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18-month-old ruby CKCS w/o full coat...

teejay

New member
Hi! I have an eighteen-month-old ruby Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who is amazing, however, her adult hasn't grown in fully. Is this normal? I live in a hot area in Southern California, so I thought maybe because it's so hot that has effected things? I've had a Cavalier before (when I lived in a very cold area), and I remember her coat growing in a lot the first time it snowed...

Also, her back is... not sensitive, but the opposite. She always wants me rubbing her back. And, when I touch behind her front shoulders the skin reacts. It feels tight, so I've been massaging her, and I think that helps. I've only started that recently, because at first I thought it was skin irritation or allergy. I would try not to touch her back. I was constantly monitoring her skin and diet for irritation and allergy, respectively, and never found anything.

It doesn't seem to bother her too much. She likes to roll on her back and sometimes she scratches a lot, but it doesn't stop her from relaxing, playing, or eating.

AIO?

Thanks,
Taylor and Katie C.K.
 

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Hi Katie is beautiful :luvluv: I'm assuming she's not spayed yet? That can make a huge difference to coats. We are so used to seeing Cavaliers with huge neutered coats.
I do think Katie's coat is coming in nicely, she has lovely feathering and a beautiful smooth coat. The climate where you live and obviously also genetics play a huge part in their coat development. You may find her Winter coat will come in thicker.
I would maybe mention to your vet about your concerns - obviously we are unable to give veterinary advice. Were her parents MRI scanned? There is a high risk of Syringomyelia or CM pain in the breed, and any sensitivity and excess scratching needs to be noted. Presumably you have ruled out parasites? I know they can be difficult to manage with your climate.
 
hi! Thanks for your response! She is spayed. The breeder I got her from seemed very reputable. She had a very nice little farm. I believe her parents were MRI scanned, but I'm not positive. I have a lot of paperwork on her from when I got her, and from her first few checkups. I'm still in contact with the breeder and there hasn't been any issues with her litter. Her dam is still there.

Her back is very sensitive. Like, sometimes when I touch it the skin moves, but I thought that was with a lot of dogs? She likes when I massage her back. Should I not be? She scratches quite a bit, I wouldn't say excessively. She had ear mites a couple months ago, and was scratching a lot then. I haven't ruled out parasites, but she took some antibiotics in addition to ear drops when she had the ear mites. How would I determine of it's parasites?

Thank you so much.
 
Her coat looks pretty good to me, too :). I've had quite a few cavaliers and the length and fullness of coat can vary hugely. I have a male right now, Freddie, who would be quite similar (if not even a shorter coat) than Katie's. Most of his coat length is in some (but not a lot) of feathering on legs and chest hair. I've had some with very heavy coats too. Some have straight coats, some wavy.

Ear mites would definitely cause a lot of scratching around the ears. Parasites like fleas or rabbit mites can cause scratching. So can allergies. You might mention it to your vet on your next visit. It's hard to know what the sensitivity means. If it's just skin twitching and she likes being rubbed, then it doesn't sound like a pain response. What does your vet say? The Cavalier Matters website has lots of info on syringomyelia: https://www.cavaliermatters.org/chiari-syringomyelia-introduction/ -- if you click on the 'next page' arrows at the bottom of each page it will continue on and take you to more information). If you recognise some of the possible symptoms then you could discuss further with your vet. But it sounds like your are saying she isn't sensitive except her skin sometimes shivers a bit and tightens when you touch her at her shoulders? Vets can do a pretty basic assessment for back discomfort so that might be a good place to start at your next visit. :)
 
Hi Katie is beautiful :luvluv: I'm assuming she's not spayed yet? That can make a huge difference to coats. We are so used to seeing Cavaliers with huge neutered coats.
I do think Katie's coat is coming in nicely, she has lovely feathering and a beautiful smooth coat. The climate where you live and obviously also genetics play a huge part in their coat development. You may find her Winter coat will come in thicker.
I would maybe mention to your vet about your concerns - obviously we are unable to give veterinary advice. Were her parents MRI scanned? There is a high risk of Syringomyelia or CM pain in the breed, and any sensitivity and excess scratching needs to be noted. Presumably you have ruled out parasites? I know they can be difficult to manage with your climate.
Hi , Katie s coat looks good to me . Our first cav who we had 20 years ago had a furry coat . How was the coat on her parents .. do you know . That could be an indication of his her coat will grow in . I don’t know anything about health issues but I wouldn’t be concerned about her coat. Check with breeder on parents coat.
 
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