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OLD QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q: Hello Viv A: Hi Jane,
Q: Hi Viv
My Border Max is 12 months old. I am a little concerned as his coat has not blown to any extent as yet, he has had a few patches such as parts of his tail and his shoulders that i stripped myself quite easily. Is it common for the breed to not need much stripping at an early age. He has not been neutered.
Thanks for any advice.
Tony
A: Hi Tony, Thanks for the question. I think my first response is lucky you but joking aside Max is not unusual in having a coat like this. As I said in my article, borders coats do vary. You don't say whether Max has a thick undercoat or not but the fact that he is not neutered may be keeping his coat 'in check'. If you have him done you may see a change in time. It sounds as if you are coping very well with the areas that need stripping so keep up the good work and enjoy! Viv
Q: Hi Viv, Can you please help me with this question. How short should my borders nails be. I had read in books before I bought my Border that they do not wear there nails down as they have thick pads and their nails are off the floor. My Border is now 4 years old. when she was younger I took her to the vets to have her nails clipped and she told me they didn't need doing. I tried to explain what I had read about but she wouldn't listen. I took her back 3 months later and she said I will trim a little off as there not that bad. ( I disagreed ) I waited a few weeks and then I changed my vet. The new one said why hadn't I been before as they were very long. He cut them a little and they bled. Since then I have had a dog groomer take a tiny amount off every fortnight. They seem to grow really quick and every fortnight they don't seem to get any shorter. The front ones touch the floor the back ones are off the floor. I walk her 1-2 hrs a day. Hope you have the answer. Many thanks, Louise A: Hi Louise, I have read your question with interest and hope the following will put your mind at rest. I assume your border's nails are all black therefore there is no evidence of where the quick comes to. If that is the case trimming is always more difficult, the quick grows to different lengths and if your dog's have grown virtually to the end of the nails then trimming them very short is impossible as you will be cutting through the quick and they will bleed. It sounds as if your groomer is doing the best he/she can by trimming a little at a time but they will not want to cut through the quick. Would it be possible for you to buy a dog nail file and between groomer visits file your dog's nails to see if they could be shortened anymore. I hope this helps, there unfortunately is not a straightforward solution and it may be that your dog's nails are as short as they can be and so long as they are not causing any discomfort there is no need to worry. Viv
Q: Hi Viv, We have a 6 year old border with a skin condition and have tried everything. She is currently getting fatter by the day on steroids - the only thing that prevents her from itching to the point of bleeding. The only peculiar thing is it all clears up when at the kennels for any length of time. Can you offer any advice as we are now considering re-homing and she is a lovely dog. Thanks. A: Hi, I have just read the above post which left me feeling a little distressed. How upsetting to possibly have to consider rehoming your border because of a skin complaint. I do hope that it doesn't come to that. I have been giving thought to the fact that the skin condition improves greatly when the dog is in kennels for any length of time: has the difference in lifestyle, diet, living conditions been explored; ie is the dog much too warm when at home? Does the diet differ when in kennels? Is there more interaction with other dogs? It is possible that you have considered these differences and if so have any of them been a trigger to the improvement of your dogs skin condition? As you say steroids are keeping the condition under a degree of control but have drastic side affects. Are they continued whilst the dog is in kennels? Skin problems are notoriously difficult to diagnose and often it is a long laborious session of trying one thing and another in an attempt to pinpoint the trigger to the condition. Please be encouraged by the fact that under certain circumstances your dog's condition improves and from that there should hopefully be a way of coping and improving your dog's health. If you wish to discuss this further with me please don't hesitate to email. Good luck. Viv
Hi Viv,
Can you help?
Our 15 month old female BT has, for the last week or so had runny eyes which are sticking together when she wakes up on a morning, and I'm having to bathe them. She then gets a discharge like sleep, in the corner of her eyes throughout the day? Apart from rubbing them when she wakes up, they don't seem to be bothering her. She is eating normally etc.
