Puppy Coat - Adult Coat - YorkieTalk.com Forums

rilysmom · 08-01-2009, 06:03 PM

Rily's adult coat appears to be soooo much thinner than his puppy coat. It almost looks like he is going bald. Plus, he is starting to mat really bad right at the point where his puppy black coat ends and his new colors are beginning to show. Is all this normal? Will he continue to shed his puppy coat, or should I have it cut?

Pa Yorkie Mom · 08-01-2009, 06:10 PM

His puppy coat will keep growing out. If grooming him is difficult for you or him you should consider getting him cut shorter. Stress during grooming as a puppy can cause stress associated with grooming for life. Sometimes a silky coat will grow in thinner, but I don't think he should look bald. Maybe he should see a vet.

rilysmom · 08-01-2009, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pa Yorkie Mom

His puppy coat will keep growing out. If grooming him is difficult for you or him you should consider getting him cut shorter. Stress during grooming as a puppy can cause stress associated with grooming for life. Sometimes a silky coat will grow in thinner, but I don't think he should look bald. Maybe he should see a vet.

He has seen his vet and everything is fine. He really isn't bald, it is just that his new coat is so much thinner than his puppy coat.

pinklady · 08-01-2009, 09:40 PM

How old is your puppy? I ask because mine just turned 6 months and I noticed a few weeks ago, that his hair started to mat up pretty badly, but it was almost like it started overnight. Also, lately when I wear a dark colored shirt, I'm covered in short pieces of dog hair, and I thought that was odd as I know yorkies don't shed much if at all. Is this his puppy hair shedding because I don't know what age that transition takes place.

iwannayorkieplz · 08-02-2009, 04:55 AM

i'm right there with you. my friend is a groomer and was over yesterday. she wants to shave my baby!!! she is matted up, and she tried to untangle but she cried and i don't want her traumatied. i brush her every day but she was like this...idk, i really don't want her to be shaved, but is that the only option? gulp, lol.

how long would it take to grow back if i did?

see she said that the puppy coat doesn't fall off and grow a new coat YET the vet last week, said that is exactly what will happen, which one is telling me the truth??

she is sparce on top, i asked the vet about that, cause she looks slightly bald up there but he said its cause she is losing the baby hair. i dont see it anywhere, but i believed him, now my groomer friend, a pro in her feild said no no, and that the matted hair needs to be cut out which devestates me to think of my lil girl as a baldie.

hugs, michelle

bchgirl · 08-02-2009, 05:24 AM

As their coats change over....some do "blow" the puppy coat....meaning you get a lot of fluff when you brush. If you don't keep them brushed...it mats.

bchgirl · 08-02-2009, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iwannayorkieplz

i'm right there with you. my friend is a groomer and was over yesterday. she wants to shave my baby!!! she is matted up, and she tried to untangle but she cried and i don't want her traumatied. i brush her every day but she was like this...idk, i really don't want her to be shaved, but is that the only option? gulp, lol.

how long would it take to grow back if i did?

see she said that the puppy coat doesn't fall off and grow a new coat YET the vet last week, said that is exactly what will happen, which one is telling me the truth??

she is sparce on top, i asked the vet about that, cause she looks slightly bald up there but he said its cause she is losing the baby hair. i dont see it anywhere, but i believed him, now my groomer friend, a pro in her feild said no no, and that the matted hair needs to be cut out which devestates me to think of my lil girl as a baldie.

hugs, michelle

If you aren't keeping her brushed out well...then the only other option is shaving.

ving · 08-02-2009, 05:42 AM

Is it worth saving the hair to put your baby through the pain of brushing the mats out? There is no painless way to remove the mats without clipping them close. You can ask your groomer if she knows how to wet shave. By wet shaving you can get a longer blade through the matted fur thus leaving a fluffier coat that grows back sooner.If she has never done this, she simply needs to wash the dog very well and rinse, then soap her up again. then while she is still soaking wet and soapy use the longest blade possible to clip through the mats making sure to keep the skin tight to prevent any knicks. then rinse condition, and fluf dry and goback over with clippers and scissors to neaten her up.When you brush to maintain her coat, be sure you are not just surface brushing. You should be able to get a steel comb to comb completely through the coat. If you bath her at home do not let her dry with out brushing her out first. this will cause her to matt to the skin.

