Patches of thicker/longer hair

LittleMonsters · Apr 26, 2018

Wondering if anyone has ever experienced something similar.

Ripley, (who turns one today!), has slowly developed over the past month or two, a few spots along her back where it seems almost as if the fur is thicker or longer. I've checked the skin underneath and it looks very healthy and clean, and it's definitely not missing fur there.

There are two spots up by her shoulders, one much bigger than the other, then one along her spine near her rump, and one on her left haunch (the largest).

The hair is not falling out, it started with the first one by the shoulders and then the others started to appear. The three along her spine look kinda like cowlicks but the one on her haunch has a strange shape.

Just wondering if I should be concerned. It is a little strange looking but whatever, we love our girl!

Tgirl · Apr 26, 2018

You sure they aren't whelps?

2bullymama · Apr 26, 2018

Almost looks like hives... the skin is not in anyway raised?

LittleMonsters · Apr 26, 2018

2bullymama said:
Almost looks like hives... the skin is not in anyway raised?

I don't think so. It is not red or raised at all. Our other Frenchie gets an allergic reaction where she gets hives all over her body, little raised circular bumps, but you can definitely tell the skin is irritated underneath and after the swelling subsides they go back down and she sometimes looses the fur in that spot. These have been this way for over a month now, with little change except sometimes seems that the shape changes, and they are not round shaped. It looks almost like one of those dogs who has shed most of their winter coat and just has a few patches of the longer thicker fur left, except that the opposite has happened, that her fur was all short and now she's starting to get these patches of longer fur. I know Frenchies don't change their coats like dogs with double coats do, but just to give you an idea of what it looks like in person.

The first one between her shoulders she's had for a while now, the vet has seen it and said it was probably just a kind of cowlick, where her hair met together right between her shoulder blades in a funny way. But now she's got more and the one on her haunch. The fur looks longer, lighter in color, and thicker (like downy almost). The vet hasn't seen these new ones but we'll take her in a few weeks for her yearly vaccines and have her checked then, just curious if anyone else has something similar.

2bullymama · Apr 26, 2018

LittleMonsters said:
I don't think so. It is not red or raised at all. Our other Frenchie gets an allergic reaction where she gets hives all over her body, little raised circular bumps, but you can definitely tell the skin is irritated underneath and after the swelling subsides they go back down and she sometimes looses the fur in that spot. These have been this way for over a month now, with little change except sometimes seems that the shape changes, and they are not round shaped. It looks almost like one of those dogs who has shed most of their winter coat and just has a few patches of the longer thicker fur left, except that the opposite has happened, that her fur was all short and now she's starting to get these patches of longer fur. I know Frenchies don't change their coats like dogs with double coats do, but just to give you an idea of what it looks like in person.

The first one between her shoulders she's had for a while now, the vet has seen it and said it was probably just a kind of cowlick, where her hair met together right between her shoulder blades in a funny way. But now she's got more and the one on her haunch. The fur looks longer, lighter in color, and thicker (like downy almost). The vet hasn't seen these new ones but we'll take her in a few weeks for her yearly vaccines and have her checked then, just curious if anyone else has something similar.

Really interesting.... going to tag a member to see if he has any insight. I'm wondering it is might be a type of staph infection or skin irritation.

Please keep us posted and take lots of pictures to show you vet.. cause you know when your appointment day comes.. they will al be gone

LittleMonsters · Apr 26, 2018

2bullymama said:
Really interesting.... going to tag a member to see if he has any insight. I'm wondering it is might be a type of staph infection or skin irritation.

Please keep us posted and take lots of pictures to show you vet.. cause you know when your appointment day comes.. they will al be gone

Will do!

Here’s a long boring video that shows it a little better, I hope.

2bullymama · Apr 26, 2018

LittleMonsters said:
Will do!

Here’s a long boring video that shows it a little better, I hope.

WOW... nothing out of the ordinary at all.... it also looks to be on the tip of his tail too.
Seems like just a different type of fur.... however, he did like his massage !

Mavis · Apr 26, 2018

Hmmm; I don't know. He is adorable, though, and such a good boy!

Alice Kable · Apr 26, 2018

Ripley has a unique coat!!! I've not seen this before, but if it bothers you trim it. She is a pretty girl!

davidh · Apr 28, 2018

I have never seen anything like that before except for hives. I'm interested to see what it is.

LittleMonsters · May 4, 2018

The verdict is in. A few months ago, Ripley had a horrible bout with parvo, even though she was/is fully up to date on vaccines. She was hospitalized for more than a week and during that time received likely multiple injections in these spots. The injections combined with her depressed immune system probably caused “damage” to the follicles and skin around that site, and so when it “healed” the fur grew back differently than the rest of her coat. It is actually softer, thicker and longer than her normal fur, and probably going to stay that way for ever.

So says the vet!

Glad it is nothing to worry about.

2bullymama · May 6, 2018

LittleMonsters said:
The verdict is in. A few months ago, Ripley had a horrible bout with parvo, even though she was/is fully up to date on vaccines. She was hospitalized for more than a week and during that time received likely multiple injections in these spots. The injections combined with her depressed immune system probably caused “damage” to the follicles and skin around that site, and so when it “healed” the fur grew back differently than the rest of her coat. It is actually softer, thicker and longer than her normal fur, and probably going to stay that way for ever.

So says the vet! Glad it is nothing to worry about.

Interesting... thanks for the follow up—- you’ll have a one of a kind

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

davidh · May 11, 2018

Very interesting.

LittleMonsters · Jun 11, 2018

I just wanted to update to say that with the change in warmer weather and coat, the spot on her hip and the spot between her shoulders have all but disappeared. She still has the spot on her back towards her tail but that too seems to be going away ever so slightly. So it seems that whatever damage was done to the hair follicles from the injections is slowly healing and getting better as she grows. Hooray!

2bullymama · Jun 11, 2018

LittleMonsters said:
I just wanted to update to say that with the change in warmer weather and coat, the spot on her hip and the spot between her shoulders have all but disappeared. She still has the spot on her back towards her tail but that too seems to be going away ever so slightly. So it seems that whatever damage was done to the hair follicles from the injections is slowly healing and getting better as she grows. Hooray!

Great!!! Keep us posted— hopefully it is over

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk