Excessive Shedding And Stud Tail In A Female

[gracegirl]

My dogs have always had sesenitive stomachs. Grace cannot have corn, chicken or turkey. I switch foods every now and again, mostly in the name of/quest for good poo. Last November she started eating Nutro Vennison. Her "output" on this food, along with her energy level are great! However, over the summer she developed "stud tail" and is now sheddign like mad. She's always been a grey that sheds, but this is like nothing I've seen in the 4.5 years that I've had her. Her coat is still soft and shiny though. Could it be food related? Should I switch? What should I switch to?

 

A few notes. She is on Proin as she "wets the bed" sometimes. No accidents now that she's on Proin...which she's been on for probably 2.5 - 3 years. She occassionally gets a generic fish oil tab from Costco too.

 

Also, I cannot do a raw diet for her right now. I'm not opposed to a grain free kibble, but just cannot do raw at this time. I would consider it in the future when circumstances are different.

 

Thoughts? What would you do? I think I'm going to try a new food first, then a suppliment if necessary after that.

 

 

[Guest Swifthounds]

Venison is a very lean meat. Whetehr fed as a kibble, raw, or cooked, it's pretty low in some essential fatty acids. A lack of omega 3s can lead to what you have symptom-wise. One thing to rule out is throid. To do that you want a full thyroid panel, not just a T3/T4. I like Hemopet. Others like a vet hospital.

 

I would start by adding fish oil to her diet and see if that improves things. I have a female that has some hair loss and for a few years has been on and off the Proin for spay incontinence. I started with a maintenance dose of 300 mgs of combined DHA/EPA per 30 lbs of body weight. I worked up from one a day so as not to cause loose stool. I now have her and my other hounds on a theraputic dose of fish oil, which is 300 mgs of combined DHA/EPA per 10 lbs of body weight. again, take time and work up, letting bowel tolerance be the guide. The Omegas are good for the coat and skin, but they also have anti inflammatory properties - good for arthritic joints, sore muscles, and general inflammation as with spay incontinence.

 

I started the theraputic dose and was able to slowly back off the proin, and she has now been off of it for around three weeks with no accidents. LAst November when it flared up again (and her bloodwork came back stellar for a 10 year old, the UA showed nothing and the culture came back clean) she could hold her bladder less than 4 hours.

 

I don't know what your experience level is with raw, but if, in the future you have questions or want advice, I am happy to help.

Edited September 22, 2010 by Swifthounds

[gracegirl]

That's really good information and I hadn't considered the fact that the vennison is a lean meat. I might mix the fish based food in 50/50 and see what kind of output we get. I'll keep you posted!

[Guest grammarules]

My groomer suggested adding a teaspoon or so of flax oil to help their coat. It worked for my pup. Not too much or you'll have a pup with diareah.

[Guest Bamn]

Hair loss can be a sign of hypothyroid - have you had a full blood panel done? Some vets can do this in house so as to cut down on cost. Mention cost if it is an issue and most vets have an alternative solution to high cost testing.

[Batmom]

Ordinary fall shedding. Wouldn't worry about it.

[rascalsmom]

Both of my girls have stud tail, and all of our dogs--especially Ruby--are shedding like crazy. I attribute it to the time of year, and Ruby has always shed the most.