Help! Thinning/lightening coat on body

[emma1234]

Has anyone experienced anything like this? I'm so worried. My basenji, emma, who is about to turn four, had a nice shiny coat of redish brown basenji fur on her body. However, over the last month or so it's completely thinned, lightened to an almost white color and gotten really soft (except for the usual colored strip along her back and her face). I also had a baby during this time so haven't been paying as much attention to her. Now I'm worried it's serious.

[cmd]

Ours typically get their winter coats in the cold months. In our case it tends to be lighter and very very soft, however it is also thicker. Is Emma's hair coming out if you lightly pull on it? Any change in food?

[Quercus]

She is probably having a big shed. Some Bs have an annual or bi-annual shed where bunches of hair come out, and sometimes there is fluffy undercoat that looks kind of white.

Another possibility is that her thyroid is failing. Three or four years old is the typical onset of thyroid problems. Thinning hair, and dry skin are common symptoms, as is weight gain or loss.

Is her hair coat actually changing color? Is it really white? Or just a washed out tan? If it is really coming in white, like pointer or dalmation white, her problem could be something much more rare. I know of someone who had this situation with a B….if that is the case, I can put you in touch with her.

Hopefully, it is just a seasonal hair coat change. Sometimes something stressful with trigger this...maybe the baby arriving?

Good luck, let us know how it goes....

[yonae12]

Yup my black and white sheds ALOT when transitioning from winter to summer. Her lovely rich black coat turns a light soft grey in places and looks a little patchy in the summer months.

[Benny]

@emma1234:

Has anyone experienced anything like this? I'm so worried. My basenji, emma, who is about to turn four, had a nice shiny coat of redish brown basenji fur on her body. However, over the last month or so it's completely thinned, lightened to an almost white color and gotten really soft (except for the usual colored strip along her back and her face). I also had a baby during this time so haven't been paying as much attention to her. Now I'm worried it's serious.

Benny's coat does this every July.

[Shaye's Mom]

Wow, I'd not heard of these coat changes. My B has grown some longer hairs in the white around her neck and the red just on the edge of the white, and some of the hair along her neck has faded to a lighter color - no losing bunches or real drastic changes though. What other changes to their coats are normal?