rilysmom · 08-02-2009, 05:51 AM

Hi, thanks to all that have replied. Rily is 16 weeks old....4 months on the 10th. He is not going bald, but the new colors (growth) is noticeably thinner. He is not terribly matted, but is starting to get some right at the point where the color and texture is changing...little mats that look simular to a tied fishing lure, lol. His head is silky and not matting at all, but the rest is starting to do so, especially in the armpits and underbelly. I brush him everyday, so it isn't due to a lack of that. He is shedding some, but not excessively... not on my clothes, but have noticed some on the bathroom tile and when I brush. He is healthy and eats well. Very active to say the least.

iwannayorkieplz · 08-02-2009, 06:02 AM

i didn't put the mats in her hair! when i got her, i felt the same thing then, as i do now. it's how she was, so i'm taking VERY good care of her, as she has not gotten any more then what she had already.

i didn't know anything about it then, about matting, what it means etc, i never had a dog that it happened to, until researching it online, then having my friend take a look. it's not all over her body, it's on the back of the neck mostly. it doesn't feel like it can't be taken out, but iam no expert, i just don't have the expertise to try and attempt it. there isn't matting elsewhere that i can feel, but i guess it would look pretty weird to just shave off the neck area..

i brush her daily and she is fine with the comb and the brush, but i do not want to hurt her, so i was going to take her to petco, then i heard horror stories, went in and saw for myself, the dogs looked a bit traumatized when they came out, but in their defense, i'm sure few dogs enjoy the grooming process, but my friend looked at me, and said NO NO, they are abusive there, i'm like..omg, so i lost that thougt quickly. i really don't know, i always had short hair dogs, except for one chow chow, who never had a matting problem. i keep reading shaving is the last thing you want to do, because it makes them suspeptible to sun burn, and all of the elements. i guess inside the a/c would be much harder on her, and outside, the sun could cause burns, which would NOT be good. what can one do about that? it's august. i don't want to have to keep her inside all of the time, out of that fear.

idk...but i've read that most groomers will shave, because they don't have the time to sit and work the matts out, and that if you can do it, to have the patience for it, and try and work them out, in order to save the hair, but i just don't know.

possible maybe she can cut it down to an inch or so, and it will be easier to work them out? to think of her bald, makes it sound like she would be extremely fragile. i'm new to yorkies, i don't know how resistent the matts will be, but i do NOT want her traumatized, to the grooming experience or just in general of course, hence why i have brushed so religiously, to prevent further problems, but have tried little one my own to get them out. bought detangler, but i think it takes alot more then that, hrs of patience, but the pain factor is my fear, because i know having tangles in a child's hair can be painful, as i used to have plenty, and it hurt unless my mom held down the root.

i'm not a groomer, but i just keep reading that shaving completely, is not a very good move, and it may not grow back the same as before, etc etc. like i said, i have nooo yorkie exp. so how does one know, what's best?

i wish she had been matt free to start it would have been easy to keep her coat in primo condition, but it wasn't the case, that isn't my fault, i don't blame anyone..it happened, obviously there are plenty of posts here about it, it happens alot. i see here it's quite common with long hair, but i was only thinking of what the vet said. i told him about it, and her sparseness in her crown and he said, no worries, the pup hair will start falling out at any time, and will be growing back in an adult coat, so i was like 'oh' problem solved, maybe? but idk now if it works that way. she says no. who is right? will the matted hair and the rest of the hair be falling out soon, to where i see it all over, and it's gonne grow back in anyhow? i've never noticed a dogs hair falling out as a pup and i've had my share, but then again, never a shed free dog, and never a yorkie.

hugs, michelle

eauxbehv · 08-02-2009, 06:30 AM

My pup is 19 weeks and I have found clumps of hair all around the house. She also has some mats. She scratches like CRAZY

. I took her to the vet and it doesn't appear that her skin is dry, but after $100 they did sell me some soothing shampoo and conditioner, but it doesn't seem to help with the scratching. I have had 4 Yorkies in my life and I have never seen shedding and clumps of hair in my other Yorkies. But I am sure it will pass. Also, the vet said at this age their are going through a lot of hormonal changes that could cause itching and so forth.

