Hi,
My 13 wk old westie has hardly any fur on his legs, on his body he has thick fur, further down and lots of thin fur up top, like duckling fluff (the vet said he looked like he'd been in a generator). I'm not really worried, as i expect it will grow but his skin looks very pink. Also, one man said he has a westie pup and it's fur is much thicker than my Alfie's. He shivers a lot when we are out too. Could i have some advice please? thanks

Hi there,

He may be very soft coated and this can have the apperance of very little hair.

If you strip him out it should come through thicker. Did you read about the breed before buying it as to get an idea of what to expect from their coats.

They are double coated and require stripping of the coat.

Pam

Hi, some westies who have correct hard coats dont have such thick hair on their legs - but the skin should be completely covered even if there is less than on the body. Has he got bare patches or is it just thin hair? Is he itchy/scratchy? What do you feed him on?

Hi WL,

I was thinking about the patches but sometimes I feel I am getting myself parinoid about their skin. So didn't but gald you asked.

When I look at Holly compared to Bobby he is twice as wide as her but it is his coat not really his body. ( well a little) She seems to look "fuller when kept very short"

BFN

Pam

Hi Kathleen,

Do you have a good breed book on Westies? It should explain coat differences and growth.

I have a Cairn Terrier, which is generally believed to be the ancestor of the Westie, so perhaps they are similar in terms of coats. Cairns have a "puppy coat" which needs to be stripped off when they are about 12 weeks of age. That's about the age when it starts to come out naturally, especially if they are playing with other pups and it gets pulled. Their puppy coat is yuckie, I think. Their bodies are covered with a light layer of long fluff. Generally, their feet have fairly soft fur at that age as well. Once the puppy coat is gone the harder, adult coat will start to grow. (Cairns have a soft undercoat and a harder and longer outercoat.)

The hair on my pups head was thin enough to see her skin, but now her adult coat is growning its fully covered.

I do not know what age you got your pup, but many Cairn breeders will strip off the puppy coat before sending them off to their new homes. Perhaps that could be the case with your Westie?

Stacey

Stacey