# Thin Coat?



## skwerlylove (Apr 24, 2010)

Pippa has an extremely thin coat, and I was wondering if that is at all common for short haired Chis?

She just recovered from Parvo a couple of months ago and was extremely malnourished when she came in to the clinic, and I'm not sure if that would have anything to do with how much fur she has?

Her neck is practically naked, and you can see her skin (which is a blackish color, though she has white fur) on her head and legs. Her fur is also really course.

Elliot has a really short coat as well, but hers is softer and seems to "cover" her better. 

I'm not sure what the range is for short coat Chis, as a lot of the photos that I see around here have short haired Chis that seem to have a reasonable amount of furn on them.


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## svdreamer (Feb 20, 2010)

A few of mine came to me malnurished and it was very apparent in the poor quality of their coat. Tiko had especially coarse, sparse hair, but now he looks wonderful. A few weeks to a month on a diet of good food and their coat filled in and became soft.


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## MisStingerRN (May 16, 2010)

Oh yes, when we got Lucy she was just being rehabilitated after being half the size she should have been and her coat was v v dull and v v thin. She was bald over her throat. She's fully "clothed" now (it's been 9 years now) and her coat is so glossy.


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## Tanna (Jan 29, 2009)

Well, Paco is in great shape and he has a very fine thin shiney coat. He is completly bald from under his chin to his butt. His coat is a little thicker in the winter, but in the summer after he has shed his coat is pretty thin. I live his naked little neck.


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## qtchi (Jun 19, 2010)

Venus was a malnourished stray with tapeworms and fleabites when we picked her up from the pound. She has thin hair on her neck and chest and around her legs. I was told that some Chi's just have sparse hair in these areas even if they have always been healthy. She's been with us about 2 months and has been eating good food. I don't know if her hair will ever grow back or if she should have any hair in those areas anyway. She has a velvety peach fuzz on her neck and stomach. I think that she would have grown back her short fur in 2 months so I think she's a baldy naturally.



You can see her lack of fur on her neck, stomach and legs in this picture. She has mottled or patchy looking skin, but I've seen this skin on other dogs that haven't lost any fur.


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## skwerlylove (Apr 24, 2010)

svdreamer said:


> A few of mine came to me malnurished and it was very apparent in the poor quality of their coat. Tiko had especially coarse, sparse hair, but now he looks wonderful. A few weeks to a month on a diet of good food and their coat filled in and became soft.





MisStingerRN said:


> Oh yes, when we got Lucy she was just being rehabilitated after being half the size she should have been and her coat was v v dull and v v thin. She was bald over her throat. She's fully "clothed" now (it's been 9 years now) and her coat is so glossy.


I wondered if her being malnourished would have done it. About three months ago she was under 2lbs at 7months old. Now she is just a little over 4lbs. We'll see if it gets thicker 



Tanna said:


> Well, Paco is in great shape and he has a very fine thin shiney coat. He is completly bald from under his chin to his butt. His coat is a little thicker in the winter, but in the summer after he has shed his coat is pretty thin. I live his naked little neck.


Aw! I love to pet Pip's naked neck. Its just a soft layer of fuzz.



qtchi said:


> Venus was a malnourished stray with tapeworms and fleabites when we picked her up from the pound. She has thin hair on her neck and chest and around her legs. I was told that some Chi's just have sparse hair in these areas even if they have always been healthy. She's been with us about 2 months and has been eating good food. I don't know if her hair will ever grow back or if she should have any hair in those areas anyway. She has a velvety peach fuzz on her neck and stomach. I think that she would have grown back her short fur in 2 months so I think she's a baldy naturally.
> 
> 
> 
> You can see her lack of fur on her neck, stomach and legs in this picture. She has mottled or patchy looking skin, but I've seen this skin on other dogs that haven't lost any fur.


Your picture is exactly how Pip's fur looks, only she has black skin instead of the mottled. Venus is so cute! I really love the carrier you made too.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

I think it's really common. My vet once mentioned to me that a lot of Chi's have very little fur on their head and chest/stomach area. My Roo is in good health but she has a little baldie head (just very light peach fuzz) and no hair at all on her chest/stomach. She is a blue, and she does have alopecia, but I think even in Chi's without it, it's a fairly common pattern to have a thinner coat and very little hair in certain areas. You can see in this pic that Roo has a bald neck/chest, plus on her legs you can see there is very little hair at all, it's only peach fuzz on her knee areas. Oh and she has the mottled skin too.


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## skwerlylove (Apr 24, 2010)

Aww little Pip's face makes my heart melt.  Love your babies so much!

That makes me feel a lot better! You know, our Pips' kind of have the same build/face even.


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## qtchi (Jun 19, 2010)

I love that necklace on Pip. She's regal.


Thanks skwerlylove. I was worried about the fur thing too. I had to research and ask around because I had never encountered it. I thought that maybe she was mixed with a Chinese Crested or some other hairless dog. They usually have the mottled skin. For all I know she is part Chinese Crested.