ving · 08-02-2009, 03:51 PM

Since she is not matted all over you could try using a good slick conditioner work it into the mats, donot rinse and try using a brush and steel comb to work through the mats.Be sure and use your free hand to hold the hair close to the skin between your fingers so it doesn't pull and irritate her skin.Rinse after she has been brushed out.I would rather brush out a yorkie if they tolerate it well even if it takes more time.I refuse to torture a little thing if they are sensitve and cry and scream.It causes more damage to the skin and coat to brush out severe matts than to clip it.It doesn't sound like your pup's mats are severe.If they are you can try the wet shaving that I mentioned before.That should leave her with a blanket of hair enough to keep her warm and prevent sunburn.Natures Specialties Quicker Slicker is wonderful for combing out matts and it smells sweet too! Stazco anti static spray is also really good. Yorkie coats are relatively easy to brush out IF the dog is tolerant.

Wend · 08-02-2009, 06:45 PM

My 2 yr old matts. I shaved her for the summer this year and she already has a ton of hair back. I don't regret shaving her. She loved it! She has not gotten sunburned. She still sits in front of the A/C so I know she is not cold without her hair. I am hoping a miracle will come and her grey hair which is coming in now will matt less than the black! Cross your fingers! My sister (a groomer) showed me how to cut through the matt lengthwise rather than crosswise. This looks much better, so if you cut them out remember to start close to the skin and cut away from the dog the same direction the hair is growing. She cuts through them once, then will try brushing and combing to get the matt out rather than just cut the whole chunk of hair out. The matt may be getting bigger, so you should take care of it soon if you can. I also use Nature's Specialty and I like their products.

bailie · 08-02-2009, 11:53 PM

use thinning scissors . then tease out with comb. if she not that matted it shud be easy enough good luk

lizdominguez · 06-16-2011, 08:26 PM

My girl was born on 12-25-10 so she will be turning 6months soon and she kinda went bald on the top of her head she lost most of her black hair and now she has new baby hair growing but its tan/ silver. I posted up a pic on my album where you can see the new hair growing. Has this happened to any of your puppys?

08-01-2009, 06:03 PM	#1
rilysmom Just me and Rily McGee Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: On the Trail of the Lonesome Pine Posts: 3,625	Puppy Coat - Adult Coat Rily's adult coat appears to be soooo much thinner than his puppy coat. It almost looks like he is going bald. Plus, he is starting to mat really bad right at the point where his puppy black coat ends and his new colors are beginning to show. Is all this normal? Will he continue to shed his puppy coat, or should I have it cut?

08-02-2009, 04:55 AM	#5
iwannayorkieplz Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: li ny Posts: 24	i'm right there with you. my friend is a groomer and was over yesterday. she wants to shave my baby!!! she is matted up, and she tried to untangle but she cried and i don't want her traumatied. i brush her every day but she was like this...idk, i really don't want her to be shaved, but is that the only option? gulp, lol. how long would it take to grow back if i did? see she said that the puppy coat doesn't fall off and grow a new coat YET the vet last week, said that is exactly what will happen, which one is telling me the truth?? she is sparce on top, i asked the vet about that, cause she looks slightly bald up there but he said its cause she is losing the baby hair. i dont see it anywhere, but i believed him, now my groomer friend, a pro in her feild said no no, and that the matted hair needs to be cut out which devestates me to think of my lil girl as a baldie. hugs, michelle __________________ Daphne Belle 1.7 lbs, at 17+ wks! Thanks Susan Of Crestwing Yorkies!!

08-02-2009, 05:24 AM	#6
bchgirl Donating YT 10K Club Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: at da beach Posts: 15,444 Blog Entries: 2	As their coats change over....some do "blow" the puppy coat....meaning you get a lot of fluff when you brush. If you don't keep them brushed...it mats. __________________ Deb, Reese, Reggie, Frazier, Libby, Sidney, & Bodie Trace & Ramsey who watch over us www.biewersbythebay.com

