One of our dogs ~ Axel ~ has a coat that has over the last I would say year to 18 months started to grow in lines. It never used to and we always brush him and so know that it's not due to lack of grooming.

Now when he was one he was diagnosed with an allergy in his mouth under his tongue of which there is no known cause and so no known cure. He had lots of medication at the time, with two lots of it being Steroids which didn't agree with him and so he never had them again. The allergy which used to get infected was then just treated with Antibiotics.

Because of the constant medication he was on we noticed how awful his coat had become. Brittle, dull and horrible. He was perminently on medication until  about 18 months ago, when for some reason the allergy didn't seem to get as infected. He now doesn't seem to have any allergy signs in his mouth at all and hasn't for some months..thank goodness.

It was around the same time as the allergy started to improve that we noticed these lines appearing along the sides of his body and to the hips, sometimes getting quite broad.

Now his coat is a better in condition than it was but just doesn't seem to quite get back to what it was pre allergy days. Does anyone have any tips as to anything that we can try so as to get his coat back to full condition. Also does anyone have any ideas as to the reason his coat has suddenly started to grow in lines?.

Jan.

I would suggest either fish oil (salmon oil is very good) and/or rapeseed oil added to his food for coat quality - usually a harsh dry coat is an indication of the fat levels in the diet being a bit low (or in his case, probably not being able to properly digest fat due to his allergy).

The thing with the lines is quite normal - one of my boys has had this all his life, and some of my older guys got it as they aged. It happens when the undercoat thickens so that is as deep, or nearly as deep as the top coat. I suspect that if he has a really good thick undercoat he will always have lines, but a good bath followed by a thorough grooming to get rid of any loose coat will help.

It's quite pretty really - at least I think so! 

Thanks for the reply, I will certainly try the Salmon oil, bet he'll like that I can hear him slapping his lips already . His coat isn't as bad as it was, and goodness it was awful, but he just needs that something to put it back on a real good road to recovery so to speak.

The lines just so puzzled me as he is five yrs old in four months and only got them about eighteen months ago and a few people had asked if he was entire as that can cause these lines. When I said he was entire they just sort of scratched their heads and admitted they hadn't got a clue as to why this had suddenly happened. At one stage at the worst stage of his allery he lost most of his coat...poor little boy he looked so ill, but since he has made such an amazing recovery from this and the allergy seems to of subsided ( thats tempting providence is'nt it ) and his coat has improved so much to what it was, the lines have appeared. Maybe he would of been like your sibe and got them a lot earlier if he hadn't of lost his coat and it been so bad at such a young age. He certainly stands out from the rest with them  and adds to his beauty..thank you I appreciate your advice.

Jan.

Holland & Barret have Salmon Oil Capsules on sale at moment, 75% off. Along with alot of other vitamins etc..............I saved over 30 quid from my usual bill from there!