For two weeks, Rhian has been shedding like nothing on earth - hairs everywhere! It's a miracle she still has some left, but her poor tail looks decidedly ratty and moth-eaten. It happened last year, too, but then I thought it was due to her first season. It took half a year for the tail to grow back to it's full glory, and now it's happening again!

Has anybody experienced something similar? I know there are not so many full tailed welshies here, but maybe it's the same with the ESS? She gets a generous amount of protein and I have ben adding brewers yeast to her food, is there anything else I can do? Her coat isn't dull or especially thin anywhere else....


Susanna

All the one's I have here that aren't clipped are also losing a fair bit of coat Susanna, a wine coloured carpet in the lounge is proof of that but I've never had them lose hair off their tails the way you've described Rhians hair loss, very odd I doubt it would be dietary because you say the rest of her coat isn't patchy or dull.
This might give you a few pointers to hair loss symptoms, looking at the list I wouldn't think there are many relevant to Rhians tail though

'Callus' or persistent pressure (mostly in giant dogs)
'Cushing's Disease' or high level of corticosteroids
'Demodectic Mange' or infection caused by the Demodex mite
'Diabetes Mellitus' or diabetic conditions in dogs
'Folliculitis' or infection in the hair follicles
'Sarcoptic Mange' or infection caused by the Sarcoptes mite
Tail Gland Hyperplasia' or enlargement of the sebaceous gland of the tail
Allergic reactions to various substance like metals, chemicals, mites, pollens or certain food
Certain growth hormones lead to hair loss. They are witnessed during puberty and mostly in puppies
Excessive estrogen in the body or 'Hyperestrogenism'
Excessive stress (observed during pregnancy and nursing)
Fungal infections like ringworm
Insufficient hormone production by pituitary gland (Pituitary Dwarfisim)
Low estrogen level or 'Hypoestrogenism'
Low thyroid hormone production or 'Hypothyroidism'

It could just be a shedding process she goes through but I can't say I've come across it before, not tail specific anyway, sorry, maybe someone else can offer advice

Sandy

I have no advise or idea whatsoever, but going through the list (I'm sure very helpful for Susanna), I notice a couple of things which could add up...

*Allergic reactions to various substance like metals, chemicals, mites, pollens or certain food

*Excessive stress (observed during pregnancy and nursing)


Maybe it's not only euyes but the tail as well which might be affected by some kind of allergy?
And Rhian just went through a phantom preg, maybe that caused unduly stress?

Hope you get to the bottom of this Susanna, she keeps you on your toes anyway eh? Just as well her mum is a scientist

Entire bitches always lose their coat and regrow it - I'm not sure if she is still entire though from what you've said. I know Lola, my entire English Setter bitch, loses her coat a few months after she's been in season and then it takes months to grow back again.
Rat tail is a very common sign with canine hypothyroidism, but that would be unusual in a dog that looks as young as yours in your photo sig.

Before Tilly was spayed she used to go through phases of shedding (related to her seasons) so much that she looked quite bald in places ... I remember seeing her pink skin showing through. Doesn't shed at all now, which has its own problems ...

Thanks for the answers so far! I may have sounded more dramatic than I intended, it's not as if the tail is going bare, it's just that the long hairs are falling out, leaving it rather straggly-looking.

Yes Rhian is still entire; she'll be 2 years old in June. As I said, I thought it had to do with her season when it first happened, but then it happened during her phantom, barely 2 months after her season. She was in season again in November, her phantom has been over for a month now, so I thought that it was just spring shedding brought on early by the warm weather.

Hypothyroidism sounds very unlikely as she is very young and also simply bursting with energy. My last dog developped this in her old age, and she got very tired with this. Nor do I think there are parasites, there's no indication for it at all.

Allergies is a possibility, since she did have that attack last fall. I always keep that in the back of my head.... Hormones may be most likely, though, since it did grow back last time and with her phantoms it's possible that her hormones are a bit out of line. She should be in the middle of anoestrus now, so hormones shoulb be low.

Anyway, it's not alarming yet - I just wondered if it is a common occurrence. That tail is just not waving as handsomely as it did a month ago. I'll go and look if I can find a pic....

Found some pics:

That's her tail fully feathered in mid January:


And that's some days ago, beginning to looks rather thin and wispy:

Tis hormonal then, and entirely normal like I said the same thing happens to Lola.

Thanks, Penel, this is good to know! My last bitch was spayed, and I don't remember her shedding that much after her first season. But that was when she was still living in my parents house, so I might not have noticed.

So as long as it's only Rhians appearance and my pride that are suffering, all's well!

wish i lost something when i am hormonal -

for example - WEIGHT