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5 month old - Very Thin Coat?? I'm very happy I found your message board. I have a Yorkie that I just got 2 days ago. She's 5 months old and about 4 pounds. This is my first Yorkie. She's very playful, sleeps and eats well. However, her coat concerns me. It is extremely thin. You can see her skin on her back, and the fur isn't very long at all. She looks pretty scraggly. She has almost no fur on her chest or belly at all. She shows no signs of a rash on her skin - but looks nothing like the pictures I see of Yorkies at this age. The breeder told me this was normal. She had just lost her puppy fur and her adult coat was slow to come in. I've taken her to the vet, who admitted that he didn't know much about Yorkie's, but to give it some time. Does anyone know if this is normal? Any advice would be appreciated. |
First, welcome to YT. This is a great place to learn. Next, I would consider getting another vet for your baby. Yorkies are different than a lot of other breeds and having someone who specializes in small breeds is best for our babies. They have different problems and things to watch for than say a lab. Next, I'm not sure about your baby's hair. Linus is 5 months too, and his hair is so thick that I don't know what to do with it. And because Yorkie's don't shed, his puppy coat wouldn't have just "fallen off". What was the breeder that you got your baby from like? As far as my limited knowledge goes, I would get a second opinion from a small breed vet. I hope you and your new baby have a wonderful time together. They truly are a blessing. |
Maybe a picture would help better...Maximus is 5 months and if you click the link at the bottom of my post "Maximus' Album"..you can see some pictures of him..his coat look like it is thinning ot but it is just growing in very light...maybe this is the case? You will get lots of good advice, probably more then I can help with..lol..and WELCOME!!! |
1 Attachment(s) we have an appointment with our regular vet tomorrow - I'm just a little anxious. Linus is adorable! The breeder seemed "ok". She showed me mom and dad, and they looked healthy and both had a nice full coat. We drove 5 hours to get her, and she just looked so scraggly - there was no way I could leave her there. Here's a picture. We think she'll be named Lexi. |
If you are worried I would get a second opinion. My dogs are 6 and 5 months and never lost any hair. |
She is adorable...and her coat doesn't look bad at all...take her to your normal vet but I am sure everything is okay..get some good hair care products and she will be ready for topknots in no time..lol :) |
Thank you!! Maybe I'm just an anxious new mom and can't wait till tomorrow's appointment with our regular vet. This is a great forum!! Fast response and very nice people. Thank you again. |
hi and welcome my rosie had that and was given a injection and some antibiotocs the vet did a skin scrap and said it was a mite that she was born with, she also played alot and still ate well, now the mite has gone her fur is growing back lovely and thick (and she needs that in the uk). so if i was you id ask your vet for a skin scrap then if it isnt that it can be ruled out. keep us informed. by the way she is a cutie wendy and rosie :rose: |
My last Yorkie had a skin problem from the time she was very young and even though I worked for a vet who had bred Yorkies, he had never seen this type ailment before. I could not afford to have biopsies done to send to the Univ. of Florida Vet school to get to the root of the problem but in later years, he had someone else's who also had this problem and U of F said it was some type of genetic disorder. Her skin remained flaky and smelly throughout her life, spaying helped a tiny bit but I never did love her any less because of it... Hope you get some answers, I'm curious to hear about it myself. Anyone else familiar with anything like this? Dana |
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Thank you so much! I love the name Lexi, I think the name suits her too. I agree with everyone to have the vet check out the thing about a possible skin disease. It could be that she was sick once and her hair is just now growing back! When you get back from the vet let us know how everything went! |
A groomer tried to tell me once that they will lose their baby hair, but THEN my breeder told me tht yorkies don't lose their hair. Bux has never lost any hair, and his hair is very thick, I would take him to the vet...good luck and welcome to YT |
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Maggie is 4 and 1/2 months old, and her coat isn't much thicker than your baby. Her adult coat is coming in on her back now. First it started on her head, which is now almost all silver. On her back you can see the dark silver coming in. Her chest if fairly thin too. She has been to the groomer once to get a trim up job. |
What a sweet face! I hope she brings you lots of love and happiness! :aimeeyork |
The only times I have seen a coat like that were in cases of alopecia and/or Red mange. If the vet says it is something she got from her mom, it can be treated. Alopecia is genetic and rarely can the hair be re-grown. A blue baby I placed for my friend was a blue born Yorkie and her blue body hair was sparse to non-existant, kept breaking at about 1/2 inch long and her tan fringe was normal.. She was fairly low maintainence but needed sun screen on for even a few minutes exposure to the sun.. Please let us know what your vet says. |
Well, we just returned from the vet. We treated her for fleas when we brought her home but the vet said even a couple fleas could cause problems in such a small dog. So, we're starting with the assumption of flea dermatitus (probably spelled that wrong) and possibly a flea allergy. She gave her an antibiotic and omega 3 fatty acid vitamins. We're also rubbing her coat with a Tea Tree Oil that's supposed to sooth the skin from any irritations from flea bites. We go back in 3 weeks and see what progress has been made. Then she'll look at some other tests if things haven't improved. Hopefully that will be it. Otherwise, she's in great health. Lexi is so precious. We fell in love with her the moment we saw her, whether or not her coat is full, she's become the baby of the family! Thanks again for everyone's comments. What a great group of people :) |
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If it was a common dog skin condition the vet would have picked up on it whether he/she is familiar with yorkies or not....so I wouldn't worry too much. |
When I first got Desi, she looked like a Teddy bear she had so much hair (she was 12 weeks old ) , but beginning at about 4 months old, she started to change. Her hair was thinning, she looked like her head was going bald because of the white hair on her head. The only way I can describe it is like a child going through that in between stage, you know, not a child but not a teenager yet...anyway.. She is 7 months now and what a change !! Her hair came back, the hair on her head turn Golden (so she doesn't look bald anymore). I think you got your baby at a time when she was going through a change and you'll start to see a difference soon. By the way.. welcome to YT... |
I'm so glad things worked out well! I agree about the Missing Link, it does wonders on what even seems like a great coat. |
. hi lexi is great name, that is my puppy's name....... it fits her |
What is Missing Link and where do you get it? |
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Thanks!! |
So glad to hear that the vet is treating her, Have you ever used Tea Tree Oil. A little goes a long way. It can make her greasy and if it is applied around er face and eyesit can cause eye and upper reapiratory problems. Smell the product before you apply it to the whole body..The pure oil is the one recommended; do not buy a lotion with malaleuka oil. Tea Tree is malaleuka, but lotions might not have enough in it to soothe.. Good Luck getting the baby cleared up.. |
vet told us the vet told us that they go through a stage of loosing hair, and then around a year they, get all there adult hair in, and not to worry she wont be thin forever,,i know they are all different but that is what we have been told, .. |
Hi Welcome to Yorkie Talk. Maybe your baby has a form of mange? Stewie had it and it cleared up after a couple weeks with the use of anti biotics. |
My yorkies never lost a puppy coat. I see that you took her to the vet. Hopefully the treatments will work. Keep us updated! :) |
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