I did take her to the vets in October when the same thing happened, and they said she had a very slight infection and gave me some cream to put in her eyes twice a day. it cleared up. Now not sure if its the same thing back again, or something else. I've been bathing them a couple of times a day with cooled boiled water with a tiny bit of salt in it.
Want to avoid another expensive trip to the vets if I can.
Could you suggest anything, and do you know if its a common thing for BT's? Its the first one we've had.
Many Thanks
Valerie
Newcastle
Hi Valerie, Borders can suffer with eye infections like any other dog, especially as they like to spend their time rummaging around in the undergrowth and poking their noses into everything, therefore at times meaning that their eyes come into contact with irritating substance and will at times get scratched. From what you say in your email, there is a possibility that your borders eye condition was not completely cleared up in October and has been lying dormant for the last few weeks and has now flared up again. I understand how you feel about another trip to the vets but I recommend that you grab the bull by the horns and make a return visit, it is certainly worth explaining that this is a second visit as the first treatment wasn't entirely successful. Sorry not to be able to come up with a quick fix answer, but it is worth consulting your vet again in case there is any underlying reason for your borders ongoing eye condition, hopefully that is not the case. Please do let us know what the outcome is, in the meantime we wish you and your border well. Viv
Hello Viv What time of year should you strip BT's?
George is looking a bit curly - should I wait until the spring? - I don't want him to get too cold this winter - he is 9 months old - Thanks.
Jenny
Hi Jenny,
Border coats (unless being rolled for show) are usually stripped twice a year, this often happens in the spring and autumn. I assume that George has not been stripped before so by now he will have grown quite a good coat. If he is an indoor dog then stripping him now will not leave him feeling the cold, in fact if his coat has started to 'blow' then it is no longer giving him the full protection of a good close border coat. As each border has a different rate of coat growth, it is quite possible that if you strip George now then his new jacket will be coming through in a few weeks. Have you found a groomer who will hand strip or are you attempting this yourself, if using a groomer then it is wise to check that they definitely do hand strip. Have you thought of taking a before and after photo as a lot of owners are amazed at how different their dog looks having parted with his woolly jacket. Good luck and I hope that you enjoying life with George -9 months is a wonderful age. Viv
Viv, I hope you can help us with our smelly border, Tiger, she is a happy and otherwise healthy dog with periodic ear problems which when treated resolve quite quickly. She is wiry and needs stripping three times a year. We put the smelly and waxy coat down to her sleeping in an outdoor kennel ,which she shares with Bess our black lab. On her last trip to be stripped the groomer suggested a change of diet might help and we are now feeding her Royal Canin mini dog 1-10kg. She has been on this diet for Six weeks now without any discernible improvement. What can you suggest.
Thanks
Andrew Brown.
Hi Andrew,
A very interesting question. Borders can generally be a smelly breed and from experience of having kept them in kennels at times (boarding and welfare) this seems to increase the smell. You say that Tiger has a wiry coat (that sounds perfect) but that it is greasy. It may be that as she lives outside she is over producing protective oils but there are a few points that we can consider. You mention that Tiger does suffer periodically with ear problems: is there any possibility that Bess who she shares the kennel with may be the carrier of the infection, as over the years I have known several labs with deep seated ear conditions. Royal Canin is an excellent food but not one that I would have recommended; in the instance it may be a little too rich. Have you tried Jameswellbeloved which actually comes from the same stable as Royal Canin but I have in experience found that borders do better on it. On the subject of food I assume that Bess has her own food; is their a chance that they swap? What bedding do the dogs have in their kennel and how often do you change/wash the bedding/kennel and what detergents, disinfectants do you use. Has Tiger suffered with this condition for very long? And was there any significant change in her lifestyle before the onset? When Tiger has her coat stripped does she have a bath at the same time? If this is the case it would be advisable to let her skin settle for a few days before bathing and then using a ph balanced shampoo (probably best to consult your vet on which one they would recommend). I hope that the foregoing will help you to sort out Tigers problem. If you wish to discuss this further do not hesitate to contact me on the webpage. Viv
