Working cocker coat changes post spay

[jla]

I have an orange roan worker with a very fine, silky coat who is going in to be spayed tomorrow.  I've just been told some horror stories about thick, wiry, wooly coats after spay and wondered if anyone on here had any experienced of the ornage / lemon roans after spay they could share.

Eeverything I have heard and seen is that the orange and lemons tend to have finer coats, no top knots etc compared to livers and blacks but any real life examples would be great.

[Sarah1985]

I have 2 sprayed (solid) working cockers and neither have gone wolly. There coat is slightly thicker than before but not by a huge amount. Its still straight and fine (although not as neat looking). Ive recently thinned Dexters coat out because it was abit much for the summer and he looks much better. But I got an increase in fur but no change in consistancy.

My two both have roans in their lines which Ive heard means their coats tend to be slightly thiner than the completely solid lines. With you having a golden roan I dont think it will ever be considered wolly as the roans tend to have thinner coats

[Helen]

My two both have roans in their lines which Ive heard means their coats tend to be slightly thiner than the completely solid lines.

hmmm...not sure of that theory - Jarv's sire is a liver roan  working cocker breeders historically didn't breed for colour (not until now that is  ) - that was far down the list of desirable traits - so most lines will have roan in there somewhere!

back to the OP -  the only orange/lemon roan I know that has a very full coat is Karma's Honey and she has a bit of show in her - take a look at dogs like Lisalh's Maddie for example and her coat is more like I would envisage your dog to turn out 

[Crazy Cocker Gang]

Bries a solid lemon and was spayed nearly a year ago, the only change to her coat has been a little light whispy fluff on her legs and sides which strips out fine.

Dillon who we had on foster was a lemon and white ticked (I think) who was castrated years ago and his coat was still a lovely, it hadnt gone really fluffy or wooly.

I do think spay/neuter effects the darker colours more especially the livers. I have finally given in a clipped my boys because there coats attracted everything and matted so easily. Their fur is really wooly, thick and impossible to do anything with.

Amber whos red is a fluff ball but its a much different fluff, it doesnt matt and is really soft. Its also strips out quite nicely with a comb and elastic band and stays short.

[Top Barks]

My lot are boys but are done Alfie and Bayley have remained silky and wispy as ever and have never had any clippers anywhere near them however Douglas and oliver who had both been clipped both went very wooly.

[Sarah1985]

hmmm...not sure of that theory - Jarv's sire is a liver roan  working cocker breeders historically didn't breed for colour (not until now that is  ) - that was far down the list of desirable traits - so most lines will have roan in there somewhere!

I was thinking more about in the show lines where the roans are often alot less wolly than the solids. But I now realise the OP was talking about a full working strain which yea mostly do have a mix of roan and solids. Which (correct me if im wrong) is why the mostly solid workers often have patchs of white under their chins and why their coats tend to be thinner than show cockers

Sorry my mistake. I should have been paying more attention.

[jla]

She's never been clipped or stripped as she is so silky she's never needed it.  Here is a recent photo of her - the tail is blurred as it was wagging!!! but it is very fine.


I tried looking for some pictures of Lisalh's Maddie but couldn't find any.  I will just keep my fingers crossed I guess as I love her coat as it is now.   

[Karma]

Just to add to what Helen said - Honey is VERY fluffy, but despite being spayed, it's not woolley, thick or wirey... it's actually fairly easy to manage, and would be easy enought to trim shorter if we didn't like the fluffy look!!!

This was Honey at about 1yr (she was spayed at 7 months) (can't find a one pre-spay that shows her coat!!!)



And this is her in all her fluffy glory!!!!




As you can see, she is fluffy, but it's very soft and fine...
And, as Helen says, she is 1/4 show bred, so that will account for some of it. 

[hollyd443]

Awww - lovely piccies 

Both Rio and Roxy have hardly any coat. Its been about 2yrs since they were speyed and theres been no change in there coats. Heres a pic of Rio's:



(trying to find a pic that shows there coat is difficult, they're either soaking wet or running around like mad things!) 

[jla]

Honey is gorgeous, was she a little bit fluffy pre spay?

Rio is stunning - that looks very similar to Reah's coat at the moment, even down to the tail!

[Henshallboys]

Bramble & beri were done at 5 months and they still have fluffy legs as you can see in the pic below that was taken last week. The fluff is only on their legs now and I have had the boys trimmed once which helped so I will do it again.  We comb with the elastic band and the rest of their coats are lovely and soft and fine and shiny 

The boys are 3 in September.

[Karma]

Honey wasn't fluffy before her spay, but she was spayed pre-first season, so may well have developed more fluff even without being spayed....

As I say, her show 1/4 does complicate matters for predicting how other workers would turn out...

[johndoran]

Bonnie Boo is an Orange Roan worker with a lovely silky coat and really only needs the feathering on her legs and tummy trimming. She didnt alter at all after spaying

[Crazy Cocker Gang]

Bonnie Boo is an Orange Roan worker with a lovely silky coat and really only needs the feathering on her legs and tummy trimming. She didnt alter at all after spaying

we really need some pics to judge for ourselves 

[johndoran]

If I could figure out how to put them on I would! There's loads on facebook. I know I'm a lost cause but I'm going to need someone to stand over me and go through it step by step.