Excessive Shedding

[.unknown.]

Is there a disease or syndrome that would cause a dog to grow it's coat like it's winter, but shed like it's summer? My dog Suzie who is a short haired pitbull mix and had a short coat, but it's all fluffy like it's winter, but she is shedding gobs and gobs of hair. She even shed like this in winter. This is not her normal shedding amount...

I took her to the vet and it was recommended that she get a bath with shampoo for dry/allergic/sensitive skin, which I did, to no avail.

She has no bald spots...

She's eating Go! Now! Senior/Weight Management food as she gained a few pounds during winter and we're trying to work off the extra weight, combined with exercise.

She has her annual check up next weekend, but I am wondering if this type of shedding is common with allergies, maybe?

I'm perplexed. I switched her to innova EVO, to see if that could help rule out a food allergy she might have with the Go!, but she got really bad gas and had diarrhea every time she ate it.

I also looked up Hypothydroidism....maybe a blood test is in order...

[hazelrunpack]

I was thinking a thyroid test might be in order, too. Hypothyroidism can really mess with a dog's coat. It's a place to start, anyway.

[growler~GateKeeper]

How old is she now?

In her annual check up I would have a complete blood panel & urinalysis done to give everything a once over including the Thyroid hormones

[Goldfields]

The weight gain and bad coat do sound like hypothyroidism and at least that's an easy thing to check for..

[Longblades]

Some folks have reported that a food change triggered a coat blow. I know my dogs don't always follow a schedule when they blow coat. Usually it's Spring and Fall but once in a while it's off season. Or one is prolonged or skipped. One shed might be very heavy, another very light. Not to denigrate more serious possiblities mentionned above.

Is it possible your girl is mixed with something like Lab? They have short sort of coats but they should also have a definite undercoat and man, when it sheds, it really blows. We, Lab here, have lots of shedding going on as we approach the start of summer.

[.unknown.]

I think she is a mix with a German Shepard, but have no real way to find out.

She is about 6 or 7 years old right now. She has also been showing intolerance to exercise, which I thought was due to her weight gain and lazy winter, but that is also a symptom of hypothyroidism.... She seems to have joint pain after any exercise she does get. Another thing I've read is that their coats look shaggy and messy and hers definitely does. I have one of those Furminator brushes and it is almost obscene how much hair comes out. I have to vacuum multiple times a day to keep the hair down in my house and our carpets get a carpet of hair on the top.

It's never happened like this before and is extreme. I will get her tested for any blood issues.

The other thing I wondered about is maybe it is stress? her best friend Luna, our other dog; is dying of bladder cancer and I wondered if maybe she sensed that?

either way, her vet check up will help find the answer!