Can anyone tell me what happens to a cocker spaniel bitch's coat after she has been spayed. I have heard that the coat can change. Is this quite common and if so what happens to it. Does it make the coat more difficult to groom. I don't intend to show with her so her coat would be shorter than show cockers. Is there anything that I can use - shampoo, conditioner which could help the coat? It doesn't make the dog unsightly does it? :(

Thanks everyone

It tends to make them grow a lot of undercoat, and yes left to their own divises this can make some of them quite unsightly, to a purist. It does make them harder to groom, and I don't think there is anything you can really do about it, the effects are due to a change in the hormones. If you get her clipped regularly it shouldn't be so bad, but that flat silky coat will almost certainly be no more :(

Hi Funky

I would echo what Brainless has already said - spaying will alter a Cocker's coat & not for the better sadly! I have Cockers myself & am also a groomer - I can keep my own spayed ladies looking neat & tidy quite easily as I know the coat will change & will need much more frequent grooming & regular clipping. Some pet owners unfortunately don't appreciate this & are not prepared for the thick, woolly coats that many spayed bitches develop & are not willing to do the extra grooming & trimming required - the result is an untidy, matted coat, not attractive & not comfortable for the dog. I'm not arguing against spaying here - I'm just saying that Cocker owners have to be prepared for the extra work involved in keeping the coat matt-free & for the extra cost in clipping at least every 8 weeks or so. Using a good quality shampoo & conditioner on a regular basis will help in making the coat a little less likely to matt up, but that's about it I'm afraid!

Regards

Jane

As a groomer, I agree Jane, but generally find that the change is more dramatic with the whole colours, becoming thicker and more woolly, than the particolours. I see neutered cockers, male and female, every 6 weeks.

Hi Val

How on earth do you get people to come every 6 weeks - I have a battle getting people to bring their neutered Cockers every 8 weeks & some think it's ok to leave it for months :-) I agree on the whole the solids grow thicker coats after neutering, though I have a black & white and an orange & white on my books, both of which have horrendous coats to deal with - a lot depends on what the coat was like to start with (these two had heavy coats before they were spayed & have similar breeding)

Jane

Does they same thing happen to springer spaniels coats if they get spayed? or is it just a cocker spaniel thing

Hi Lindsay

Yes - this seems to happen to quite a few breeds with long, silky coats eg most Spaniels, Setters etc. I trim a few woolly Springers - they don't grow quite as much coat as some Cockers, but nevertheless the texture changes & the coat becomes much thicker & fluffier after spaying

Jane

Most definately happens to both English and Welsh Springers, I have friends with Welsh who do grooming, and I help bath at times if i am visiting :)

goldies too!!!!!!! male and female hair shoots out from everywhere

Hi Jane. I only accept dogs for a normal 8 week trim, as I trim to the breed standard and I can't do that if they come in with felted furnishings! I explain that they have spent good money for a pedigree dog, expecting it to look like a good (reasonable?) specimen of its breed. If they talk about the dog being neutered, then I say that weight gain and coat thickening are a possibility and if that happens, then they will need a 6 week appointment! They're prepared and so not surprised. No problem. I then thin any thick feathering from the inside, leaving a fringe, so that when the dog walks down the road, it looks complete, but inside, there's a bald tummy and the leg featherings are long but thin. If they want a once a year clip off, there are plenty of sheep shearers around who'll do it for half of my charges. Just not the sort of work I want to do, being long in the tooth with groomer's elbow, groomer's shoulders, groomer's neck etc!! And it means that I'm fully booked the whole year round instead of busy and quiet periods. I also have Yorkie that comes in every 2 weeks, a WHWT with no coat comes in every 4 weeks, etc. Never ceases to amaze me but keeps me busy!
I always feel sorry for cockers owners who have bought from inexperienced breeders, as they usually haven't been told the amount of grooming and trimming that cockers need. If they buy a poodle they know that it will need regular trimming, but so many seem to think that cockers look like cockers naturally!

Hi Val

I know just what you mean about groomers elbow, shoulders, not to mention wrists, back etc etc :-) I've had to cut back on my grooming due to wrist problems in the last few years - now I just do my regulars mainly, just enough to keep me busy, but not too busy :-) I live in a not very affluent rural area where the local Cockers owners don't seem to like the idea of having to pay to have their dogs clipped every 6-8 weeks - it's funny how they always have immaculate haircuts themselves :-) I'm probably not tough enough with them - I feel sorry for the dogs so grit my teeth & get on with it!! I agree with you about some breeders not doing enough to explain about the grooming needs of a Cocker before they sell a pup - I had someone bring a 10 month pup to me looking like a yetti & the owners couldn't understand why his hair was like that as the breeder had told them all the puppy coat would come out by 8 months (they imagined this happened by itself, just like magic!)

Jane