave them inside during the summer with the AC blasting and I know this was a hot summer for a lot of people. I know he usually blows his undercoat out around this time of year but it seems earlier and worse than usual.
Hugs from Dargo and Denny!
august-ewok
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Re: Is this shedding normal?

Post by august-ewok »

Hi Foster. It is normal for your Chow to shed heavily during the summer as long as there does not seem to irritation nor baldness. My own Chow shed profusely all his life with no problem. It also seem to me that if the winters were colder then he shed more the following summer. My own theory is that colder winter made him retain more of his fur and as a result he lost more when weather got hotter. Hope this helps.
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chinabear
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Re: Is this shedding normal?

Post by chinabear »

hi,my chow is also loosing alot of her undercoat,her skin looks good now that i can see it lol,does anybody know how long it is before it starts growing again?.....
she's even sleeping in her bed now where as before she was on the hardwood flooring.
she has been quite itchy and biting and scratching and ended up on antibiotics for a sore on her side that got infected but its cleared up now...thank god... :D
littlelion
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Re: Is this shedding normal?

Post by littlelion »

can u use the shedded chow chow fur to make a pillow or a stuffed animal?
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JustinEason
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Re: Is this shedding normal?

Post by JustinEason »

I read this post about a week ago when I noticed little tufts of hair about to all off of Gonzo all over him. He is my first chow chow so i figured he was blowing his coat. But tonight when i brushed him, I filled up a good shopping bag of fur and noticed this. One shoulder the skin looks fine but there is massive hair loss, the other shoulder also has the hair loss and but the skin is red ( as seen in the last picture). I have delt with a small silver dollar size hot spot before and I am worried this might be a massive one that came out of left field. I have some antibiotics leftover and a little gentocin spray. I am wondering if you think this is normal, and if not is their a cheaper substitute for gentocin, it smells like diluted hydrogen peroxide to me anyways, any info would be help full to gonzo and me as vet bills suck.

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This last image is his right side, and the one I am worried might be bacteria.

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Victory
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Re: Is this shedding normal?

Post by Victory »

JustinEason wrote:I read this post about a week ago when I noticed little tufts of hair about to all off of Gonzo all over him. He is my first chow chow so i figured he was blowing his coat. But tonight when i brushed him, I filled up a good shopping bag of fur and noticed this. One shoulder the skin looks fine but there is massive hair loss, the other shoulder also has the hair loss and but the skin is red ( as seen in the last picture). I have delt with a small silver dollar size hot spot before and I am worried this might be a massive one that came out of left field. I have some antibiotics leftover and a little gentocin spray. I am wondering if you think this is normal, and if not is their a cheaper substitute for gentocin, it smells like diluted hydrogen peroxide to me anyways, any info would be help full to gonzo and me as vet bills suck.



This last image is his right side, and the one I am worried might be bacteria.
Both patches are abnormal, one is just more irratated, (I'd guess he has been licking it more) Something most vets won't tell you is that a lot of hot spot issues with chows are from their food. I just went through the same thing with my Firesong earlier this year, (during the spring shed) the company that makes her former food, changed the formula, just a bit, and she got hot spots on her back right above her hips joints. Even though it was hard for her to reach she had them pretty raw. I cut all the hair away, washed and dried the area very well, and used a topical antibiotic, the same kind you use on humans for little cuts and scraps. It took about five days but it healed right up and the fur grew right back in, now I can't even find the areas. I also switched her food to a better brand, (a lot better) no more corn for her! Diets with no corn, no wheat and healthy meats are the best for all chows, (all canines actually) See what is in his food and see if changing it helps.
Victory, Darkwind, (our angel), Firesong, and Dreamdancer
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Victory
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Re: Is this shedding normal?

Post by Victory »

littlelion wrote:can u use the shedded chow chow fur to make a pillow or a stuffed animal?
Yes. In fact if you know of a person who spins, or someone who is willing to teach you how, their fur makes lovely yarn, and can be knitted or crocheted....I have a few pounds and I know someone who knows how to spin and she's going to teach me, soon as we both have time, then I'm going to see how much yarn I can make and then make something from it.
Victory, Darkwind, (our angel), Firesong, and Dreamdancer
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JustinEason
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Re: Is this shedding normal?

Post by JustinEason »

I believe the food may have something to do with it. I have used EVO all 11 months I have owned him, but the pet store told me somebody bought out the company and i switched to Innova. Im half way through his first large bag of innova red, I guess next time I need to try something else.
JustinEason
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Re: Is this shedding normal?

Post by JustinEason »

Should I get him to the vet, or just throw out the rest of this bag of Innova and try another brand? Also, will washing him make this worse? Its been almost 3 months since his last bath. And again, does anybody know of any subsitute for gentocin(an expensive spray for hot spots the vet gave me).
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Victory
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Re: Is this shedding normal?

Post by Victory »

JustinEason wrote:Should I get him to the vet, or just throw out the rest of this bag of Innova and try another brand? Also, will washing him make this worse? Its been almost 3 months since his last bath. And again, does anybody know of any subsitute for gentocin(an expensive spray for hot spots the vet gave me).
you should never start them on a new food quickly, I'd buy a really good food now and begin to switch him gradually, about a 1/8-1/4 of the new food to 7/8-3/4 of the Innova.. However, after taking a look at the ingredients in Innova, it looks like a pretty good food, no corn or wheat, healthy meat, good vegies for vitamins, healthy oils. I'd leave him on it if his tummy is tolerating it okay. Let him get through the bag and see how he's doing then.

No I wouldn't bathe him right now, until those spots are cleared up. If you leave just a little dampness on him after a bath right now or a tiny bit of shampoo you could start another hot spot. Dump the spray. Like I said, go get a simple topical anti-biotic, like Neosporine to use. But for now since there are no open areas, trim the hair down, and make a mixture of water and salt and pat that on. Judy will have to add a comment or two about the ratios of salt to water, but I think it's 2/3 water to 1/3 salt. I've also been told that brewing some green tea and using that, followed by aloe works too.
Victory, Darkwind, (our angel), Firesong, and Dreamdancer
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JustinEason
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Re: Is this shedding normal?

Post by JustinEason »

So my breader jane, at shanghaichows.com told me he is likely loosing his puppycoat, however those spots are a bit abnormal and i should apply crico oil twice a day. Any thoughts?
yreed723
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Re: Is this shedding normal?

Post by yreed723 »

Hello Everyone,
My Chow King Koda is going through the same thing. I have purchased a hydrcortisone spray w/aloe vera by Pro Pet. It seems to treat any thinning fur. I have had him now for almost a year and the first time I noticed the fur lost was last winter and he was very itchy also. I used the spray and it worked. He stopped scratching so much and his fur began filling in again. :)
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kimigirl
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Re: Is this shedding normal?

Post by kimigirl »

Hi. this may be a really late reply but hope it helps:

My vet formulated a cream for Roscoe. Its locally (philippines) called VETNODERM. Generic name is Dermidex + zinc oxide.

Indications:
For treatment of all kinds of wounds associated with fungal and bacterial infections, hot spots in dogs and cats, can also be used as supportive medication in demodecosis and sarcoptic mange.

It's worked wonders for Roscoe. I hope it's (or counterpart) is available in the US. Its brilliant!!!
If not, let me know and I can send you some. It comes in a 10g plastic tub.

All the best
Kim
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ROSCOE
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