On the issue of micro- and macrostructure of dog hair at different age periods

One of the main functions of the hair coat is mechanical protection of the skin and thermal insulation, heat retention and hypothermia prevention. The structure of the hair coat is influenced by various factors of the external and internal environment. These factors include breed, sex, animal age, physiological condition as well as climatic conditions, nutrition, housing, and others. It is known that with age, structural changes in the hair coat occur which are expressed in a change of its structure and properties. The changes are observed in such properties as density, thickness, elasticity as well as color and shine of the coat. The research goal was to study the effect of age on the morphological features of the micro- and macrostructure of the hair of German Shepherds. Hair samples were collected at the withers using a brush with soft bristles into a special container in winter. The condition of the hair was visually evaluated by the following indices: density, elasticity, color and shine, presence of parasites, and skin condition. Density was evaluated by thickness paying attention to hair sparseness. The elasticity of the hair coat was determined by its condition visually and by touch, noting dullness, brittleness and dryness. The color was evaluated by the brightness and natural shine of the hair coat. The presence of parasites was evaluated by visual inspection and microcopy. When examining the skin, the presence of redness, itching and rash was searched for. Microscopic analysis was performed by the Micromed 1 microscope under a magnification of 10 × 10. For the study, 5 hair samples from each dog were evaluated. Thus, it was determined that with age, dog hair becomes brittle, somewhat dry, and inflexible; it is dominated by dead and transitional hair which is detected visually and by microscopic examination.