Cornish Rex loses hair

Question
Hi Norman!

Your name sounds familiar, I used to show years ago, I wonder if you are a cat show judge?  Anyway, I have a ten year old, female, spayed Cornish Rex.  She used to have a beautiful coat, very thick and wavey.  Seems like in the last year she began to lose her coat, and now instead of waves, she has a very closely cropped , wirey coat.  Is this normal in the breed?  I can't  think of anything that would have caused this change.  Her eating habits remain the same, only her age has changed.   

Thank you for your time.

Becky

Answer
Becky,

Yes, I am a cat show judge.  I am now judging for The Cat Fanciers' Association, inc., but, in the past, I had judged for the Candian Cat Association.

Anyway, I sanitized and posted your query to where Cornish Rex breeders and other knowledgeable people could respond to me privately,

I am including their saniztized responses below.  In a nutshell, the consensus was that this is not abnormal for an older Cornish Rex, BUT, a trip to the vet to get a full blood panel and, especially, to get a thyroid check would be warranted.

Here are the responses (you can use the email heading as a delimiter between responses):

Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2006 20:03:20 -0400
From:
To: Norman Auspitz <auspitzn@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [cfa-list] Cornish Rex Question

Hi Norm,

If only we could understand the ways of the CRex coat!<G>  Of course when the cats are whole there is a hormonal component, however, I have some altered old farts who go through some very strange coat changes from year to year.  I do find it interesting tho' that she feels the coat has changed texture.  I haven't had a case of that here.  Sorry not to be of any real help.

Best,

Norman Auspitz wrote:

Cornish Rex People,
  
 Please email privately auspitzn@yahoo.com if you have an answer to the following question I was asked:
  
  
 I have a ten year old, female, spayed Cornish
Rex.  She used to have a beautiful coat, very thick and wavey.  Seems like in the last year she began to lose her coat, and now instead of waves,  she
has a very closely cropped , wirey coat.  Is this normal in the breed?  

I can't  think of anything that would have caused this change.  Her eating habits remain the same, only her age has changed.

 TIA & best regards... Norm.
  

From:
To: "Norman Auspitz" <auspitzn@yahoo.com>
Subject: RE: [cfa-list] Cornish Rex Question
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2006 20:32:09 -0400

Norm
This is a normal aging change in older cats. Sometimes the coats go away for
a awhile and then come back thick and wavy again. Sometimes they get sparse
and wiry and sometimes they just thin out until nothing is left.

The owner could have her thyroid checked.



Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2006 20:49:46 -0400
From:
To: auspitzn@yahoo.com
Subject: Cornish Rex

Norm, I just asked Cathy Rokaw (who showed a Cornish years ago) if she'd ever had a comparable experience. She had, and gave Zydeco "oil of primrose" which apparently worked, and his coat returned. He was much younger (perhaps 4-6 years) and this may well not be applicable (and as Cathy said, it could just have been coincidence!) but thought
I'd pass it on.

NOTE:  In the email above, Cathy Rokaw is one of the wisest breeeders I have ever met, especially about feline health and feline genetics.



Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2006 21:06:12 -0500
To: Norman Auspitz <auspitzn@yahoo.com>
From:
Subject: Re: [cfa-list] Cornish Rex Question

I would recommend they run a complete blood panel on her. Coat issues would
make me think of thyroid.


NOTE:  The person who posted this email is a vet.



From:
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2006 22:25:41 EDT
Subject: Re: [cfa-list] Cornish Rex Question
To: auspitzn@yahoo.com


Hi Norm,

Yes Cornish can "lose" their coat it is often hormonal in females and the likelyhood of losing coat increases with age . I have a very naked girl who looks like a bad Sphynx!!


From:
To: "'Norman Auspitz'" <auspitzn@yahoo.com>
Subject: RE: [cfa-list] Cornish Rex Question
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2006 22:42:01 -0400


Norm-



Not a Cornish rex person, but I would suggest they check this cat's thyroid level.

Best-





Best regards... Norm.