08-02-2009, 06:02 AM	#10
iwannayorkieplz Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: li ny Posts: 24	i didn't put the mats in her hair! when i got her, i felt the same thing then, as i do now. it's how she was, so i'm taking VERY good care of her, as she has not gotten any more then what she had already. i didn't know anything about it then, about matting, what it means etc, i never had a dog that it happened to, until researching it online, then having my friend take a look. it's not all over her body, it's on the back of the neck mostly. it doesn't feel like it can't be taken out, but iam no expert, i just don't have the expertise to try and attempt it. there isn't matting elsewhere that i can feel, but i guess it would look pretty weird to just shave off the neck area.. i brush her daily and she is fine with the comb and the brush, but i do not want to hurt her, so i was going to take her to petco, then i heard horror stories, went in and saw for myself, the dogs looked a bit traumatized when they came out, but in their defense, i'm sure few dogs enjoy the grooming process, but my friend looked at me, and said NO NO, they are abusive there, i'm like..omg, so i lost that thougt quickly. i really don't know, i always had short hair dogs, except for one chow chow, who never had a matting problem. i keep reading shaving is the last thing you want to do, because it makes them suspeptible to sun burn, and all of the elements. i guess inside the a/c would be much harder on her, and outside, the sun could cause burns, which would NOT be good. what can one do about that? it's august. i don't want to have to keep her inside all of the time, out of that fear. idk...but i've read that most groomers will shave, because they don't have the time to sit and work the matts out, and that if you can do it, to have the patience for it, and try and work them out, in order to save the hair, but i just don't know. possible maybe she can cut it down to an inch or so, and it will be easier to work them out? to think of her bald, makes it sound like she would be extremely fragile. i'm new to yorkies, i don't know how resistent the matts will be, but i do NOT want her traumatized, to the grooming experience or just in general of course, hence why i have brushed so religiously, to prevent further problems, but have tried little one my own to get them out. bought detangler, but i think it takes alot more then that, hrs of patience, but the pain factor is my fear, because i know having tangles in a child's hair can be painful, as i used to have plenty, and it hurt unless my mom held down the root. i'm not a groomer, but i just keep reading that shaving completely, is not a very good move, and it may not grow back the same as before, etc etc. like i said, i have nooo yorkie exp. so how does one know, what's best? i wish she had been matt free to start it would have been easy to keep her coat in primo condition, but it wasn't the case, that isn't my fault, i don't blame anyone..it happened, obviously there are plenty of posts here about it, it happens alot. i see here it's quite common with long hair, but i was only thinking of what the vet said. i told him about it, and her sparseness in her crown and he said, no worries, the pup hair will start falling out at any time, and will be growing back in an adult coat, so i was like 'oh' problem solved, maybe? but idk now if it works that way. she says no. who is right? will the matted hair and the rest of the hair be falling out soon, to where i see it all over, and it's gonne grow back in anyhow? i've never noticed a dogs hair falling out as a pup and i've had my share, but then again, never a shed free dog, and never a yorkie. hugs, michelle __________________ Daphne Belle 1.7 lbs, at 17+ wks! Thanks Susan Of Crestwing Yorkies!! Last edited by iwannayorkieplz; 08-02-2009 at 06:07 AM.

08-02-2009, 06:30 AM	#11
eauxbehv Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Sacramento Posts: 173	My pup is 19 weeks and I have found clumps of hair all around the house. She also has some mats. She scratches like CRAZY. I took her to the vet and it doesn't appear that her skin is dry, but after $100 they did sell me some soothing shampoo and conditioner, but it doesn't seem to help with the scratching. I have had 4 Yorkies in my life and I have never seen shedding and clumps of hair in my other Yorkies. But I am sure it will pass. Also, the vet said at this age their are going through a lot of hormonal changes that could cause itching and so forth. __________________ Mommie to Sebastian Cindi Lu Lu RIP my Lil' Sweet Pea Feb 27, '05-Apr 13, '09

08-01-2009, 06:10 PM	#2
Pa Yorkie Mom YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Pennsylvania, USA Posts: 384	His puppy coat will keep growing out. If grooming him is difficult for you or him you should consider getting him cut shorter. Stress during grooming as a puppy can cause stress associated with grooming for life. Sometimes a silky coat will grow in thinner, but I don't think he should look bald. Maybe he should see a vet.

08-01-2009, 09:40 PM	#4
pinklady Yorkie Talker Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Brunswick, Ga Posts: 22	How old is your puppy? I ask because mine just turned 6 months and I noticed a few weeks ago, that his hair started to mat up pretty badly, but it was almost like it started overnight. Also, lately when I wear a dark colored shirt, I'm covered in short pieces of dog hair, and I thought that was odd as I know yorkies don't shed much if at all. Is this his puppy hair shedding because I don't know what age that transition takes place.

08-02-2009, 05:42 AM	#8
ving YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: sumtersc Posts: 6	Is it worth saving the hair to put your baby through the pain of brushing the mats out? There is no painless way to remove the mats without clipping them close. You can ask your groomer if she knows how to wet shave. By wet shaving you can get a longer blade through the matted fur thus leaving a fluffier coat that grows back sooner.If she has never done this, she simply needs to wash the dog very well and rinse, then soap her up again. then while she is still soaking wet and soapy use the longest blade possible to clip through the mats making sure to keep the skin tight to prevent any knicks. then rinse condition, and fluf dry and goback over with clippers and scissors to neaten her up.When you brush to maintain her coat, be sure you are not just surface brushing. You should be able to get a steel comb to comb completely through the coat. If you bath her at home do not let her dry with out brushing her out first. this will cause her to matt to the skin.

08-02-2009, 05:51 AM	#9
rilysmom Just me and Rily McGee Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: On the Trail of the Lonesome Pine Posts: 3,625	Hi, thanks to all that have replied. Rily is 16 weeks old....4 months on the 10th. He is not going bald, but the new colors (growth) is noticeably thinner. He is not terribly matted, but is starting to get some right at the point where the color and texture is changing...little mats that look simular to a tied fishing lure, lol. His head is silky and not matting at all, but the rest is starting to do so, especially in the armpits and underbelly. I brush him everyday, so it isn't due to a lack of that. He is shedding some, but not excessively... not on my clothes, but have noticed some on the bathroom tile and when I brush. He is healthy and eats well. Very active to say the least.

08-02-2009, 03:51 PM	#12
ving YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: sumtersc Posts: 6	Since she is not matted all over you could try using a good slick conditioner work it into the mats, donot rinse and try using a brush and steel comb to work through the mats.Be sure and use your free hand to hold the hair close to the skin between your fingers so it doesn't pull and irritate her skin.Rinse after she has been brushed out.I would rather brush out a yorkie if they tolerate it well even if it takes more time.I refuse to torture a little thing if they are sensitve and cry and scream.It causes more damage to the skin and coat to brush out severe matts than to clip it.It doesn't sound like your pup's mats are severe.If they are you can try the wet shaving that I mentioned before.That should leave her with a blanket of hair enough to keep her warm and prevent sunburn.Natures Specialties Quicker Slicker is wonderful for combing out matts and it smells sweet too! Stazco anti static spray is also really good. Yorkie coats are relatively easy to brush out IF the dog is tolerant.

08-02-2009, 06:45 PM	#13
Wend YT Addict Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Lehi Posts: 403	My 2 yr old matts. I shaved her for the summer this year and she already has a ton of hair back. I don't regret shaving her. She loved it! She has not gotten sunburned. She still sits in front of the A/C so I know she is not cold without her hair. I am hoping a miracle will come and her grey hair which is coming in now will matt less than the black! Cross your fingers! My sister (a groomer) showed me how to cut through the matt lengthwise rather than crosswise. This looks much better, so if you cut them out remember to start close to the skin and cut away from the dog the same direction the hair is growing. She cuts through them once, then will try brushing and combing to get the matt out rather than just cut the whole chunk of hair out. The matt may be getting bigger, so you should take care of it soon if you can. I also use Nature's Specialty and I like their products. __________________ Wend

08-02-2009, 11:53 PM	#14
bailie YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: northern ireland Posts: 947	use thinning scissors . then tease out with comb. if she not that matted it shud be easy enough good luk

06-16-2011, 08:26 PM	#15
lizdominguez YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: May 2011 Location: los angeles Posts: 2 Blog Entries: 1	My girl was born on 12-25-10 so she will be turning 6months soon and she kinda went bald on the top of her head she lost most of her black hair and now she has new baby hair growing but its tan/ silver. I posted up a pic on my album where you can see the new hair growing. Has this happened to any of your puppys?