# very sparse thin coat



## nweigen (Apr 19, 2009)

Hello all,

Harry our 7-month old white male has a very thin coat. you can see hints of his pink skin on his back. I don't believe that he has a skin condition as his coat is thin all over.

He looks like a little cotton ball and the coat is very soft, he weighs about 9.5-10 lbs, I believe that his puppy coat has now grown out.

He was purchased in a pet shop and had no papers and is probably a puppy mill dog.

Is a fine thin coat normal for this breed at this age and what is the size and weight standard for this breed.

Thanks for any comments.

Norm...


----------



## murphymoesmamma (Apr 1, 2009)

Hello Norm,

My Murphy also has a very sparse coat. When I tell people that they look at me like I'm crazy because he looks so full and fluffy. When I bathe him you can really see how thin his coat is. He is very freckled with dark pigmentation that really stands out when he is wet. I don't think this is the norm but just like people our little guys are all different!


----------



## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

I can't help you, my guys are hairy little Cubans!

Have you mentioned it to your vet? That would be my first avenue for information. Can you post photos of him?


----------



## PepperToast (Oct 27, 2008)

Welcome Norm,

My 3 havanese are very hairy although some have more hair per inch than others. I have a hard time seeing my white havanese's skin it is so dense.

I too would ask a vet about this. There are a number of factors that can cause hair loss. 

How long you have had him? His vet care up until this point would be a factor (ie worming, vaccinations and infestations). Food could be an issue although itchiness usually goes hand in hand with that. I am :sorry: to hear that he is most likely a puppy mill dog and even more sorry for his mommy if that is the case :hurt: but... I am glad you are here and taking care of your fellow. 

His weight sounds normal for his age. Mine were only a little smaller but not by much.

Obviously lots and lots of photos would really help us help you :biggrin1:

Meeka


----------



## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

murphymoesmamma said:


> I don't think this is the norm but just like people our little guys are all different!


Exactly. I have Havanese of all different coat thicknesses and the one dog that is the best conformation-wise has the thinnest coat of all of them. It stinks because it isn't as pretty, but it's a heck of a lot less work than the thicker coats. 

Like it or not, you have an advantage in the grooming area.


----------



## HavaBaloo (Mar 24, 2009)

Welcome to the forum, would love to see a pic of Harry! 

One thing I would recommend, especially in summer is making sure you use a dog sunscreen. Especially if you can see his skin, a fair colored dog would burn very fast.


----------



## Pixiesmom (Jul 31, 2008)

That's a great point Angie.


----------



## MopTop Havanese (Sep 25, 2006)

Has his coat always been thin or is this something new that you have noticed?
I would maybe take him into the vet and ask for a blood pannel. Better to be safe than sorry. I know my dog that has liver issues has a much finer coat than my other dogs- I am not saying your dog has liver issues, but it could help put your mind at ease.
With him being a pet store puppy, you have no idea what type of coat his parents had, so it could actually be his genes that gave him a thinner coat.
I am sure he is adorable!


----------



## maryam187 (Jul 18, 2007)

It could also be a thyroid problem.


----------



## JASHavanese (Apr 24, 2007)

:welcome: 
Norm, if you're worried you might want to get a thyroid panel done on him just for your own peace of mind.
Different lines have different coats, some thick, some thin. 
The really great thing is that coat change will be easier for you


----------



## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

Hi Norm and welcome to the forum!! We would love to see pictures of your puppy. 

Harry's thin coat may be due to the food he is eating. What type/brand is it? As others have said, it could be some other condition, though it could also just be that that is how his coat is, no issue at all.

I do agree with Meeka that seeing him in photos will really help.







ahem....


----------



## [email protected] (Sep 20, 2008)

Buddy has a fine, thinner coat and in looking at all the pixs, it does seem like so many other Havs have very thick coats--but maybe it just looks that way. He does have pink and freckled skin underneath. I think he is going through the blowing coat stage right now, so I'm waiting to see if there will be a coat change after he turns a year next month. The vet said he is a fine example of a Hav, so I guess his fine thin coat is what it is. Not all dogs of the same breed look the same. He looks like a fluff ball also until I give him a bath. 
Anyway, my dog has the same coat as yours, it sounds, so maybe nothing is abnormal. I have been thinking about starting Buddy on fish oil or something that may enhance his coat.
Here's pixs of Buddy long and puppy cut. I'd love to see pixs of your Hav.
Welcome to the forum, isn't it great?

Rose


----------



## Lunastar (Feb 9, 2009)

Norm, Welcome. If the coat is thinning I would get a blood work up done. Is the coat the only symptom. I came across this the other day. Yes one more thing for us to worry about. LOL http://janizona.homestead.com/SA.html


----------



## DAJsMom (Oct 27, 2006)

My two havanese have completely different amounts of coat. I gave Dusty a bath the other day and was thinking she looks the same wet as Indie does dry. Indie's coat is much straighter and thinner. Dusty has a very profuse, very wavy coat. Indie's black and her skin is black so I don't notice skin showing through. I don't know about that.


----------



## nweigen (Apr 19, 2009)

Hello to all,

Thanks for all your suggestions. Harry went to the vet yesterday regarding the problems he has having with his coat.

The sparse hair problems seemed to be getting worse and Harry was very itchy, we suspected that perhaps he had developed a mange. 

Fortunately the skin cultures showed up negative but his doctor suggested the he go on "revolution" for a few months to eliminate the mange possibility. 

Also we put Harry on Temaril-P to stop him from scratching and licking.
Hopefully Harry will get better with this treatment. Tomorrow Harry will be getting a bath with an anti itch shampoo.

Thanks for your suggestions, we will keep you-all posted.

Harry & Norm...


