D'vorahDavida
Yetzirah

Classy Arrives
Fri Jul 31 2009

I got in the car on Wednesday and drove alone for many miles into unfamiliar territory to meet one of our Sheltie rescue volunteers to pick up a little dog who had just come straight from the shelter.

She was surrendered by her owner because they were moving.

Evidently she had been covered in ticks and fleas. The people at the shelter treated her for those and gave her most of her vaccinations. After I picked her up, I took her straight to the vet. She is in fairly good health except for a little kidney imbalance that we will keep an eye on. And she is not spayed. She also has very dirty teeth that will need attention.

However, her biggest problem in my opinion is that she hardly has any hair.

 The poor wee thing.

The vet says there are three possible causes. Sometimes hormones can cause this. Since she is not spayed, it's a possibility. Or, someone may have at one point shaved her (thinking she would be cooler in the summer). For some Shelties, when you do that, the hair never really grows back. Or, she may have a severe case of chronic flea allergy. Now that the fleas and ticks are dead and gone, her hair MAY grow back.

We are hoping. Because a Sheltie's coat is .... well really part of who they are.

So here she is resting up after a long day in the car, at the vet, and having had a bath....

[album 65561 Classy A.JPG]

She sort of has buck teeth too, which gives her a goofy kind of smile.

Here she is checking out her bath towels.

[album 65561 Classy B.JPG]

I will try to get a picture of her best pose. It's when she is facing you straight on as if she is waiting for something wonderful to happen. I haven't been able to get a good shot of it.
New foster Shelties are wary and move around a lot. The first few days it's just impossible to get a great photo that captures their personality. Because,.... well they aren't giving anything away for free at this point in the game.

She gets along with Fiona and Sunny and Ben are being very gracious in giving Classy her space right now. I of course WAIT for the day when our foster dogs begin to play.

It's my favorite day of all.
8 Comments
  • From:
    Allimom (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Jul 31 2009
    She looks like a pup with her hair like that! Hope the Play Day comes soon.
    Alli
  • From:
    404Error (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Jul 31 2009
    When I was a teenager my mother owned a grooming shop. We also had a kennel and showed champion Pekingese, among others. I have seen hundreds of coats like this. I believe it's a flea allergy, too. You can see areas where she's chewed all her fur off. Sometimes it takes a long time for the coat to come back, upwards of a year very often. Some dogs chew neurotically even after all the parasites are gone. Plus, females just tend not to have as much fur as males. I'm sure that is, indeed, an hormonal thing. In dog showing lingo it's known as "blowing coat." It happens during/after estrus or during whelping. It's why there are fewer female champions in long coated breeds. She will probably never have a coat like Ben.
  • From:
    Welshamethyst (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Jul 31 2009
    Poor little thing. She looks nekkid & slightly goofy. How about trying a purified fish oil supplement to improve her skin and coat? It really works wonders
  • From:
    Supertrooper (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Jul 31 2009
    Bless you both ..she is adorable and needs you very much ....the poor girl .

    Good luck

    Linda xxxx
  • From:
    Nibbles (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Jul 31 2009
    Awww, poor girl.

    I didn't know shaving different kinds of dogs might not let the hair grow back....... I've shaved every dog I've owned at this point.

    I wonder if that's true for cats?

    Because yeah, my cat might have stayed bald I just realized! :) Fortunately I think it's growing back. But maybe next time I'll read up on each animal before I shave it :D
  • From:
    Welshamethyst (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Jul 31 2009
    I use Spring Valley brand (1000 mg.). Do NOT get the enteric coated because my dogs pick them out of their food and spit them across the room, lol. I'd start her out on one a day for a week then bump up to two. Once her skin and coat get to looking better you should be able to cut that back down to one again but it might take a while.

    Good luck with it. I think you'll be pleased with the results ;)
  • From:
    Pragmatist (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Jul 31 2009
    I see what you mean by their hair is part of who they are. Poor little girl; I hope the hair grows back quickly!

    I am just amazed at how congenial the house animals are when a new foster comes in. That being the case, I betcha Classy will be playing very soon!


    Bless
  • From:
    Salted (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Aug 05 2009
    Shaving Poms doesn't work... in 6 weeks the hair is right back. They are regular hair factories! She is pretty even short haired! There is a smooth coated collie that has short hair. God Bless you for your work with the dogs! I wish I had stuck to dogs and not gotten involved with saving people LOL!