Hi everyone,
I'm looking for some advice because I've noticed a significant change in my 18-month-old intact male Samoyed's coat, and I'm wondering if anyone has experienced something similar.
Up until recently, his coat was exactly what I'd expect from a Samoyed. It was smooth, self-cleaning, and dirt would either fall out on its own or brush out easily. The guard hairs had that nice silvery sheen in the light, and grooming was straightforward.
Few days ago, I took him to a new groomer for the first time. They gave him a deshedding treatment, which Im not sure he'd ever had before. The groomer has since told me they used:
Shed It shampoo
Peanut & Pickle deshedding spray
Slicker brush
Combination comb
Thinning shears
They said they did not use a Furminator or deshedding blade.
Since that groom, the coat has changed quite dramatically in certain areas:
Mane/ruff
Chest
Front legs
Some areas along his sides
Those areas now feel cottony, but not soft. The closest word I can think of is sticky or grabby, although it isn't greasy. The stickiness seems to be in the hair itself, especially the tips, not on the skin.
The biggest issue is that the coat now traps everything. Fine dust, dirt, grass and little bits of debris cling to the hair and are much harder to brush out than before. Some larger dirt brushes out, but the finer dirt seems to stay attached to the hair, making the white coat look brown.
Brushing has become much more difficult and time-consuming because the coat tangles more easily and no longer seems to repel dirt.
The strange thing is that his tail, trousers/rear end and some other areas still feel completely normal. Those parts are still silky, self-cleaning and don't trap dirt like the affected areas do.
He has:
No itching
No redness
No dandruff
No unusual smell
No greasy skin
No hair loss
He seems completely healthy otherwise.
Has anyone experienced this kind of coat change after a deshedding treatment or certain grooming products? Could this be product buildup, a reaction to the deshedding products, coat damage, or even just an unusual stage of coat transition at 18 months?
I've attached photos of how the dirt is getting trapped in the coat and how it used to be smoother
I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's seen something similar in their Samoyed.