Dear Viv, I have a 14 month old female BT who is tan and black. She was bought from a reputable farm who have only bred their pet BT this once and are having no more. I have a 5 generation pedigree certificate for my dog and she is beautiful obviously! I have been getting her groomed since I first got her at 8 weeks old so that nothing scared her. My concern is that although she gets hand stripped, she doesn't look anything like the BTs in the calendars etc once done. Her hair is very soft and only in the past 3 weeks can I feel signs of a dense, wiry coat underneath. The groomer I use has mentioned she is fluffy and is forever telling me she needs stripped like every 6 weeks! I am not an expert on dogs but my understanding from my vet is that a BT should only need stripped twice a year. Or, should she be done more because she is a puppy until her 'adult' coat comes in? I live in the Stirling area and wondered if you could give me some advice on why me wee dog is fluffy when her coat comes in and also, if you could recommend a proper BT groomer -no disrespect to the groomer I use but I don't feel that they have enough experience with how this breed should look. Thank you for your time. Kindest Regards Kerry
Hi Kerry, I read your question with interest as I groom a blue and tan for a friend and she has a very soft coat (the dog that is!!), we don't groom her every 6 weeks. However, rather than trying to sort your problem out here, it is probably easier if I give you the telephone number of a lady in Perth who has borders and is happy to help with border terrier coats, her name is Anne Gregory 01738 860772. She is very experienced and hopefully will be able sort the coat issue out. I do hope that Anne is able to help, perhaps you would let us know what happens. With best wishes Vivien
Hi Viv We have a cross Border Terrier/Manchester Terrier his name is Todd he will be 7 years old in March. We have him hand stripped, nails clipped and bathed three times a year. He is lovely in every way but one problem, he sometimes smells a bit like sweaty feet.
Most of the time his breath is sweet buy if he has been licking himself he really smells I think it's his breath. When he's asleep there is no smell... it's really weird, we thought of taking him to the vet nut he's not ill. His teeth probably could do with cleaning... could this be the problem? If so, would he have to have a general anesthetic to have this done?
He has always been fed on Jameswellbeloved, he's never had bowel problems, sometimes he will vomit food or water but not very often.
I hope you can help
Thanks
Kate
Hi Kate, Todd sounds lovely I don't think I have ever seen a border x manchester terrier -very handsome I imagine. Borders as a breed can sometimes be a little smelly ( we often say they smell like a pile of old socks!!), have you checked Todd's ears? You say his teeth may need cleaning do they have a build up of tartar on them, yes unfortunately if they are professionally cleaned by a vet then he will have to be given a general anaesthetic, but bad tartar build up can lead to further health issues, so certainly worth looking into. Your choice of food for Todd is ideal, the fact that every now and again he will bring up water or food could just be that he has eaten or drunk too much too quickly, do you add water to his food? As Todd is nearly 7 maybe it is time to change to Jameswellbeloved senior . Another thought on the smell issue, does Todd ever suffer with anal gland problems? Does he have them checked when he is groomed? I hope that the foregoing has been of some help, if you wish to discuss this further please don't hesitate to email. Best wishes Viv
Q:Hi Viv
