Josie Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 After noticing Otis was loosing fur on his thighs and belly I started giving him 3mg of melatonin twice a day. 3.5months after his fur grow back! question: is it ok to continue melatonin forever? should I cut the dose? what should I do? thanks! Quote Our first greyhound, Tuffy: You will always be there with us my angel! Tuffy greyhound-dataOtis greyhound-data Abbey greyhound-data"When you open your minds to the impossible, sometimes you find the truth." W.Bishop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTRAWLD Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Interesting! I know it does wonders for hair and nails, nice to hear your success. Have you ever tried Fresh Factors? I can't believe the coat that has grown on Kasey after being on that for a month. I believe FF is ok for long term use. Melatonin is naturally occurring in the body, but I'm not sure regarding long term use in dogs, let alone humans. I know it helps me sleep great though, but I only use it occassionally when I have difficulty sleeping. 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...
a_daerr Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Glad it worked for you! It's my understanding that when you discontinue it, the fur falls out again. We had opposite results. Not only did the fur not grow back, Henry even turned up with a bacterial skin infection while taking melatonin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OwnedBySummer Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Summer just went comatose when I put her on it. Not literally, of course... but talk about laid back and lethargic! Even for a greyhound! It was horrible, she wasn't herself at all. Quote Lisa B. My beautiful Summer - to her forever home May 1, 2010 Summer Certified therapy dog team with St. John Ambulance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racindog Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 It made Gilly's coat beautiful. I just give him 1/2 tab now maybe 2-3 days a week- if I remember it -and his coat and fur stays beautiful. Has no other observable effect on the dog(s) I used it on. I take it myself when I want a good refreshing nights sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaineysMom Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 we give it to Zeke when there's storms, which is pretty much every day so far this spring/summer doesn't make him sleepy since he's all freaked out from thunder but it does help (we think) a little. Quote Kim and Bruce - with Rick (Rick Roufus 6/30/16) and missing my sweet greyhound Angels Rainey (LG's Rainey 10/4/2000 - 3/8/2011), Anubis (RJ's Saint Nick 12/25/2001 - 9/12/12) and Zeke (Hey Who Whiz It 4/6/2009 - 7/20/2020) and Larry (PTL Laroach 2/24/2007 - 8/2/2020) -- and Chester (Lab) (8/31/1990 - 5/3/2005), Captain (Schipperke) (10/12/1992 - 6/13/2005) and Remy (GSP) (?/?/1998 - 1/6/2005) at the bridge"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." -- Ernest Hemmingway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spottydog Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I wouldn't keep him on it indefinitely, especially for a cosmetic reason. Melatonin works on many systems in the body and I don't believe all of it's effects are fully understood. It's not just a "supplement". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 I wouldn't keep him on it indefinitely, especially for a cosmetic reason. Melatonin works on many systems in the body and I don't believe all of it's effects are fully understood. It's not just a "supplement". Agreed -it's a hormone. Bald is beautiful :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest elliemae421 Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 I used something called Megatek,by Equiss! It is for horses that rub their manes and tails out and for blanket rubs. I had a horse I braided his mane for hunter under saddle classes in AQHA. He rubbed his braids a lot. I put it on Marshall's bald hips and within a month hair started growing. Also used vitamin E oil. The megatek is not cheap but so worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3greytjoys Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 I would not administer Melatonin for cosmetic reasons. (IMO, that's a high daily, long-term dose for a Greyhound.) Melatonin is a regulator of the circadian rhythm in humans. Giving it morning and night forces a human or dog into feeling like it's night time 24 hours per day. I agree that it can create an unhealthy imbalance in the body's hormone production, and throw off the body's normal functioning. It has the potential to interact with certain other drugs. Some doctors recommend a maximum of 1.5 mg at night for a full-size adult human and to limit it to short-term use to help regulate the body's sleep timing rhythm. Studies have shown that a dose above 1.5 mg can affect a human body long into the following day. An example of appropriate Melatonin use for humans: Someone working overnight shifts for a long time who suddenly changes to day shifts. Taking Melatonin at night would help that person adjust their sleep timing to sleep through the night. I would suggest stopping the Melatonin completely. I'm guessing that Otis would feel much better. Many Greyhounds have naturally thin fur on their belly and thighs. IMO, the fewer unnecessary drugs used, all the better for our hounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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