'Fluffy' Coat

As Sparky is the first Cav ive had Im looking for a bit of advice here.

In the last month or so his coat seems to have gone a bit fluffy on his sides. Would this be a side effect of neutering? Or is this how his coat should be at 15 months?

Because of this ive changed his food from Burns with butchers tripe t Royal Canin Cavalier with butchers tripe.

(he also gets a cod liver oil capsule, 1 garlic & fengreek tablet daily & half a glucasomine tablet daily)

I can't wait to see the responses on this one. Abbey's coat is like that--I have to clip her or she looks like she's a fattie--lol. She looks so much better clipped.

Sparks dost look fat with his fluffyness but the hair does kinda stick out a bit!

What do you feel Abbey out of interest?

Lucy's coat is kind of fluffy on the sides too . Her coat is pretty well grown in as she has been spayed since 6 months and is now 2. I think they all have different coat textures and Lucy's has always been kind of fine textured but also wild and fluffy. You should see her after she goes to the groomer for a bath and blow dry....she looks like she gained 10 lbs...lol. She actually looks the best when she hasn't had a bath in awhile....her coat is a little bit oilier and actually lays down flat. I know that it is common for spayed females to have a thicker coat but not sure if neutering a male has the same effect.

What do you feel Abbey out of interest?

I think you are asking me what I think Abbey's is caused from? I don't have a clue if that is what you were asking.

I had to bathe her this a.m. with a different shampoo from dermatologist and I have been using the Isle of Dogs shampoo which I absolutely love I might add. Just from one bath I can tell the difference and she is short as I clip her but again its more flyaway etc. Due to what is going on with her with the sm/dermatology scene I have to use this other shampoo until I hear different. It doesn't even have the shine like it did from Isle of Dogs.

rubys mom

my ruby has been spayed but her coats always been on the fluffy side she on good diet but her fur seem to go up instead of down and flowing shes like a big bear i have her trimmed up once every three months or im sure she would be called a grizzly bear ive had lots of people saying that she lookes great but omg dose she look twice her size when it grows back :jump: her feet also are like big bears honestly her fur grows for fun but shes still oh so cute:wggle:i think there are lots with differant fur ive got some freinds with cavs and all our dogs are differant in size and fur just like us i suppose i*no:

linderbelle said:

What do you feel Abbey out of interest?

I think you are asking me what I think Abbey's is caused from? I don't have a clue if that is what you were asking.

I had to bathe her this a.m. with a different shampoo from dermatologist and I have been using the Isle of Dogs shampoo which I absolutely love I might add. Just from one bath I can tell the difference and she is short as I clip her but again its more flyaway etc. Due to what is going on with her with the sm/dermatology scene I have to use this other shampoo until I hear different. It doesn't even have the shine like it did from Isle of Dogs.

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Sorry - i meant feed not feel (have faulse nails on & they dont help with spelling!!!)

going OT here - I just read your blog about Abbey & I just wanted to say how brave you are with everything & I hope & pray I never have to go through any of what you have gone through & are going through but if I ever did you'd be an insparation.

My last dog Leo (Maltese x Chinese crested) had terrible allergies & the malaseb was very helpfull for him - at times! He used to get bumps too after some baths & randomly if it was sunny, cold & just for the hell of it! He was on 1mg of prednisolone daily & 5mg prednisolone when he had an outbreak.

My Cavalier lady is a big fluff ball - she has been like that her whole life (so it's not from being spayed). Her head and ears are sliky but the rest of her is downy and fluffy. She looks significantly larger than she really is. I have heard, more than once, of dogs coats changing texture after they were steralised - perhaps this is why his coat is changing?!

lorebringer said:

My Cavalier lady is a big fluff ball - she has been like that her whole life (so it's not from being spayed). Her head and ears are sliky but the rest of her is downy and fluffy. She looks significantly larger than she really is.

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That's exactly how Chocolate is. She came to us as an adult, and unless she is groomed for show (she was a show girl in her youth!) she looks too fluffy. I keep her back and sides trimmed fairly short because she is not fat and I don't want her to look fat.

She was already a fluffy adult when she came to us. Then we had her spayed and she remains fluffy - no change. I was just reading about hair follicles, and the hair follicles would actually have to change shape in order to change the hair texture. I don't think neutering could change a dog's hair follicles.

The only things that really can change the hair follicles in humans are maturing and chemotherapy. Babies have very fine hair, then they get adult hair, then some get fine hair again in old age. Certain chemotherapy drugs can permanently change the hair follicles, and therefore the hair texture too.

Cathy Moon said:

That's exactly how Chocolate is. She came to us as an adult, and unless she is groomed for show (she was a show girl in her youth!) she looks too fluffy. I keep her back and sides trimmed fairly short because she is not fat and I don't want her to look fat.

She was already a fluffy adult when she came to us. Then we had her spayed and she remains fluffy - no change. I was just reading about hair follicles, and the hair follicles would actually have to change shape in order to change the hair texture. I don't think neutering could change a dog's hair follicles.

The only things that really can change the hair follicles in humans are maturing and chemotherapy. Babies have very fine hair, then they get adult hair, then some get fine hair again in old age. Certain chemotherapy drugs can permanently change the hair follicles, and therefore the hair texture too.

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I am not sure about this, at least in humans, because I know people who have had straight hair until puberty and then it suddenly became curly. My breeder also commented after seeing a picture of Lucy that she wished that her breeding bitches had coats like Lucy's but that would only happen if they were spayed. So, I think hormonal differences can change coat texture or maybe just make it grow in thicker? Maybe it's a myth...hmmm don't know.

LucyDog said:

I am not sure about this, at least in humans, because I know people who have had straight hair until puberty and then it suddenly became curly.

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My daughter Antonia used to have wavy hair, now she has ringlets and my son Ash had dead straight hair and now he is very curly. Both changed in their teens.

Dylan's shaved patch for his spinal tap had changed. It's less shiny and less silky, a bit fluffy.

Natural Balance Potato and Duck formula which is suppose to be really good for allergies. Will be discussed with dermatologist in 3 weeks and our appt.

Dublin: I also pray that you never have to go through this either. We will get through this and the blog is a great way to release my feelings. Has helped alot and I know from posts etc. that its helping others which makes me VERY happy.

Cathy I cut all 3 of mine pretty short. I groom them myself along with grooming my shih tzu also which is alot harder. The attachment that I use on the clippers is #1 which looks short on the shih tzu but doesn't on the cavaliers for some reason.