Guest sophiesmum Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 We just adopted our second grey a couple of weeks ago. He was kept in an outdoor pen for 6 months before being picked up by the adoption group and then fostered. He has a thick downy black coat which is now coming off and he's starting to look a little patchy. Our first grey eats Canidae grain free with some raw meat mixed in. Ive been adding some sardines in oil and giving fish oil tablets (which unfortunately give them the runs). Is there a better food to help with making is new coat come through nice and shiny? Ive been brushing him daily and I could fashion a whole new dog with how much he's moulting. He also has bad dandruff. Suggestions would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BrianRke Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 I give mine melatonin and salmon oil every morning and they all have very soft, shiny, amazing coats. I feed Diamond Naturals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KennelMom Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 "best" food is a pretty individual thing...different dogs will react differently to different foods. Honestly, the best thing you can give for a good coat is time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racindog Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 I'm surprised the fish oil is causing a problem, maybe just reduce dosage until he gets used to it? Anyway if you supplement with fish oil you need to giev Vit E also. Others can elaborate on the reason I just know you're supposed to. Best thing I know would be Fresh Factors or maybe Longevity from www.springtimeinc.com The Longevity I'm just now trying but the Fresh Factors have been workign all kinds of miracles for me and others on GT for years. I have always noted a quick and often dramatic improvement in overall health including coat quality when beginning a new dog on them. I just adopted Gilly Boy and his coat was rather dull, thin, patchy wih old hair, and stiff feeling. It is amazing how in 2 weeks on Fresh Factors it started to shine and its been about a month now and it is even soft and the patches of old off colored hair on his shoulders is almost all gone. I am also giving him melatonin to thicken it up if he is lucky enough to be one of the ones that respond to that. He also gets fish oil/vit E. But regardless I don't think a person could go wrong with the Fresh Factors- as far as I'm concerned that stuff has miracle power ha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTRAWLD Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 I add fish oil to the boys food, hoping it gives them a good coat, but to be honest, I can't tell that it's doing a thing - but for some reason I keep giving it to them. Food that we feed to Kasey that is more fish based, I find was better than anything else over the years just as a comparison. I find they just get softer as they age. Kasey is super soft at 8 compared to Ryder at 3. Ryder is also super greasy still, I could give him back to back baths and he'll have a greasy feel to him. What really helped was something called Dermo-Scent. You can get it from your vet. It helps to make the skin stronger and more resistant to the elements and their fur gets incredibly soft, and they have less dander. You would apply it like you would a liquid heartworm med, right between the shoulder blades. For us, the change was almost instant. It is just too expensive to keep them on, but I know that stuff truly works. We had Kasey on it for 2 months, and the change was incredible. For us, I just don't think there is a coat solution just based on a food alone. Quote Proudly owned by:10 year old "Ryder" CR Redman Gotcha May 201012.5 year old Angel "Kasey" Goodbye Kasey Gotcha July 2005-Aug 1, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 What really helped was something called Dermo-Scent. You can get it from your vet. It helps to make the skin stronger and more resistant to the elements and their fur gets incredibly soft, and they have less dander. You would apply it like you would a liquid heartworm med, right between the shoulder blades. For us, the change was almost instant. It is just too expensive to keep them on, but I know that stuff truly works. We had Kasey on it for 2 months, and the change was incredible. For us, I just don't think there is a coat solution just based on a food alone. I had never heard of this, so I Google'd it. You can get it on Amazon.com, but it looks like nothing more than topical oils. Feeding essential fatty acids benefits more than the coat. There are natural anti-inflammatory properties and every vet I've ever used has recommended them (not a particular brand) for joint health in addition to the skin/coat benefits. I do have a topical oil that I've used on George in the past--it's a spray on, and I put it where he's REALLY dry (his "arm pits"!). Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Swifthounds Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 What makes you think it's the fish oil and not the sardines? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoundHeavenAZ Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Ditto on the patience. I have also found that when I hose my kids down before an evening walk (95 degrees or more), that it keeps their skin and hair in terrific shape. They are shiny and dandruff free until wintertime arrives again I don't supplement with oils but I do cook lots of healthy foods for them along with their kibble. An occasional meaty bone or chicken foot from time to time may help too "best" food is a pretty individual thing...different dogs will react differently to different foods. Honestly, the best thing you can give for a good coat is time. Quote Jody, Leah & JimmieYou left us much, much too soon Lima & Chip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mychip1 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 My JJ's coat is very shiny.....he eats Regal brand Adult Bites (the Turkey formula). But he also gets ecosaderm every day in his food. Not sure if it's the luck of "good genes" or the food or the supplements or all of the above that makes him shine! Dustin and EZ are on different foods for different reasons. Quote Robin, EZ (Tribal Track), JJ (What a Story), Dustin (E's Full House) and our beautiful Jack (Mana Black Jack) and Lily (Chip's Little Miss Lily) both at the BridgeThe WFUBCC honors our beautiful friends at the bridge. Godspeed sweet angels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wasserbuffel Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 The head of our adoption group complimented the sofness of Jayne's fur a while back. She's on Taste of the Wild, Pacific stream with