A:Hi Gail, Goodness what a wonderful read, Monty sounds delightful and reading your letter brought tears to my eyes reminding me of all my dear departed oldies (the oldest making his early 20's, now sadly all have gone and my oldest border now is a young 8 year old). I will try to come up with some useful replies to your questions, firstly I'm so pleased that Wellbeloved did give 6 months relief but sorry to hear that the sickness is increasing. Do you soak Montys food and how often do you feed him? I would suggest at least 2 small meals a day and the food being well soaked, you could always try another food such as Burns or Autarky (senior), does Monty like fish, if so another food I have great faith in is Fish for Dogs, my oldies always seemed to digest this very easily. With regard to bringing a puppy into Montys life, difficult to advise either way, though like you I worried about the effect a very young boisterous puppy would have on an OAP, but did find that it worked well giving the oldies a new dimension to their lives, but always made sure that the puppy treated the old ones with respect and that they had their space and quiet time as often as they needed. Now to Montys little accidents, not being a vet I cannot say whether the sickness and piddling are related, though from experience Borders do seem to suffer with slight dementia as they get older, I have seen it in one or two of mine. There is a drug available from the vet called Vivatonin (think that it the correct way to spell it) which may help, there is possibly an even newer drug I seem to recall a customer telling me of one recently, if you are visiting your vet ask what is available. Just a thought going back to soaking the food well, it does seem to stop them from drinking vast amounts when on a dry food diet. Lastly the stripping, it sounds as if you have been doing a great job with the surgical gloves, now that Monty has a few lumps and bumps I would carry on as before and if you feel that those little areas are best not stripped then gently scissor over them (clipping is not good as it will take the tops off the warts etc.) I do hope that this is of some help and thank you for the kind words about this page, if I can be any further help be email again, but please do let us know how things go for Monty. Wishing you all well Viv
Q: Hi Viv, I have taken in a nine year old Border Terrier "Polly",My Sister-in-Law was ill for some time before she died. I think that Polly had been neglected as when she came to my home her coat was really matted. A man from a mobile company (Dial A Dog) came to the house and did a good job He stripped her, cut her claws,cleaned her eyes and bathed her. I really don't know how to keep her coat in good condition as she is different to other Border Terriers I have read up about. Her top coat is soft creamy Poodle type curly "fur". Apparently both parents and the rest of the litter had the usual straight hard coat. I use a wire brush to groom her but I wonder if I should have her professionally groomed for the Summer. For her age she is a very active fun loving dog, she and I can walk about the same distance ?. I would be thankful for any advice. Molly
A: Hi Molly, I'm very sorry to hear about the death of your sister-in-law, how lovely of you to give Polly a home. The grooming that you had sounds very good, but I'm not sure how long ago this was. Borders are usually stripped twice a year but some may be done more frequently. You say that Pollys' coat is very soft, if she has been spayed this may have changed the texture, though the fact that your groomer was able to hand strip is good (as sometimes soft coats are very reluctant to let go). Yes you should continue to brush Polly to stop the coat getting matted again but do be careful not to scratch the skin with a metal brush. I hope that this helps a little. Without seeing Polly it is difficult to say if she is in need of another strip. Maybe if your groomer is in your area he would give you his opinion. It sounds as if Polly is good company for you out walking and at 9 years old should still be fit and active. But bear in mind that she is heading towards double figures and will start to take things a little more sedately in the years to come, though in true border fashion she will still no doubt be eager to be out and about. Good luck with Polly I hope she gives you many years happy companionship. Best wishes Viv
Q: Hello Viv, Can you help me ?
I have a 9 month old Border who is in need of stripping. I have looked at books but am still baffled !
I live near Woodbridge, Suffolk and wonder if you know of any groomers in this area who could show me how to do it. There are several dog groomers in this area but they all seem to use clippers !!!
Any help would be most welcome.
Many thanks,
Paul Vyse.
