# shedding after illness



## maya1 (Feb 17, 2011)

My dog had been lethargic for awhile. When she started diarrhea, I took her to a new vet. My vet was on vacation. She didn't test the stools but gave my dog a rectal exam and expressed glands that were a bit swollen she said. My Havie had a cold as I suspected but she recommended a week of antibiotics just in case. My dog is fine except she is shedding and her normally silky hair looks dull. She is going back to the regular vet for a recheck but she has regular stools now and is not sniffling but I am concerned her hair will never be the same. Should I give her a conditioning treatment or does anyone think as I do the cold virus or antibiotic is responsible for this hair problem Ps, that is Chickie on the left who had the gorgeous hair then, Thank you


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## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

maya1 said:


> My dog had been lethargic for awhile. When she started diarrhea, I took her to a new vet. My vet was on vacation. She didn't test the stools but gave my dog a rectal exam and expressed glands that were a bit swollen she said. My Havie had a cold as I suspected but she recommended a week of antibiotics just in case. My dog is fine except she is shedding and her normally silky hair looks dull. She is going back to the regular vet for a recheck but she has regular stools now and is not sniffling but I am concerned her hair will never be the same. Should I give her a conditioning treatment or does anyone think as I do the cold virus or antibiotic is responsible for this hair problem Ps, that is Chickie on the left who had the gorgeous hair then, Thank you


I've just done a bit of a search for hair loss in dogs in connection with colds, and can't find anything much; I'd want to know if there was something else going on and whether or not the other symptoms were coincidental. Depending on her age it could be all sorts of things and seems often, particularly in bitches, to be hormonal - could it be anything to do with a season? Anyway, I'm sure you are doing the right thing in checking with her usual vet. I personally wouldn't add new shampoos or conditioners to the mix until I was a bit surer of cause - a new shampoo might just exacerbate the situation, but in any case if anything changed you would have added another variable and would therefore find it harder to get to the real reason. Certainly some antibiotics can have strange side effects; putting together a diary of what happened when might help your vet to build up the big picture. Keep us posted on how things go, and I do hope it gets better soon!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I don't know about colds, but dogs definitely can blow coat following an illness or even from the antibiotics. Anything that causes a momentary interruption in the hair growth can cause a weak spot in the hair. (I've been told that for this reason, if a wool sheep gets sick, they shear them as soon as they are well again, so that any "weak spot" is at the end, rather than in the middle of the fiber)

When Kodi had Clostridium last Jan., he had a fever and had to be on abx. He blew his coat and looked pretty ratty for several monhts. It all grew back again, though! It probably hasn't reached its full length again yet, but he looks good, and his coat is shiny and silky to touch. I was quite alarmed when it first happened, though!


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## maya1 (Feb 17, 2011)

Thank you for the info. It seems her coat is growing back. She isn't sick anymore. She is spayed so I don't think it was hormonal, more a reaction to the medicine and the virus. I am taking her for her semi annual to her regular vet who knows her since she was a puppy. She has the most beautiful coat so I was concerned. It was that oily wavy coat that looks so good. She was a best in show in her former life. We go to a Havanese party every year and the breeders son told me she is the perfect example of what a Havanese is. I think all Havanese are perfect though. Aloha,


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

maya1 said:


> Thank you for the info. It seems her coat is growing back. She isn't sick anymore. She is spayed so I don't think it was hormonal, more a reaction to the medicine and the virus. I am taking her for her semi annual to her regular vet who knows her since she was a puppy. She has the most beautiful coat so I was concerned. It was that oily wavy coat that looks so good. She was a best in show in her former life. We go to a Havanese party every year and the breeders son told me she is the perfect example of what a Havanese is. I think all Havanese are perfect though. Aloha,


I think her coat will look great again in a few months, especially if you keep her short&#8230; it doesn't have as far to grow on her as it does on Kodi!


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## maya1 (Feb 17, 2011)

I'm just so happy she is well again. I was just worrying about her coat as this is the only leftover sign of her illness. Thank you for caring Aloha


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

maya1 said:


> I'm just so happy she is well again. I was just worrying about her coat as this is the only leftover sign of her illness. Thank you for caring Aloha


It IS scary when they're sick. Kodi started crying and groaning last night, and all he wanted was to be in my lap. (he's not usually a "lap dog") He finally vomited, then immediately felt better. Probably ate something yucky out in the yard! But when he was lying in my lap, groaning like that, I was ALMOST ready to put him in the car and take him over the the emergency hospital&#8230; even though I KNEW it would be a several hundred dollar trip!

What we do for our babies!!! 

I fed him chicken and rice for supper, and again for breakfast, and gave him half a Pepcid, just to be on the safe side, but he seems totally fine today!


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## maya1 (Feb 17, 2011)

Poor Kodi, I just went through that. It is so expensive even when they are well but it is so worth it to see them well and happy Aloha


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## Ewokpup (Nov 3, 2012)

I've heard hairdressers talk about noticing hair changes on human clients as a result of illness or significant stress. So I would imagine it could happen to dogs as well. 
Perhaps the diarrhea she had interfered with regular vitamin absorption?


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

Having a sick dog for years and one who is on tons of medications and antibiotics all the time, I can say from experience that the coat does go back to normal. It sure takes a beating for a few weeks but once the meds are out of their system, the coat seems to get back in shape, shine and everything. It might just take a little longer than you think.
That's actually how we know Django is feeling better, when his coat looks great, he's great.


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