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My friend has a black chow femaleabout a year old and she is shedding her coat so there are big bare patches over her shoulders and back. Is this a problem in chows?

I have had other heavy coated dogs look pretty sad when they shed their winter coat but nothing like this.

>>My friend has a black chow femaleabout a year old and she is shedding her coat so there are big bare patches over her shoulders and back. Is this a problem in chows?
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>>I have had other heavy coated dogs look pretty sad when they shed their winter coat but nothing like this.

She needs to have the dog evaluated by a veterinarian. Skin problems certainly can happen in Chows. One problem that seems to happen to them a lot is demodectic mange, but that isn't the only possibility. With bare patches, it's important to get the dog to a vet.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series at www.veterinaryforum.com

Thank you - there are no scaly patches or anything like that. I will refer them to a vet, I've never seen anything like it, in a dog.

I was talking to a guy who said it looked like a stress reaction ( they've just intrduced 2 male siberian huskies to the house hold. But the hairloss worries me.

>>Thank you - there are no scaly patches or anything like that. I will refer them to a vet, I've never seen anything like it, in a dog.
>>
>>I was talking to a guy who said it looked like a stress reaction ( they've just intrduced 2 male siberian huskies to the house hold. But the hairloss worries me.

The hair loss is definitely cause for worry. Sarcoptic mange can look very benign, with no scaly patches or itching. Left untreated, it can go deep in the internal organs and ultimately kill the dog.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series at www.veterinaryforum.com

>>The hair loss is definitely cause for worry. Sarcoptic mange can look very benign, with no scaly patches or itching. Left untreated, it can go deep in the internal organs and ultimately kill the dog.>>--

Kathy in my entire LIFE, and I have dealt with a ton of dogs in rescue with sarcoptic mange, I have never had one that wasn't itchy, nor heard of it killing a dog unless it got such severe bacterial secondary infections that it was put down. OTOH, I have seen dogs with demo that didn't itch. Nor have I heard nor can I find any reference to it or even demodectic going into the organs (although demo can become generalize, lead to bacterial infections, and due to its autoimmune issues is even related to cancer in adult dogs). Can you give me any references for what you wrote?
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Debra
ebraDownSth@aol.com" target="_blank">DebraDownSth@aol.com
Blessed Are The Flexible For They
Shall Not Be Bent Out of Shape.]

>>My friend has a black chow femaleabout a year old and she is shedding her coat so there are big bare patches over her shoulders and back. Is this a problem in chows?
>>
>>I have had other heavy coated dogs look pretty sad when they shed their winter coat but nothing like this.

While mites such as Demodectic and sarcoptic manges are common with chows, she would be itching, not just losing coat. What I would MOST suspect is possible thyroid. Have your friend get her to a vet NOW and do a FULL (not an inhouse!) panel and have the vet look. Bald patches is not normal shedding!
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Debra
ebraDownSth@aol.com" target="_blank">DebraDownSth@aol.com
Blessed Are The Flexible For They
Shall Not Be Bent Out of Shape.]