Why does my purebred Yorkie have an undercoat if they shouldn't?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your question. As long as the skin beneath is healthy looking, this is not going to cause harm to Cookie. Hair coat color change can be due to numerous factors including (but not limited to) genetics, environmental temperature, previous trauma to hair follicles, systemic hormonal disease, etc. If this was sudden that the hair coat changed color, I would recommend having Cookie examined by a veterinarian and have her blood tested just to be on the safe side so that any recommendations for additional diagnostics and treatments can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

That looks like Chester's undercoat. This is a normal second layer of hair and some dogs have. Nothing to worry about! You may notice some times of year when he's shedding like crazy when the undercoat falls out and is replaced. Enjoy your beautiful pup! Please let me know if this was helpful information and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. That nice soft puppy hair coat will change eventually. Puppies are born with a soft hair coat known as their "puppy coat". I have seen this fall out as early as 3 months of age and is replaced by adult fur. This time frame can vary from dog to dog however. I hope this helps! Please let me know if I can answer any further questions for you.

Bonnie's coat should have filled in by now, although it may take until she is about two years old. Clipping the coat often changes it and many Westies have thin soft coats not the thicker coarse fur of others. A less dense coat is easier to manage so I prefer that myself. Check her parents if you know them to see what their coats are like and a show breeder can give you more specifics as they have lots of experience with this. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Bonnie.

The bumps could be cysts, lipomas, or benign tumors. These need to be checked out by a vet, especially since one has become larger. The highlights could be her fur has lightened from being out in the sun.

It could be that Lacy is suffering from Cushing's disease, which is when the dog's body makes too much of the hormone called cortisol. This would cause her to gain weight, lose hair, and have darkening of the skin. I would have her seen by a vet today or first thing on Monday for a series of blood tests to determine if her body is making an excess of cortisol causing her to have Cushing's. If she does have Cushing's disease, then the vet can prescribe medication to lower the cortisol levels and control her symptoms.