add-ins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sophiesmum Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 What makes you think it's the fish oil and not the sardines? I tried them separately. Also i really hate the smell of sardines so thats not a daily thing. What really helped was something called Dermo-Scent. You can get it from your vet. It helps to make the skin stronger and more resistant to the elements and their fur gets incredibly soft, and they have less dander. You would apply it like you would a liquid heartworm med, right between the shoulder blades. For us, the change was almost instant. It is just too expensive to keep them on, but I know that stuff truly works. We had Kasey on it for 2 months, and the change was incredible. For us, I just don't think there is a coat solution just based on a food alone. I had never heard of this, so I Google'd it. You can get it on Amazon.com, but it looks like nothing more than topical oils. Feeding essential fatty acids benefits more than the coat. There are natural anti-inflammatory properties and every vet I've ever used has recommended them (not a particular brand) for joint health in addition to the skin/coat benefits. I do have a topical oil that I've used on George in the past--it's a spray on, and I put it where he's REALLY dry (his "arm pits"!). cool, what sort of topical oil are you using? It sounds like that could really help with his dandruff straight away. Its really bad under our guys "arm pits" and on the back of this thighs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Swifthounds Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 If you're using fish oil caps, your hound might be allergic to soy and that could be the source of the problem. Many FBO caps use vitamin e as a preservative and many of those source the E from soy. It won't say it contains soy. You usually have to call the company. As an alternative, Grizzly salmon oil uses Rosemary as a preservative. The down side is that salmon oil is usually less concentrated with the beneficial omega 3s (you don't want 6s or 9s for a dog). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 Honestly, the best thing you can give for a good coat is time. Yep. Minimum 3 weeks and usually more like 6 to see skin/coat changes from changes in diet or environment. If he's blowing his coat, might take longer than that. I'd keep brushing, feeding a good food, and see where you are a month or two from now. 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...
Guest firegypsy Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 your dog sounds like mine. He was a mess when he came home! His coat was dull and thick (not in a good way) and he had terrible dandruff. I put him on a good food (Orijen, Taste of the Wild etc.) and added fish oil twice a day. I also brush him daily! It took a few weeks, but everyone remarks on how he looks like a totally different dog. Shiny coat, bright eyes, sleek and lovely. I agree with giving it time, it won't happen overnight. And a dog that's well oiled on the inside shouldn't need a ton of topical stuff. I don't know about dogs, but dandruff in humans can also be fungal in origin, not simply a matter of oils lacking in the diet. Maybe some canine experts can comment on that. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfish Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Yes, dandruff can be fungal in origin. My vet has just told me that if a few weeks of good food, oil supplements and a decent bath with conditioner doesn't help Ranger's dandruff, we should try Malaseb shampoo which is anti-fungal and antibacterial. She's put a 'pass' on his notes so that if we want to pick some up we don't have to have another consult, so I'm guessing it's presription only. It's also worth checking for cheyletiella, otherwise known as 'walking dandruff'. It's a mite which infests the surface of the skin, but it's usually very itchy. Honestly, the best thing you can give for a good coat is time. Yep. Minimum 3 weeks and usually more like 6 to see skin/coat changes from changes in diet or environment. If he's blowing his coat, might take longer than that. I'd keep brushing, feeding a good food, and see where you are a month or two from now. Yep, and also hand massaging to help get the circulation going without irritating the skin with too much harsh brushing - though you do need some good brushing, you can go at it too hard with a flaking dog. We've had Ranger about two months now, I think, and his coat is beginning to look beautifully shiny, but as yet only at the neck/shoulders/back and along the flanks. I put this down to those being the places he gets massaged and stroked most! Quote The plural of anecdote is not dataBrambleberry Greyhounds My Etsy Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SusanP Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 I've always fed Diamond Naturals senior kibble, and all 5 of our hounds have had lovely coats. I do notice that at times when they get more peanut butter (for medicine or whatever), their coats get even shinier, though, so it *could* be the peanut butter in my homemade peanutbutter/pumpkin dog biscuits that does it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walliered Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 Neither of my greys can take fish oil. It give both of them the runs. Matter of fact, anything will give mine the runs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tra708 Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 I second the Taste of the Wild Salmon formula, with add-ins. I am always noticing how shiny the girls' coats are. I'm sure every dog is different, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BrindleBoy Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 (edited) We don't feed food for a good coat, we feed food for firm poops. So we first found a food his system seemed to agree with (Science Diet Sensitive Stomach). THEN, for a shinier, softer coat, we started giving fish oil. 1 gelcap, with dinner, every day. Took about a month, but it's worked fantastically. No more dry skin flakes, and his whole coat is almost as soft as between his ears. Edited September 8, 2011 by BrindleBoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest suzanne Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 Evening primrose oil caps gave my hounds astounding coats. I've stopped using it and replaced it with salmon oi and their coats are still amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sirsmom Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 We currently feed a mix of plain old Iams and Purina One and at our recent vet check up our vet noted our girls' shiny soft coat and even asked what I was feeding. The only add ins are a few morsels of our table food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.