HELP!! Mass Amounts of Hair in Brushes! Finding Clumps in the House

[Sabrina & Savannah]

Savannah is 8 month old F1B Goldendoodle.  Mother was a F1 Goldendoodle that looked much like a her Retriever dad.  The mom was a medium poodle. Savannah is about 40-45 lbs.  

I have not had any problems with matting, just a few small ones. Mostly in the fine hair on her belly.  Been brushing and combing her about every week to 10 days.  When she was a puppy she was wavy and shiny.  As she has gotten older, it seems her rear parts from about 1/2 way of her back is wooly? Kinda curly frizzy looking.

I went to purchase a pin brush and on advice of a petsmart employee also  a medium to stiff slicker brush.  Reason for getting better brushes is i was finding clumps of hair around the house about quarter size and noticed Savannah was doing alot of 'self grooming' biting with front teeth kind of thing.  Afterwords I would find the clumps of hair around.  About quarter to fifty cent size mostly.  I can't miss the hair on her body--this has been going on for about a month.   So I figured my brushing not effective hence the new brushes.

I have brushed her down well with the slicker brush about 2 days ago and go mass amounts of hair.  I had to clean the brush about 5-6 times.  This morning I gave a good pin brushing and had to clean it 3-4 times.  It's almost as if she would go bald if I brushed her every day!!

I have always had short haired Dobies, so this grooming thing is new to me.  I have took her to a groom er once and had a cut about 1/2 to 3/4 inch long in January, so it has grown back out to about 2 - 3 inches, give or take.

Are these clumps and this mass amounts of hair normal when brushing this age?  Is this the puppy coat coming out?  Is is normal for her coat to not be shiny anymore? It is shinier on her front chest, and legs feet where it is more wavy.  But dull on the back where it is curlier, more wooly looking.

Attaching a few photos....she is on a good quality puppy food with no corn and omega 3 and fish oils.  I just hope this is a phase and not something wrong. 

First photo just after 1st groom in Jan..

Second today smoother shinier wavy in front

Third Wooly? in the Back???

[Donna K & Quincy]

You have just perfectly described Quincy's coat. I get a ton of hair from him when I brush and comb him once a week or so. I always have except for when he was a young puppy.  I tried brushing him every day to see if I could cut down on the amt of hair around the house and I would get very little from him. It didn't make a difference to the number of hairs around so we are back to weekly brushing. Savannah sounds like she may be itchy, that is why she is biting at her fur. Quincy used to do this and I do give him EPO and Salmon oil caps but what really seemed to work was cutting the wheat out of his diet. He doesn't scratch very much now at all and I no longer have to pick up clumps of hair that he has scratched out. I can always tell when he has had wheat, usually from treats someone has given him because he starts up with the scratching again. An oatmeal shampoo also might help. Is it pollen season in your area? Does she seem to be licking her paws, she may be sensitive to pollen.

[Sabrina & Savannah]

Not pollen season yet.  But I am sure its just around the corner.  I will look at the wheat in her food and treats and see about that.  I do know from my Dobies food is sometimes the culprit.  Even learned that the plastic food bowls can cause acne...imaging that!!  What is EPO?  Is salmon oil much different than fish oil caps?  I have fish oil I take for myself. 

[Sabrina & Savannah]

For some reason the photos aren't showing up.  If you click on themthey are there....

 

[Donna K & Quincy]

EPO is evening primrose oil, it's made for humans but good for dogs. Salmon oil and fish oil should be the same. It is supposed to help with dry coats and skin. If you do a search in the food group there has been many discussions on that subject.  You would expect that a food sensitivity would manifest as a bowel issue more so than a skin issue but who knows. I feed Quincy a grain free food but he does ok with the healthy grain versions as long as there is no wheat. Zukes are a good treat to look for if you go looking for something without wheat.

You can embed your photos in your discussion or reply by using the second icon from the left next to the link icon.

[Sabrina & Savannah]

all too familar with skin probs.  Dobies have them especially the blues...my last baby rest his soul.  I just stayed with the same hoping it would keep working, guess its time to try something different. 

[Sabrina & Savannah]

[Deb, Connor & Simon]

She is absolutely adorable! She definitely does NOT look like she has retriever hair. When coat change starts,it takes a while - not reaching total adult coat until around 2 years old. I agree, the "self-grooming" with her teeth is scratching an itch. Not really grooming at all. The most common culprit of food allergies is the protein source, with chicken and beef being the most common. There are also contact allergies and inhalant allergies that can cause problems. I would look at a food like Taste of the Wild or Blue Buffalo with maybe a salmon or venison protein source (something dogs generally don't get from their food), with no grain fillers (soy, corn, wheat) and no by-products. Once you start working on her inwardly, you can also purchase Evening Primrose Oil shampoo from Isle of Dogs. If they don't have a retailer in your area, you can purchase online. Both my doodles shed old hair when they are brushed. I don't find a lot of tumbleweeds around the house from them, though - mainly my collie and 2 long-haired cats.

BTW, that course wirey hair showing up on her back and down by her tail are called kemp. Even with multi-generation dogs, you will find that. If she's regularly groomed/trimmed, that won't be nearly as evident and can/might fade as she matures.

I have an F1 goldendoodle and an F3 Australian Labradoodle.

Hope this helps.

[Sabrina & Savannah]

Thanks guys...I thinks she is adorable too.  Of course I might be a little biased!

 

As for shampoo.  I use an oatmeal based with a conditioner in it and use my tresemme conditioner on her.  Last bath was at the groomer in January.  I really don't know what they use.   I just brush her and don't bathe her that often.  I will this summer I am sure because we live near a creek and I am assuming she will like that black mud all my other dogs loved to wallow in UGH!! But they loved it when it was hot out!! =:-)  I do dread finding out that she loves it too. 

 

We have warm water hooked to our outside faucet so we can take quick baths outside thank goodness!!

 

I guess I will be changing food.  Just bought a big bag.  I have used the 4 Health Brand at Tractor Supply for years.  Started with the regular lamb and rice formula after skin conditions with my Dobermans.  It really does not have some of the 'triggers' some of you have mentioned that might be causing the allergies.  Its a 27% protein formula.  You guys see anyting that might be doing it?

 

The dry treats I use for rewards are wheat based.  She gets about 6-8 per day. Would these be the culprit if it is a wheat allergy.    She also gets a half a pupperoni treat daily when I leave for work and I used small bites of these for my high reward treat.

 

These are the ingredients in the 4 Health Puppy Food:

Lamb, lamb meal, egg product, rice, millet, cracked pearled barley, pea protein, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), potatoes, oatmeal, tomato pomace, ocean fish meal, flaxseed, natural flavor, salmon oil (source of DHA), potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, dried kelp, carrots, peas, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, dried skim milk, cranberries, rosemary extract, parsley flake, yucca schidigera extract, L-Carnitine, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid

[Gwyndolyn Morasko]

Definitely looks like doodle hair rather than Golden Retriever!  Adorable!  I can't tell by the photos of any bald spots or coarse hair.  My puppy is only 6 months old, so I'm wondering if he'll go through this also.

[Jeanne Rose]

Beautiful dog and very cute!