Your Pippa and Ellitot are beautiful. I love their coloring.


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## skwerlylove (Apr 24, 2010)

qtchi said:


> I love that necklace on Pip. She's regal.
> 
> 
> Thanks skwerlylove. I was worried about the fur thing too. I had to research and ask around because I had never encountered it. I thought that maybe she was mixed with a Chinese Crested or some other hairless dog. They usually have the mottled skin. For all I know she is part Chinese Crested.
> ...


No problem, and thank you. I've learned a lot from lurking the boards here. I've always had dogs, but never small dogs and never Chihuahuas. I'm not sure what it is about Chis that make me freak out over every tiny thing that may be wrong with them, but I do.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

The bald neck and belly are really super common amongst chi's.

Regarding her skin/coat condition, you might consider starting her on a salmon oil supplement...it will soften her coat right up and help keep it supple. We use this one right now: http://www.amazon.com/Alaskan-Bear-Treats-Natural-Wild-Alaskan/dp/B000H57EA2. You put a squirt on her food once a day and that's it 

There are also skin and coat supplements you can buy, but I've never used those so I don't have any recommendations, just might be worth looking into at some point.


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## skwerlylove (Apr 24, 2010)

Thank you so much for your recommendations. I just opened that link and am going to read up on supplementing them.


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## Tanna (Jan 29, 2009)

Paco's skin is Pink, he doesn't have that mottled look, but his coat is mostly white.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

skwerlylove said:


> Aww little Pip's face makes my heart melt.  Love your babies so much!
> 
> That makes me feel a lot better! You know, our Pips' kind of have the same build/face even.


Aw thank you so much! I love yours too, they are adorable! It's Roo in the main pic though, hehe. Roo is my chocolate blue little girl, and Pip is my black/tan/white little guy.  



qtchi said:


> I love that necklace on Pip. She's regal.


Thank you so much! Although it's Roo that is wearing the necklace.  Stacia/MsStingerRN on the board made the necklace for her.


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## tulula's mum (Jan 4, 2010)

tulula is in good health and she is bald on her neck and doesn't have much hair on her belly


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## qtchi (Jun 19, 2010)

foggy said:


> Aw thank you so much! I love yours too, they are adorable! It's Roo in the main pic though, hehe. Roo is my chocolate blue little girl, and Pip is my black/tan/white little guy.
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you so much! Although it's Roo that is wearing the necklace.  Stacia/MsStingerRN on the board made the necklace for her.


Oops! I did mean Roo, but they're both so cute.


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## skwerlylove (Apr 24, 2010)

foggy said:


> Aw thank you so much! I love yours too, they are adorable! It's Roo in the main pic though, hehe. Roo is my chocolate blue little girl, and Pip is my black/tan/white little guy.
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you so much! Although it's Roo that is wearing the necklace.  Stacia/MsStingerRN on the board made the necklace for her.



*facepalm* Hahaha, I knew that. I think it is because I always think of them as Pip and Roo, and then in your signature Roo is first and Pip is second.  Either that or I'm scatter brained. They are both beautiful! 

Roo is built like Pippa, and Pip is built like Elliot.


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## MisStingerRN (May 16, 2010)

awww.... I love that pic of Roo, Paula!


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

skwerlylove said:


> *facepalm* Hahaha, I knew that. I think it is because I always think of them as Pip and Roo, and then in your signature Roo is first and Pip is second.  Either that or I'm scatter brained. They are both beautiful! Roo is built like Pippa, and Pip is built like Elliot.


Haha I bet it's the order in the sig too.  Yep, Roo has the delicate build like your Pippa and Pip is my more cobby little guy, but believe it or not, they weigh almost the same, probably because Pip is shorter. (5 pounds for Roo, Pip is 5.4 pounds)



MisStingerRN said:


> awww.... I love that pic of Roo, Paula!


Thanks hun!


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## skwerlylove (Apr 24, 2010)

foggy said:


> Haha I bet it's the order in the sig too.  Yep, Roo has the delicate build like your Pippa and Pip is my more cobby little guy, but believe it or not, they weigh almost the same, probably because Pip is shorter. (5 pounds for Roo, Pip is 5.4 pounds)



Wow! I thought Pip would have been heavier, since he is so much thicker in the neck. Elliot is just over 7lbs, but she is rather tall. Pippa is a delicate little thing, and is just over 4lbs.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

skwerlylove said:


> Wow! I thought Pip would have been heavier, since he is so much thicker in the neck. Elliot is just over 7lbs, but she is rather tall. Pippa is a delicate little thing, and is just over 4lbs.


Aw Pippa is a wee little one! Both Pippa and Elliot are adorable.  I think my Pip always looks bigger in photos, (might be the angle I take them at) but he is quite small in person. He's short too and cobby whereas Roo has long legs so I think that adds to her weight. Otherwise her body type is quite fragile. She has very small little bones. It seems people always think Roo weighs less than she actually does.


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