I am having problems with my 15 month OES coat as it is quite brittle and keeps breaking, I have tried putting a wax on the ends but it doesn't seem to do any good, is there any supplements or anything i could use to try and encourage the coact to grow?

Rose

Hi

My 15 mth OES also has this problem, I have asked other long haired dog owners and they all say the same it is his puppy coat changing to his adult coat...........might also be why he is "matting" for England too!

Jude

I have the same problem with the matting, I spend ages brushing her, then the next day shes as bad as ever again.  I assumed the matting was her puppy coat changing as I also have a three year old and his coat is easy to maintain.  As a puppy we had a few wins at shows but since she's gone up to junior we keep getting knocked back because she's lacking in her coat, if this is a normal process at this age, surely that should be taken into account?

Rose

It should't make a difference but sometimes it will be knocked as judges can only see dogs with lots of coat.

Rose

this seems unfair to knock a dog back because of lack of coat when it is a natural thing for their coats to change and so disappointing after the hard work to maintain the coat.

I dont show and just keeping him tidy is hard work!
I hate to think the work involved if he were to be shown and when  he runs through the woods and mud I may not be smiling so much either!!!

Jude

The thing is Jude, a judge is only allowed to judge what they can see ON THE DAY. Not what they believe or even know it to usually be. They can never assume that an out of coat dog really has a good coat.

Best wishes, John

When we had Lhasa Apso's years ago we used to use Shaws coat oil on their coat in between shows this stopped the coat drying and made grooming easier, also we never brushed or combed the coat while dry, we mixed up a spray of bay rum and water to lightly spray the coat before grooming this helped stop the ends of the coat from splitting. when we bathed the dogs we used a good quality human conditioner after washing and left a light coating of condition on the coat ot help protect the coat and stopped it drying out as this is absorbed by the coat. We also found that it stopped a lot of dirt sticking to the coat also used Mirror Coat. It has been a long time since I had Lhasa's and Tibetan Terriers but we always found that oiling made grooming easier and the dogs did not get so stressed but enjoyed the time spent with them.

I hope you won't mind me asking you both something, as my OES is just a baby at 5 months, you may be able to offer me the benefit of your experience.  I have tried to comb and brush him daily since the day I got him at 8 weeks.  He is a very 'bitey' dog and hasn't improved as he's getting older.  Have you ever had problems grooming like this please? If so, what did you do to groom and not get constantly bitten?  I have kept grooming sessions short, gentle and as 'fun' as I can, but he really doesn't respond well.  I give him things to chew while I groom, but he prefers my hands and arms. I don't want to end up with a badly matted dog; he deserves to be well groomed and look beautiful; its one of the reasons for chosing an OES after all.  I knew what I was taking on when I got him as I have had two before of this breed, but they weren't biters.  Thank you.

Try holding his head/muzzle while you brush him.  Also give him a firm NO everythime he does this.  Praise him LOTS if he doesn't bite you for a few brush strokes.

Also is it possible to get someone to maybe hold his head while you brush him.  I find with many pups that when they see a brush it means mouthing!!!

Rox

You could try to make it a calming, soothing experience - sometimes making it fun can excite them and make the fidgeting and nipping worse.
Try him lying on one side and stroke his coat then introduce the brush into the stroking motions.  Someone else could help by stroking his head and talking to him gently or you could gently hold him yourself.  Start when he's sleeping if you prefer.
Lara x

Lorna

YES Monty does bite whilst I brush him and like you grooming has been a daily ritual since he arrived and I make it fun etc but he still has his moments so I persevere for a short while and then try later !! His bites are not too painful but I think it is his way of "asking" me to leave off!!!

If hubby is in he doesnt bite me at all but glares at me and then looks at hubby!
He is usually better later at night when he is too tired to bother too much !
The only place he doesnt mind being combed are his ears !

Funny how when he runs through brambles and clumps of fluffy hair get pulled out he takes no notice!

If you develop a technique let me know !!

Jude
Jude

Hi Rose,
  I don't know of anything magical that will make coats grow (if only!) - but you could try giving evening primrose oil capsules (1 for every 10kg of the dogs weight).  They really help give good condition to coat and skin, though you won't notice straight away - will take 4-6 weeks. 
  Hilda

Try mixing in a small tin of sardines in oil to the feed twice a week as well.
Lara x

Hi Lorna,

Its wonderful to see a long haired dog with a well groomed coat, but what a nightmare when they won't let you brush it out and you can just feel those knots forming :(

This is how I start them off.

I start getting them used to grooming by using my hand and firm stroking all over, using tiny treats (pinky fingernail size) a few times a day for a couple of days, then introducing the brush for a few seconds each time, with a treat if no biting.  Once this is accepted I would extend the brushing time gradually and use frequent tiny treats and quiet 'sweet talk' for good behaviour and I keep sessions short to start - a few minutes at most, building up to ten minutes as the dog gets used to it.  Four ten minute sessions is easier for the dog to tolerate than a full forty minutes and offers more opportunities for them to get used to it :).  I do this daily when getting them used to it.  If the pup 'bites' or goes to bite I tell him No firmly and carry on for a few seconds. If pup persists in biting I say No and turn/walk away and ignore for a few seconds before trying again.