----------



## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

Aw, poor baby. The itching can be related to different issues. Perhaps he got allergies. I can't help you with the thin coat issue because both my boys have very profuse coats, though very different from each other. We'd love to see pictures of your little Harry.


----------



## nweigen (Apr 19, 2009)

*Harry's thin coat*

Hi Marj,

I think Harry may have sarcoptic mange. I have heard that it is common in puppy Mill animals as their mothers are often infected and pass it on to their litters.

Harry has been scratching and licking his hind flanks and back creating bald spots. After treatment with "revolution" and an antihistamine the itching seems to be subsiding.

We are going to wait 2-weeks to see if it gets better. If we are unlucky then we will start looking for a fungal infection.

By the way I can't seem to upload pic's. I am pressing the picture button at the bottom right of the e-mail frame, but no luck. You can see 
Harry in our album.

Thanks to all,

Norm & Harry,


----------



## Happy Havanese Mama (Aug 12, 2016)

I have 3 Havanese with 3 different kind of coats. They are from 3 different breeders & are literally like stair steps, in almost EVERY way! My oldest boy, and largest (20 lbs), has the thickest, wavy hair. My smaller boy, who is the middle one in age & size (7.3 lbs), also happens to have the medium thickest coat, with a little less wave to it. Finally, my teenie tiny girl, who is the smallest, has the thinnest hair, BY FAR! By the way, I want to just make a side note, in saying that a breeder is not necessarily doing anything wrong. Some lines of Havanese are simply smaller than others, as it is believed that they were small, when they originated in the city of their namesake, Havana, Cuba & were known to sit on the laps of the upper class women of the time. Believe me, it's much harder for my 20lb male to sit in my lap completely, than my smaller boy & girl- that's for sure! And still today, Europe has many Havanese lines that are smalleer in stature, which is where the breeeder of my 7.5lb boy got her original puppies from, for her breeding program. And she is my favorite of the 3 breeders I bought from! I will DEFINITELY buy from her in the future! I didn't have an opportunity to communicate much with the first one, however. The breeder of my tiny girl has some beautiful, championship dogs, and most of them are in the smaller to middle range, as Havanese can ALL be well bred healthy, from the smallest of them, all the way up to 25 pounds. After all, I believe she is a credible & quality breeder, but I mostly interacted with her assistant. So, while I love & adore all 3 of my Havanese, the one who bred my middle boy is hands down FABULOUS in EVERY way, but especially when it comes to her character & integrity, just as a person. Just like my GORGEOUS boy, she raises 3 different sizes of some of the prettiest, teddy bear looking, Havanese pups I've ever seen, whose lines originated in Europe. But in addition to that, she is GREAT in her communication! We don't just keep in touch, but we have become very good friends, in different states! And her teenie tiny to small medium pups, She had smaller parents, and happened to be the smallest in her litter. She isn't even 5 pounds & isn't likely to get any bigger. It's kind of funny how it worked out. Sadly, their level of courage goes in the opposite, from smallest to ! Ironically, It's my oldest, biggest boy, who is the one who is also the biggest "fraidy cat", and the most submissive in the pack. Bless his heart he reminds me of the lion in "The Wizard of Oz"! Rather than from largest to smallest in that arena too, they decrease in bravity from smallest to biggest, with the middle boy being in the middle there too. Then my tiny little girl, is both very brave & feisty with her brothers, who often try to gang up & overpower her, when playing! A girl has to do what she has to do! But I already knew her personality & temperament, before I got her, so I knew she could handle being the smallest. Shhhhh! She doesn't know she's the smallest though! But I digress! Back to my point, which is that they all 3 have different EVERYTHING! My tiny girl just happens to have a thinner, silkier coat, that gets kind of stringy looking, when it's longer, just like her Mom's. But she is healthy as can be! There are different kinds of coats, among the breed, just as there are sizes & colors. I highly recommend the website "Colours of the Rainbow, Havanese Colors". You can learn more than you can possibly imagine about the array of Havanese coats & colors! I hope that helps!


----------



## Happy Havanese Mama (Aug 12, 2016)

Be cautious! Sarcoptic Mange IS contagious to humans, as well as other dogs! I KNOW because I caught it when I adopted a pup from the shelter once, before it was very noticeable, & had to be treated for it!!! It's MISERABLE!


----------



## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

Happy Havanese Mama said:


> Be cautious! Sarcoptic Mange IS contagious to humans, as well as other dogs! I KNOW because I caught it when I adopted a pup from the shelter once, before it was very noticeable, & had to be treated for it!!! It's MISERABLE!


This thread is from 8 years ago


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

nweigen said:


> Hello all,
> 
> Harry our 7-month old white male has a very thin coat. you can see hints of his pink skin on his back. I don't believe that he has a skin condition as his coat is thin all over.
> 
> ...


No, a fine thin coat with skin showing is not normal at any age for a Havanese. His size sounds about average... The majority finish out somewhere between 10-14 lbs, though there are larger and smaller that are still within "breed standard".

Sorry. Didn't see this thread was so old.

To address the newest poster, however, although there are certainly dogs bred ho are outside the standard and still deserve good homes and make wonderful pets, it is very unlikely that dogs Havanese that are 20 lbs (if not fat) or 5-7 lbs are within size standard for Havanese, either here in the U.S. OR in Europe. Likewise, although coats do differ, even among very nice, well-bred dogs, we DO have a standard that all breeders would be working toward. And that never includes coats that are thin enough that skin can be seen when the coat is dry. (it's completely different with a wet Havanese... Then they ALL look like drowned, naked rats! ound


----------



## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

I know that Willow's coat was pretty thin, fine and cottony when she was young. Now, however, her adult coat is much, much thicker. Maybe it'll be thicker when the adult coat grows in.


----------

