Dropcoat is a topic that no-one wants to talk about. If you are curious about this topic and have done a google search, you will know first hand that there is not a lot of information available.
Why aren't people talking about this? There are many faults that breeders aim to eliminate from their lines but drop coat is considered by most, to be the worst fault of all. Nobody wants to admit to having experienced it first hand.
Now like all matters that I discuss on my blog I am by no means an expert. I simply research, fact check and ask questions of the people who do know. My aim is to provide information for other newcomers that might help them in their journey.
Identifying Dropcoat
The prime time for the first drop to occur is generally around the three month mark. Now cavies do tend to transition from their soft baby coat to their adult coat by this age but dropcoat, as you are about to see, is markedly different. The first thing you might notice is an apparent lack of density around the shoulders. A few weeks later you will likely notice that your cavy appears to have short sections of hair, particularly around the shoulder and upper torso area.
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| Drop coat in a young Sheltie sow |
As can be seen in the images above, once the longer hair on top is pulled up, the regrowth underneath is very obvious. It will continue to shed in an ongoing cycle. You may be wondering or perhaps hoping that your cavies short hair could be attributed to something else and there are other circumstances that can cause symptoms which appear similar. In fact, part of correctly identifying dropcoat is being able to rule out all other scenarios.
Dropcoat vs Chewing or Cutting
This is perhaps the easiest similarity to rule out. When a cavy drops it's coat the regrowth will appear in it's virgin state. This means that the ends will likely be slightly darker than the length. In agouti or argente cavies the ends will have ticking. When the coat is cut or chewed these characteristics will not be displayed. Furthermore, when the coat of a cavy is cut or chewed the ends are blunt, rather than being pointed
On the right hand side of the image below you can see the lemon coloured ticking where the cavy has dropped coat. On the left is coat that has been cut by scissors. Whilst the coat may be similar length, the regrowth is clearly evident as compared to the coat that has simply been cut.
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| Ticking on the ends of dropped coat |
Dropcoat vs Vitamin Deficiency or Poor Diet
A cavy who has had a poor diet may experience coat loss as a response to the lack of nutrients. Ill health, food refusal and subsequent failure to absorb nutrients is an additional cause. If you are providing high quality feed for your cavy, it is healthy and of good weight, then you can easily rule this out.
Dropcoat vs Parasites or Neglect
Lice, mites and other nasties cause cavies to itch. When they itch, they rub and scratch at their skin which can cause hair loss. Check your cavy over closely, does the skin appear red or irritated? Are their tiny little flecks moving on the coat shafts? Is their dirt and debris in the coat that could be evidence of lice? Administer your preferred treatment such as ivermectin and repeat again in fourteen days. Once the parasites are gone, the coat will regrow. Although it will have darker ends/ticking if it has fallen out or been scratched/rubbed out due to irritation, the presence of an active infestation provides a clear explanation for the cause.
Dropcoat vs Hormonal Loss
Pregnant sows that do not have genetic dropcoat have been known to experience hormonal hair loss, however it is also the trademark of sows that do have genetic dropcoat. The only way to differentiate between the two, particularly if you did not breed the sow and did not have her as a pup, is by observation over several months. If pregnancy is the only time she ever does it, then you are likely in the clear. However, if she drops coat at any other time or her pups go on to drop their coat, then it is evident you have a problem.
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| Hormonal coat loss |
Dealing with dropcoat
Firstly, be honest with yourself. You can go into denial and offer alternative explanations for what you know is dreaded dropcoat but if you continue to breed or show this cavy, you are only harming your stud reputation and your credibility as a breeder. Be on the look out for it at all times, especially when bringing in new stock and if you find it, be utterly ruthless. Dropcoat needs to be a deal breaker in your stud. No positive attribute is worth retaining a cavy with dropcoat. The main aim in dealing with dropcoat is to eliminate the genetic predisposition from your lines.
Step 1. Pet home the cavy with dropcoat. You can sell or giveaway the cavy as a pet. This means with no papers, no stud pre-fix and if you are selling it, pet prices. It's unfair and unfortunate but also unavoidable. If you choose to keep the cavy as a pet, ensure that you do just that. Do not be tempted to show or breed it any further.
Step 2. Pet home all litter-mates and offspring. This means any siblings born in the same litter and any pups born to the cavy with dropcoat. They may have dropcoat or be carrying it.
Step 3. Make a decision regarding the cavies parents. If you have the sire and or dam of the cavy in question you need to discern which side of the lineage the issue has come from. For example, If you have used the sire many times with no evidence of drop coat in him or his offspring but only just bought the dam and used her in this mating, then it would be best to pet home the dam. You may even choose to retire both parents if you are unsure where the problem has come from.
The best thing we, as breeders can do, is to stop the circulation of cavies with, or carrying, genetic dropcoat from the fancy.
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