I try to make the session 'enjoyable' rather than 'fun' as they are easier to manage when they are relaxed (my afghan-x used to be half asleep when I groomed him :) ) and they are allowed to sniff 'my' brush but not bite or chew it ;)

Don't know if this will work in all cases though, but it works for me :)

Sorry its so long
Dill

Thank you to everyone who has suggested ways of introducing my pup to proper grooming without my tears when he bites me.  I'm going to try all your suggestions and hope that something will work.  I gave him a bath last night, which he actually loves and doesn't bite during, but then he attacks me and the towel when drying off!  Today, will be a gentle and relaxed grooming session when he is sleepy (!!???) alternating stroking and brushing to see if I can make progress.  Its very nice of you to try to help out, so thank you all and hopefully Barney will soon be very beautiful (well he is anyway, of course).

Hi there,

I wonder if trying a multivitamin/zinc supplement for your dog may help. I've been searching the web for information on skin problems in dogs and came across some information regarding zinc being a large factor in good hair growth. I have included a small writeup which I found which may shed some light on whats needed for healthy hair growth. 

Zinc
Zinc is an essential nutrient to help prevent dry flaky skin and hair loss. Zinc helps to maintain skin moisture, preventing dryness and improving the barrier function of the skin. Zinc is also important in the dog's natural anti-oxidation system skin.

B vitamins are also vital for energy metabolism and protein synthesis.

Protein/sulphur-containing amino acids
Sulphur-containing amino acids (cysteine, methionine, cystine, serine) are essential for the structure of hair, which is 90% protein. Hair and skin growth account for 25-30% of daily protein requirement and the Sulphur amino acids help to ensure that the hair has all the nutrients needed to grow and remain healthy.

Biotin
Biotin is required to prevent dry flaky skin. It is also essential for carbohydrate metabolism.

Vitamin E
Vitamin E is needed to maintain a healthy immune system and is an important antioxidant. It helps maintain the elasticity of the skin by protecting against oxidative damage.

Some years ago, I had a rescue yorkie who was very old and quite bald. I used zinc and castor oil cream to massage all over him to make his skin less dry and this helped a good proportion of his hair grow back too, I presume this would have been the zinc. The only thing is that this cream is very greasy, ok on a baldy but may not suit your dog unless you can keep him confined for long enough for the cream to have some effect then wash it off with a gentle shampoo.

Hope this information is of some help.

You could try Kali Arsenicum 6c. This encourages hair growth.  For bitches that lose hair after whelping Sepia 30c can help.  These are both homeopathic remedies. They may help.

Hi Rose,

I would highly recommend oil of evening primrose capsules and "keepers mix" both obtained from Dorwest (they have an internet site, I rang them & found them really helpful and knowledgeable). My own pup had a really bad attack of wet exzema and had to have a large area of fur shaved off. I gave him the above supplements and 3 weeks later his fur had grown back to such an extent he was able to enter his first show. Another 2 weeks on and it was impossible to tell that he had ever had his coat shaved. I was pretty amazed with the results I have to admit.

Rgards
Jan

Thanks for all your suggestions, I will definitely try them, 6 weeks till crufts, oh well I can live in hope that a miracle will happen by then.

Rose

Hi, quite a few people in my breed have had success with coat imporvement when feeding "Fit n Fertile".  We also always feed evening primrose oil capsules, and garli oil& fish oil (combined)capsules.  Whislt yankees dont have quite as much as an OES they do have a lot of coat for a little dog!  Also often put the parties into oil between shows - the All systems lanolin, mixed with botanical conditioner, and run through the coat after the last rinse works wonders.
bye
Gwen

I used 'Restore' from Stock Nutrition with my boy last time he had a massive moult, it took him 8 2wks to be back in show condition, not full coat but certainly enough to show him and get placed.  His daughter has moulted ready for her season, which wasn't due until end of March! I'm hoping to mate her so she's on fit n fertile, this is my first time with this supplement, if she gets enough coat back I will show her at Crufts, I'll keep my fingers crossed a schip without a ruff is not a pretty thing lol.

My cocker had no coat and every time she had a season what coat she had grown fell out so someone said that they knew someone who used starflower oil on there american cocker and she could not believe how much coat had grown in such a short space of time, so i tried Buffy on it and now she has a lovely coat and it didnt seem to take long for it to grow, it comes in capsules and you can buy it from the health food places holland and barret etc i would definatly recommend you try this as it really does work.

Have you tried bathing him in "Groomers Royal Jelly" Shampoo.  It helps coat growth.  I use it on my Shih Tzus and have never had a problem with bitches dropping their coats after a season.  Also "Yes" feed fit and fertile it improves coat quality.  Hope this helps in some small way.

Had a similar problem with my TT ( tibetan terrier ) . Changed food from Royal Canine to Burns.....what a difference in his coat. !!!