aschlemm Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 Those of you out there with smooth coated BC's is it typical for them to have an awful lot of undercoat? I've had three rough coated dogs with differences in coats types (long/straight with little undercoat, fluffy with little undercoat and straight with cowlicks and little undercoat.) My smooth coated BC suddenly (at the age of five) grew a lot of undercoat. And it's tanish (she's a black tri.) The heat is bothering her this summer and I understand why with that undercoat. I don't know if it is normal. She is on Proin due to urinary issues and since she started that in December I'd like to blame the Proin but I've never seen that listed as a side effect. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmbc Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 I have two smooth coats, one has a lot of undercoat and the other does not. I think it depends on the dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CptJack Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 Mine has a 'moderate' amount of undercoat. She's also only a year old. My other dog, who is not a border nor short haired, was single coated (I and everyone else would have sworn) until she was 2.5 or so and suddenly sprouted a noticeable amount of undercoat. And it's still getting thicker. She's a spayed female though and from my understanding that sort of thing happens fairly commonly as they get older and after being altered. They even call it a spay coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbc1963 Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 My old dog always had a medium undercoat, but I do remember a change in his coat when he hit full maturity - maybe at around 5? He got weird tufts of undercoat-like hair where he'd never had them, along the bony parts of his front and back legs. Kind of like hairiness that develops on older humans, whiskers where they'd neve been before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 Bodhi's not a smooth coat -- medium rough. When he was younger he barely had any undercoat at all, even in the dead of winder. I don't remember exactly when it happened he was at least 5 or 6 though) but he developed an undercoat. Now at 9 1/2-10 he's got a really dense, plush undercoat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted July 9, 2015 Report Share Posted July 9, 2015 Many of my smooth coated dogs have seemed to gain more undercoat as they aged. Lark used to be slick, and at 9 she has some undercoat she never had before. As someone else noted, it's probably pretty individual from dog to dog, but certainly smooths can have more or less undercoat. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mum24dog Posted July 9, 2015 Report Share Posted July 9, 2015 I was going to say the same about getting more undercoat as they age. Kye used to have very little but now at 9 he's got quite a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted July 9, 2015 Report Share Posted July 9, 2015 Kipp was smooth and had a pretty thick undercoat. Lots of shedding but otherwise easy care. Kolt will probably end up the same way. It's not too thick right now but he's only 1 y/o so I'm pretty sure it will get thicker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denice Posted July 9, 2015 Report Share Posted July 9, 2015 There are medical conditions that effect the coat, everything from thickness to shedding ect. Just something to keep in mind and maybe have a conversation with your vet about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aschlemm Posted July 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 Hey thanks for all the input. I was considering having her checked for hypothyroidism but she really doesn't have any other signs. I was thinking that my other female Border's coat changed around the same age and that perhaps it has something to do with aging and being spayed. I'll keep watching for other signs to be sure it isn't something medical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emilyfalk Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 Julie, I'm glad you've seen this, too, that they gain undercoat with age. Dear Rae at 14 has the coat of a husky. I've actually shaved her belly several times this summer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Billadeau Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 Rae's mother, Starr, stayed slicked coated (smooth with very little undercoat) for all of her life. I don't think of Gyp's (Rae's litter sister) coat getting any thicker with age but she had a thicker undercoat than Starr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 Willow became quite wooly in the last couple of years of her life, and she was pretty slick coated. Twist also seems to have more undercoat than she did (or she sheds a lot more!). I guess it's just an individual thing. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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