Hi there,  I have a liver flatcoat and shes 10 months old.  She had an eye infection and this was when I noticed she was loosing the hair around her eyes, the vet did a scrape test and said it was'nt mites.  Overall, her coat is fantastic, but apart from the eye area..........can any body help

Hi, I done a bit of research on this as one of my borzois was also losing hair round his eyes. He too had various tests done but we couldn't find a cause. I read that a zinc deficiency might cause this so I've been giving him a tesco one a day zinc tablet for the last 6 weeks or so and the hair is starting to grow back. He eats the same as all the others so no idea why this should be the case - and of course it may be coincedence but there's no harm in trying it? HTH, Jane :)

Hi guys, thanks for the information, will try the zinc tablets and as you say, it cant do any harm...cheers....jo

We had a similar problem with Jack (the OH's dog), turned out to be Demodex - the vet did every test going except for mange!!! :rolleyes:

my mums labs eyes sometimes lack the short hairs around them- they flush out and pick up birds on the shoot- this hair loss that they have is due to going through gorse alot- and they occasionally get infections too, the bitch once got a thorn right through the cornea!

just wondering if your FCR went through thick bushes/gorse???

Hi there, I take her out alot, but I take her training once a week to a field and there is alot of different plants and grasses there, (unsure what gorse is) but havent been for a few weeks but hair hasnt improved.  I take my other flatcoat and shes not been affected at all.....jo

sorry for my ignorance, but what is demodex and was it treatable?.jo

Hi Joanne

Have a look at

      http://www.vetinfo.com/dogdmite.html

Which helps explain

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

Yes our dog has been diagnosed with sarcoptic mange after scratching for about 18 months.  The vet did a scrape on his ears and found nothing but also did a blood test for Sarcoptes and it came back positive and now is being treated with Stronghold and is working brilliant - he hardly scratches at all now nearly a week later  :-)

It's short for demodectic (sp - that's why I called it demodex :D) mange.  It cleared up very quickly using Stronghold.

HTH
Paula

That's interesting - Stronghold is not indicated for the treatment of demodectic mange!

Haven't got any in at the moment so can't look on the packet we had.  The vet seemed to think so though,

Paula

I checked the packet before posting. ;-)

Is it anything like the dog on this page, http://www.caninefilmacademy.com/DogsPages/GeorgeDowding.html?

I've seen alot of young Flatcoats with little hair around the eyes.  I think they look like they are wearing glasses, so I call them the 'spectacles'. :)  
Some people have said it is to do with the liver gene, but I have seen black bred dogs with it too.  My youngester (who carries liver) had it when he was small, as did two of his sisters (who are black/black), they are fine now.
I have a friend who's boy is going through it right now!!
Just one of those things...
Mandy
Hopevalley Flatcoats

Copper deficiency? Pure guesswork and vague memory of James Herriot books where the calves looked like they were wearing specs and that's what the problem was! :-D