Sherman's Coat Is A Mess

[Guest Shermanator]

Sherman is my big black 9 year old. In the spring and fall, he blows his coat, and since he is super soft, the fur is EVERYWHERE. However, I have noticed something different this year, he is shedding like crazy this year, you touch him, and you are now full of fur. The dandruff has also become horrendous. He's not itching, not in distress, its just his coat that we have seen a noticeable change in over the past week. Its horrible. He's always had a clean, shiny coat with a small amount of dandruff. (He's black, so any little but shows up for him, poor guy!) His coat is now dull, and full of dandruff. I've never seen him have this much dandruff in the 6 years we've had him.)

2 items to note- he is on thyroid medication already, with a recent blood panel done @ 3 weeks ago. All his levels are fine. He's been on it for @ 6 months. We did notice when he started the thyroid medication, he grew fur in is bald spots, where he has never had fur. He also noticed he coat actually improved on the thyroid meds.

We just changed food. We determined Patton (his brother) has a food allergy to grain. We are now feeling sweet potato and venison. We were told this would most likely help his coat, rather than cause problems.

Oh, and also, they get an egg mixed in with breakfast, and a dollop of yogurt and night with dinner.

 

Patton's a brindle, he's shedding like normal for this time of year, nothing exceptional.

Sherman and I thank you!

[Guest Maddison]

Maddie has that too, she's a black and white cow but you can see the dandruff on the black really well at certain times of the year, mainly when she blows her coat. She loses so much fur I think she is trying to make another dog out of all of the fur she loses. I got a medicated shampoo for her which takes 10 minutes of lathering to work. It's a lot of work. We also give her more oil in her diet and her favorite bacon fat. That seems to help keep it away and keep her shiny.

[GeorgeofNE]

Well, you have two new things this season; thyroid meds and a brand new food.

 

Doesn't sound like NORMAL seasonal shedding--if the medication level was just checked, it's probably the food.

 

Are you giving fatty acid supplements (fish oil)?

[Guest Spencers_Greyt]

Try supplementing his food with Missing Link - that stuff does miracles with Spencer's coat!

[Guest BooBooMama]

BooBoo always had dandruff in the Fall and in the Spring- basically during shedding season. I always gave her a moisture bath to help with that. It also helped to wash away a lot of that loose fur.

[seeh2o]

The best thing I've ever used that has made Carl's coat amazing is Melatonin. 3mg per day, my vet is a-okay with it. I saw dramatic results in a month. He started sprouting fur on his bald thighs within 2 weeks. Amazing, amazing stuff.

[Remolacha]

Well, this is my first spring with a black hound, but Sallie's coat sounds just like Shermans. She had such soft, thick, shinny fur over the winter, but now It's dull, flakey, and coming out by the cart load! However, just in the last week or so, I think the shedding is starting to let up. There doesn't seem to be as much fur when I brush, fewer flakes (still a lot). I have been giving her salmon oil. I am hoping when all the winter/farm coat is gone, she'll still be shinny and soft!

[Guest kydie]

supplements are greyt, but for the present I would take him to a groomer, I take my whole pack at the change of each season, she has a whirlpool she puts them in and it removes all the dead hair and dandruff

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

Ditto the melatonin.

 

Also, if he has grown a thicker, better coat from the meds, he may just be shedding more!

[JohnF]

My vet gave me Sebocalm shampoo for one of my dogs and a friend suggested giving 1/2 tsp/day cold pressed wheatgerm oil for the extra Vitamin E. Within 3 weeks the problem was gone.

[Chicocat]

When a black dog blows his coat (seasonal) it's not unusual for it to appear dull. If you have a shedding blade, it helps to use it every day to get all the dead stuff out. Soon he will be nice and shiny again.

[Guest Trentsmom]

My black boy used to have very flat thin hair and bald thighs. Someone recommended Nupro Gold supplement and now he has much less flakes and a fuzzy coat- still bald thighs lol

It's a powder that makes a tasty gravy he just loves.

[Guest Shermanator]

We gave Sherman a good scrubbing last night. I spent about 10 min massaging him and shampooing him with an oatmeal soap. I used the zoom groom and massaged the shampoo all over him, focusing on his back, and sides, where the fur is really a problem. What a difference a good bath makes. We got a lot of the dead skin causing the hideous dandruff, and loose fur off him. I swear, it looked like a small cat was left in the backyard- all that fur!

We are starting Missing Link today, so we'll see how that goes.

I have been checking my shoes for poop. Sherman HATES baths with the fire and passion with 1000 suns. I spent a lot of time during his bath, trying to keep him from darting off to the house.

[greyhead]

Something about us thyroid critters...we HATE cold water! I even hate the cold I feel after a warm shower or bath, before I get toweled off and dry!

[Guest TeddysMom]

I give then safflour oil everyday and brush with a generic furnanator brush to pull out off te old hair and stimulat the oil in their skin. Took about 2 months for Spices coat to begin to shine. I also give Spice the melatonin and it has worked it's majic,

[Guest Shermanator]

Something about us thyroid critters...we HATE cold water! I even hate the cold I feel after a warm shower or bath, before I get toweled off and dry!

 

OH NO! Really?

Poor Sherman! He has always hated baths. He is terrified of water. He's been like that for 6 years. I have no idea why. When he sees the hose outback is turned on, he bolts into the house. When we are walking, and pass a house with the sprinklers on, he tries to get in the street, as far away from them as possible. Once, we were walking through a greenbelt here in our neighborhood, and the sprinklers came on, and Sherman went berserk, poor guy.

So, baths are usually outside, (since its so hot in the desert, and he's not really good in the shower,) and its me, constantly blocking Sherman like a linebacker, keeping him from darting onto the house (we have a dog door.) Once, he got loose from me, darted for the house, pushed the chair away from the dog door, and ran in before I could catch him. He was fully soaped up. That was quite fun.

 

Since his thyroid is bad, and he's medicated up, he'll still have problems with cold water? Poor Sherman. But, he really needed the bath. Since the scrub down on Tuesday, no more shedding, and his coat is shiny and soft. Unfortunately, I still get the stink eye from time to time!