Labrador's hair

JBoyle4eva

I've a golden lab, about 8 years in age. Over the past month or so, his hair is changing substantially in parts and it's shedding pretty heavily, causing quite a lot of hair to fall on the ground when he lies or when he approaches our legs.

Nonetheless, the quanity and coverage of hair remains good. He's got no balds spots appearing, however he's getting very dull spots around the sides of his gut and torso. My brother took him to the vet, and he was given some tablets. We've given them to him, but his fur hasn't improved. Is this a highly concerning issue? Unfortunately, my brother wasn't told by the vet exactly what was going on, but as he was given tablets I'd be concerned something is wrong.

do you think this requires another visit to the vet? Or is this something to not be concerned about?

tk123

The first thing I'd do (after coming to boards ) is google what the tablets are for!

Interceptor

Has he not shed his coat in previous years? Mine has covered the house in thick clumps of hair twice a year for the last six years, grooming, brushing and washing have helped speed the process but the local wild birds are never short of nestbuilding material.

Is there any irritation, rash, skin flakes or inflammation to suggest dermatitis? If not I'd wait a while, brush him regularly and see if it stops.

'cptr

Toulouse

The first thing I'd do is ring the vet. Tell him you need more information about what he thinks is wrong with the dog and what the tablets are for.

If it is a case that he hands out pills without giving any kind of information then you'd probably be better in the long run finding a better vet.

JBoyle4eva

Interceptor wrote: »

Has he not shed his coat in previous years? Mine has covered the house in thick clumps of hair twice a year for the last six years, grooming, brushing and washing have helped speed the process but the local wild birds are never short of nestbuilding material.

Is there any irritation, rash, skin flakes or inflammation to suggest dermatitis? If not I'd wait a while, brush him regularly and see if it stops.

'cptr

Ah, the shedding is the same as your experience. It's just the discolouration is happening at the same time which seems curious.

There's very little evidence of any inflammation or that. He did have a sore on his lower back a few weeks back, but that seems to have cleared itself up. I'll take you up on the brushing and see if it helps

Xiney

has he had a skin scraping to test for mange?

cotton

I've got an 8 year old golden lab in the exact same boat as yours....this happens the same time every year. No matter how much we brush him, we can still pull clumps off his coat. He also goes "2 tone"
Everything & everyone has golden hair on it no matter how much we brush & clean.
And, like Interceptor, the birds are having a ball. They're mustn't be a nest in Greystones that isn't lined with Ozzie hair.

Cherry Blossom

cotton wrote: »

I've got an 8 year old golden lab in the exact same boat as yours....this happens the same time every year. No matter how much we brush him, we can still pull clumps off his coat. He also goes "2 tone"
Everything & everyone has golden hair on it no matter how much we brush & clean.
And, like Interceptor, the birds are having a ball. They're mustn't be a nest in Greystones that isn't lined with Ozzie hair.

Same as this, seems to get worse as well as they get older, mine is 14 now, brush him down with my grooming kit for horses twice a day, fur all over the garden and if I kept going till hair stopped appearing on the brushes it would be time to start again as soon as I was finished :rolleyes: