My long coated GSD is losing her coat - Big time. It is now very very thin. I have never known it to be like this. I posted awhile back, because her coat was getting knotted when we were blasting her after swimming, and back then she still had a fine full coat. I spent a deal of time getting those knots out, and ensuring that she was bathed in Coatex for every 4th swim or so, to make sure no chemicals were left in to damage her coat.  But over the last 6 weeks or so her coat has just been falling out. At first I wasn't too concerned, I thought she was just blowing her coat. She has no undercoat at all left, and her topcoat is just disappearing too. When she got up after a sleep today there was a fine layer of topcoat just lying on the floor where she had been sleeping. Her skin is fine, no soreness, redness or itchiness.

She is fed raw, regularly has sardines in sunflower oil, and has always had a full and beautiful coat. I have increased her swimming lately to compensate for her hip dysplasia. She is nearly 10 and spayed. She is full of beans, happy and full of herself. No other issues that I know of.

I will take her to the vet, but anyone got any ideas.? I really think I may have a hairless GSD before long.

My 14 year old Elkhound who used to have a dense undercoat now has hardly any although his topcoat is still fairly abundant. Not sure why this is have thought it may be because he is castrated or may be his age but it does help with the grooming of the old boy so I have not worried about it.

Can understand that you are worried and as it may well be a hormonal problem I would see a vet as it could be effecting other organ as well as the hair. It used to be said that long haired did not have an undercoat but most do and if yours did and does not now it needs checking to make sure it is not a problem with the endocrine system.

Is she drinking more than usual? What's her appetite like? I think I'd want blood tests to rule out things like Cushings.

She had a blood test recently when I had x rays to check her spine and hips (back in July). I will revisit it with the vet. I think he said there was one liver enzyme that was mildly elevated and that she was very slightly anaemic. Neither of which on their own at her age he found significant. That may change coupled with the extreme shedding. We were planning on regular blood tests anyway because at that time we put her on Metacam plus 1 tramadol a day for the hips.

Nova, yes, she has always had an undercoat, and although it is said that some longcoats don't have one, I have never yet come across one. She still has some undercoat in places, but it is minimal. I have been maintaining brushing throughout, because even though the coat loss is worrying, there is no point letting it just sit there, so I am stimulating it by regular brushing.

No, she isn't drinking more than usual. Her appetite is good, but - since she has been on the Tramadol, she looks at her food like it's from outer space to begin with. Once she gets started she's fine and clears it all up, but I have been told that's often an effect of Tramadol? She came off PLT after being on it for 3 years, I wondered if it could also be something to do with that?

May be Tramadol, my lad is on it as well but if it is a case of pain or hair I would go with the hair loss any time.

Hi Nova
I can't find it listed among the range of side effects, although I do think it is what is making her behave differently with her food! I will ask the vet if he has come across it in any other dogs on TD.  I agree with you, pain wins out over hair any day, but there are alternatives for pain relief.

I will investigate the whole cause of this, and if none is found and it doesn't resolve itself, I may switch back to the PLT and see if that makes a difference. She didn't need the TD on that because it had a small steroid component. If anything would cause the hair loss I thought it would have been that.  This may just need to run it's course and her coat may grow back - from scratch !! I really just don't know at the moment, it's quite baffling. I will have to start saying she is a rescue dog I've just got when I am talking to people LOL. (just kidding). The thing is, I keep her very lean as well because of her hips, and she looks very underweight too (not skeletal, but very lean) and people think lean dogs are starving dogs....