A: Hi Paul, I am sorry to hear that you are unable to find a local groomer that is willing to hand strip your border, having just covered this issue I understand how frustrating it can be for you especially as you want to learn how to do it yourself. Unfortunately I do not know of any groomers in your area, possibly the nearest border terrier person is in Hertfordshire, if this isn't too far get back to me. However, have you given any thought to trying to get tuition from a video/dvd there are a few available, one that has good feedback is available via WWW.caninecoatcare.com, this will hopefully help to get you started. Do let us know how you get on, if you need further help please let us know. Best wishes Viv
Q: Hiv Viv, Robbie my BT is nearly 2 years old. He is an intact dog with a good pedigree and is from a reputable breeder. However compared to other borders he has a very thin and sleek coat, so much so that some people often mistake him for a german shepherd pup. He has a little bit of BT fuzz round his muzzle but no real thickness of coat round the rest of his body. Is this just a non typical coat pattern or is it maybe aged related and therefore something that will correct itself as he gets older?. Maybe there are some supplements that might help ? All his litter mates (all bitches) seem to have developed typical border coats by now. Maybe I am just destined never to have the work of coat plucking Grateful for your thoughts Joan A: Hi Joan, Robbies' coat doesn't sound vastly untypical for a border, they do vary and can do so within a litter, and I take it from what you say that the rest of the litter were female, so there is not another male to compare him against. Being entire will probably help to keep his coat from being thick and woolly but as he is now 2 years old I don't think it is going to change a lot now, is there any sign of a double coat at all? Do you feel that Robbie suffers with his coat as it is? Supplements may help, you could try Yumega it does boast wonderful results. If Robbie is generally in good health then the fact that his coat is not in need of regular stripping should perhaps be seen as a blessing, just think of the work or money you are saving!. Do let us know if there is any change in Robbies' coat. Best wishes Viv
Q: Hi Viv, Our one-year old border terrier bitch has a rash on her belly. It does not appea to bother her. Someone suggested it is an allergy. Any suggestions? Thanks, Robert Richie Hi Robert, Apologies for the delay in replying to your question, I hope that maybe by now your borders rash has got a lot better. You don't say if it has been there for long, but you did mention that it doesn't bother her. Unfortunately it is difficult to suggest a remedy, or diagnose what it can be at this distance (not to mention the fact that I am not a vet!). All I can say is that yes it is possibly an allergy, but whether that is due to diet or external factors I am unable to comment. It may be advisable to consult a vet if the condition persists. Wishing you and your dog all the best. Viv
Hello Viv, I live in Maidstone Kent and wondered if you knew anyone that would strip my border terrier. I do it myself but to be honest I am not very good at it. Kind regards, Elaine Hi Elaine, The only person I know of in your area for hand stripping borders is Rachel Lane in the Maidstone area, her telephone number is 01732 743834, I hope this is of some help. Best wishes Viv
Hello Viv, We have an 8 month old Border Terrier who is great and gives us lots of fun and enjoyment. We give him 2 meals a day: one in the morning, which is dried Hills Science and one in the evening, which is a bit of Hills plus home cooked liver/kidney/heart, which he loves. However some days he is fine other days he is sick for no apparent reason. He is a scavenger outside. Our garden is mainly clean. Sometimes he just throws up phlegm. Stools good but recently with a bit of jelly like. Should we just keep him on dried food, or wil this phase pass. He drinks plenty of water and is very active. Hope you can help, From Mel and Norman Hi Mel & Norman, I'm sorry to hear that your border suffers with the occasional attack of sickness. Unfortunately I can't diagnose what the problem is. However what I would say is that possibly the liver/heart/kidney addition to his food may not be agreeing with him. Could you possibly just add a little chicken or minced beef if you feel that he needs 'extras'. You say that your garden is 'clean': is he a grass eater, as quite often they seem to want to eat grass and then just bring up phlegm. The jelly with his stools is a little more worrying. It maybe worthwhile you consulting your Vet on this issue. I wish you well and if you would like to let us know how you get on that would be great. Best wishes Viv
Hi Viv
Hi Bee, Thank you I'm pleased that you find the website useful. Unfortunately I do not know of a groomer in your area, however you say that you have ordered a video, hopefully that won't take too long to arrive. In the meantime I would say have a go yourself, unless you are showing your border you can't really spoil anything as it will grow back. If you work on the basis of removing the longest hairs and gently pull in the direction of the coat, if needs be you can use a stripping knife (but these can cut the coat as opposed to removing the hair by the root, so a few hairs at a time and gently), or you can put chalk powder on you fingers to give more grip. Whatever it won't hurt to start having a little pick away, it can be quite therapeutic and if you are doing it yourself you can take your time. Good luck, do let us know how you get on, how about a before and after photo? Best wishes Viv
