Odin-Genie Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Hi, A friend has my Elkhound's littermate. Yesterday she showed me how much her dog was shedding and if it was normal. I told her that what she brushed out of her dog in a day is the quantity that I would get through brushing in a month, even in summer. Also, every time I petted him, a lot of undercoat seemed to stick to my hand. The only difference bwteen the two dogs is that while my dogs have access to the yard through a dog door, they have access to part of the house all the time and tend to stay inside when they are not playing. Whereas this other dog is an outside dog and stays inside only when the owners are home. Stays out during the night too. Sleeps in the balcony. But seems healthy and active. Any advice/suggestions on the difference in their shedding volume? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquaticmalamute Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 (edited) I would say it's a simple case of the dog blowing it's coat now that spring is upon us. It's triggered by the amount of sunlight the dog recieves. Being that your friends dog spends most of it's time outside it would be recieveing more sunlight than your dogs who spend the majority of their time inside. It's quite common for a dog to blow all of it's undercoat and be 'bald' for a few weeks, also don't be alarmed if the dog starts blowing the guard hairs too, again, completely normal Edited October 1, 2008 by aquaticmalamute Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odin-Genie Posted October 1, 2008 Author Share Posted October 1, 2008 Thanks. I'll let my friend know there's nothing to worry about. By the way, your dogs look stunning. Particularly the puppy I always wanted a Malamute but don't have a massive yard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Obvious suggestion is that the other dog developed a thicker coat over winter and therefore has more to shed. Stress can cause shedding but that seems unlikely here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odin-Genie Posted October 1, 2008 Author Share Posted October 1, 2008 Obvious suggestion is that the other dog developed a thicker coat over winter and therefore has more to shed. No, he didn't. His coat has always been lighter than Odin's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Obvious suggestion is that the other dog developed a thicker coat over winter and therefore has more to shed. No, he didn't. His coat has always been lighter than Odin's. Undercoat too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odin-Genie Posted October 1, 2008 Author Share Posted October 1, 2008 Undercoat too? Yup His owners keep commenting on Odin's thick coat. But the part of the house Odin has access to is at the lower level and even when it's hot outside, a throw blanket feels good there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 If it keeps up, you might suggest they get his thyroid levels checked. That can also be a cause of excessive shedding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odin-Genie Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 If it keeps up, you might suggest they get his thyroid levels checked. That can also be a cause of excessive shedding. How long should I ask them to wait before getting the check? Would two weeks be ok? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 If his coat looks patchy, that's when I'd suggest it. When are they due for their annual check up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odin-Genie Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 When are they due for their annual check up? December. I'll ask them to watch out for patches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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