seeh2o Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Last May I tried Carl on Costco Lamb, it was so stinky (for me) I switched him back to Eagle Pack Holistic anchovy et al. Then the price went up (along with gas prices - the store that carries "reasonably" priced EP is 45 miles round trip), so in June I switched him to Costco Chicken. Big mistake, his poop was way pudding. Last month I started switching him back to the Costco Lamb because his coat was nice and poop was nice on it...I just hold my breath when I open the lid on the container. Sometime in May or June I noticed he was starting to lose what little fur he had grown on his thighs over the winter (he came to me with bald thighs August 07). I assumed he was shedding his winter coat and it would grow back this fall. Well, his thighs are nearly smooth in back and the hair loss is creeping around his thighs. The areas of the thin skin web between his body and the top of his thighs are now both getting thin. He had a CBC with T4 thyroid test mid June, it all came back normal. Could the thinning of his fur be because of all the food switching I did? Please bear in mind that I switched the food slowly over a week or more. I'm not normally a food switcher, but things got very expensive very fast, so I was looking for high quality alternatives to the EP. He is eating, drinking, sleeping and behaving completely normal, no changes in temperament, etc. Mid June he was diagnosed with Pannus, we are treating it with Pred. drops 3 x a day. From everything I've read about the Pred drops they work locally and are not a systemic concern. Though the timing is such that it makes me suspicious. If it seems like it's a food thing I'll donate the new bag of Costco Lamb to a local greyhound group and immediately put him back on the EP Holistic. I'm considering making an appointment with a vet that is recommended by one of the local groups I work with, though my vet seems very grey savvy. Does anyone have any experience with symptoms like this? I look forward to hearing past experience and advice...thanks in advance! Quote Sunsands Doodles: Doodles aka Claire, Bella Run Softly: Softy aka Bowie (the Diamond Dog) Missing my beautiful boy Sunsands Carl 2.25.2003 - 4.1.2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cris_M Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 I can't help you with your problem. Maybe, if you also post in Food and Dietary, someone there might know. Sorry about Carl's problem. So many greys (mine included) seem to have bodies that are super picky about food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Could be food related, but most likely summer shed. My kids, especially Zema, get gradually balder throughout the summer into early fall. Zema, for example, is having some shedding now. They aren't fully covered again until winter is almost over. Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dante2zoe Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 My Dante loses his winter fur and his thighs are bald big time all summer. His thyroid is fine, he is just the balding type of guy. He has done this every year, so since he feels and tests fine, I just chalk it up to greyhound MPB (male pattern baldness)! Quote Cindy with Miss Fancypants, Paris Bueller, Zeke, and Angus Dante (Dg's Boyd), Zoe (In a While), Brady (Devilish Effect), Goose (BG Shotgun), Maverick (BG ShoMe), Maggie (All Trades Jax), Sherman (LNB Herman Bad) and Indy (BYB whippet) forever in my heart The flame that burns the brightest, burns the fastest and leaves the biggest shadow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aerosmom Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 I asked a really similar question about my Roo a few months back. She just turned one in May. Last summer and winter she was very furry (could have been puppy fur?) and she gradually got very bald thighs, stomach and a less dense coat this spring/early summer. Prior to this, she was spayed in late March and about the same time I switched to Costco puppy chicken mixed with a little Costco/Kirkland adult chicken/rice/vegetable. Nothing else is different. We brought her in for a check and booster shots and I asked our vet about it. She didn't think it was thyroid related because there are no other symptoms. We did try to take a blood sample just to check but Roo was a very unruly patient. So no blood sample. I'm curious to see if Roo gets fuzzier when winter comes. It did coincide with the food change, although she seems to be doing well on the food and her spaying/hormone level change. Quote Aero: http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?d=kees+uncatchable; our bridge angel (1/04/02-8/2/07) Snickers; our bridge angel (1/04/02-2/29/08) Cricket; Kanga Roo: oops girl 5/26/07; Doctor Thunder http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?z=P_31Oj&a...&birthland= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Connie, you know that Wayne has the same problem, but he has severe food allergies.Finding the right food for him, plus the EicosaDerm is what helped him. I also keep him on Benadryl in the summer. But the summer heat does cause him a bit of a problem and once the weather starts to cool, he's in better shape. I hope you find a solution for Carl but it could be the heat. Give that handsome guy a big hug from us Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeh2o Posted September 1, 2008 Author Share Posted September 1, 2008 Connie, you know that Wayne has the same problem, but he has severe food allergies.Finding the right food for him, plus the EicosaDerm is what helped him. I also keep him on Benadryl in the summer. But the summer heat does cause him a bit of a problem and once the weather starts to cool, he's in better shape. I hope you find a solution for Carl but it could be the heat. Give that handsome guy a big hug from us Thanks again Claudia for keeping me from going off the deep end! I am @ Ed's in Las Vegas and it's probably as hot here as it is at your place, so it is significantly warmer than what we (my delicate flowers Carl, Sheila and I!) are used to. By day 2 of being here his fur loss looked even worse than it did at home, so of course being the Munchausen mom that I'm turning into, it has been looking worse every day we've been here (4 now). I am finishing up with the fish oil pills I brought with us and am going to take your advice and get the EicosaDerm. From what I'm gathering here it sounds like this is fairly typical for summer and he has no other symptoms of a thyroid problem. Can you hear me saying to myself, "he's ok Connie, he's ok??!!!" Now for the big decision, switch back to EP or stay with the Kirkland Costco kibble. If I switch and he gets better I'll never know, if I don't switch and it starts growing in I'll know it is seasonal. Oh the conundrum of pet ownership. Quote Sunsands Doodles: Doodles aka Claire, Bella Run Softly: Softy aka Bowie (the Diamond Dog) Missing my beautiful boy Sunsands Carl 2.25.2003 - 4.1.2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RocketDog Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 both of mine are bald on butt, chest, neck and belly, including the little 'skin flap' that you mentioned. I didn't think anything of it, since they aren't showing any other signs of illness or deficiency. I supplement with zinc and fish oil to help with their coats, but other than that I just deal with the cute baldies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sighthounds4me Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 What I have found with Naples is that she typicall sheds her butt and belly hair in summer. I don't know if it's related to the weather, thus seasonal, or if it has more to do with the hormones associated with running (she runs more in summer). But we get pretty hot here in summer, so it could be seasonal. My thought is that it has more to do with a seasonal shed than food... Quote Sarah, the human, Henley, and Armani the Borzoi boys, and Brubeck the Deerhound.Always in our hearts, Gunnar, Naples the Greyhounds, Cooper and Manero, the Borzoi, and King-kitty, at the Rainbow Bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShantisMom Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Maybe it is California weather. Shanti is shedding more hair then she has ever shed since I have had her. I was beginning to wonder if it was medicine related. Maybe it is just our weather? Quote The Girls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 And also, being black makes it stand out even more.Costco's food was rated very high on quality and being the lamb base is even better. Your area will cool down well before we do so hopefully you'll see a difference. Carl could not be in better hands Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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