Hi Viv
Hi Amanda, I am very sorry to hear that you feel that your groomer has let you down and gone against your wishes. I remember many, many years ago the very same thing happening to me with my first border but all is not lost. The coat on your dog's belly should grow back as normal. You didn't say how you have usually dealt with grooming that part of your dog but that she doesn't let you do it so has it up to now remained long? As the underneath of the dog is quite a sensitive area many people scissor or clip that area as a general practice. I prefer to very carefully scissor a few hairs at a time so that it blends into the stripped body of the dog. I hope that this puts your mind at rest. Perhaps if next time you need your dog's belly grooming it would be worth phoning around your local groomers and tell them ideally what you would like done and ascertaining whether or not they are able to carry out your wishes. Good luck and best wishes Viv
Our border terrier brings up flem mixed with food about 20 mins into a walk. The vet has no answer. Steroids solve the problem but we would like to know what causes the problem. We have had Harry for one year during this time he is always sick whilst on a walk unless on steroids which we feel will be harmful for a long life. He is not ill whilst around the house. The sick is not 'normal sick' but like a phlegm full of air and sticky like frog spawn .It will sometimes contain small pieces of food. This will occur usually twenty mins into a walk or if he plays quite actively with another dog Our vet is baffled and so are her fellow vets since all tests to date have proved negative. Tests have ruled out :- He is fine when on prednisolone 5mg/day but we do not know why. Our vet states that otherwise he is a healthy little dog but we would like to get to the source of the illness Have you come across a similar case in the past and can you suggest what our next step should be ? Hi Roger, Poor Harry, I read your question with great interest, initially thinking I am not a vet so really haven't any ideas to put forward but then had a few thoughts which I will share with you. You didn't say how old Harry is and I am assuming he is a rescue dog? You are probably aware that borders are fairly excitable little characters and at times go over the top not knowing when enough is enough. Therefore I am wondering if it is a case that Harry gets over excited, causing a large adrenalin rush which results in him bringing up phlegm (I have seen borders vomiting a thickish liquid when too excited). It may be that whilst on steroids the production of adrenalin is suppressed resulting in him not bringing up phlegm. As I am not a vet this theory is purely based on my observations over the years of borders and their behaviour. It appears that you have had him thoroughly checked and tested and he seems to be a healthy little dog, which tends to make me think that this is not an illness more a behavioural condition. Do let us know how Harry goes on and if there are any further developments. Good luck and best wishes Viv
HI Viv, We recently bought a BT about 3 month ago, called Holly.
We took her to the vets for a check up and all was fine. She is about 6-7 years (the kennel club papers say 6, but her chip says shes 7 ???) and she was in season.
She became off her food about 1 months ago and her teats became enlarged but she made no signs of bedding down or collecting toys. My husband and I thought she maybe experiencing a phantom pregnancy as she hadn't been spayed (we are getting her done). After a few days she was back on her food and back to her normal self.
We took her to be stripped about 2 weeks ago. As you put in your news letter, they do look like a different dog, almost puppy like in appearance.
Now a bald patch has appeared on the back of her neck,
between her shoulder blades. It doesnt seem to be bothering her and isnt red or painfull but she is moulting terribly. When I brush her I get loads of hair.
Is this natural after being stripped? Do you think they did it properly? I have no reason to think otherwise. Should i be worrying about the bald patch? I have asked our vet and he said it could be hormonal. Is that so? Have you come across this before? Should I give her a bath?
Like I said it's not bothering her but there's hair everywhere and before the stripping she didnt molt at all.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
Firstly I do apologise for taking a little time to reply, I have been giving your email considerable thought. I understand from what you said that Holly is no longer manifesting symptoms of a phantom pregnancy, unfortunately border bitches do seem prone to this, some more severe than others. Phantoms will result in a hormonal imbalance and could certainly affect the coat, spaying will sort out the phantom pregnancy side, but doesn't tend to improve the coat. The patch on Holly that is bald is not uncommon; that is the area which seems to often grow the thickest coat, but when stripped is the baldest. With regards to her moulting, again it could be due to the hormonal upset, but don't forget this is spring (warmer weather - supposedly!!) so she will be changing her coat which means she will shed her undercoat. I do not recommend bathing directly after stripping, but after a week or so should be ok, if you really feel that she needs one, but do use a correct ph balanced shampoo for dogs. I hope that the above helps, any feedback you wish to give on Hollys' progress would be interesting. Good luck and best wishes Viv
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