Skin & Coat Concern

[Guest SpeedBump]

Hopefully I have this in the right forum...

 

Everett has been with us for about a month now. He has had problems with dry skin the whole time, so we've been giving him a fish oil capsule twice a day with his food. He came to us bald on his butt/thigh area (which I've heard is normal) as well as his whole stomach (not sure if that's normal). After a couple weeks it looked like the edges of the bald spots might be starting to grow in a little with sparse, fuzzy hairs. I got kind of hopeful.

 

So the issue is that today I brushed him with the Zoom Groom like I do once or twice a week, and I've never seen him lose so much hair! I ended up with several large handfuls of it. It seems like the coat he has left is of pretty good quality (soft and fairly shiny), but it's very thin. I mean, I thought it was already thin when we first got him and now it's even more so. I would expect him to shed out like that if summer were just starting, but is it normal for this time of year? Is he supposed to lose it all at once like that? He still has pretty bad dandruff, so I'm not sure if the fish oil is helping at all.

 

On a side note, we're going to try switching him to a fish-based food soon because his current chicken and rice formula doesn't agree with his digestive system. I'm wondering if that might help his skin and coat more, besides hopefully firming up his poo. We'll be trying Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream.

[a_daerr]

Constant diarrhea will definitely cause poor skin and coat because the nutrients from the food aren't being properly absorbed. Finding the right food will make a huge difference, then you can supplement if necessary. My two have been on IAMS green bag forever, and we supplement with Missing Link. For us, that seems to be the perfect combination of firm poop and very shiny and sleek coats.

[ramonaghan]

I also have had good results with the Missing Link. I use the formula that contains probiotics, which might help with your hound's digestive issues as well (combined with the right food, of course).

 

Seems that many of us have hounds who are shedding heavily right now (link to another thread on this topic). I wouldn't worry too much about that. My girl's belly is also pretty bald, though her butt and thighs have always been fuzzy!

[Guest Lillypad]

My experience is limited, but I have learned that it takes a little time for the coat to come into its best condition after retirement. Mine was much as you described and has improved very nicely. I suggest not to worry too much about the shedding, it will settle down in time. Coat shedding is a result of the amount of daylight rather than temperature. Natures way of preparing for the seasons. You are on the right track giving a coat supplement. There are many opinions on the best one. I am members will have some suggestions in that department. Fish, flax, coconut, olive oils all seem to be effective. Supplements like Missing Link are effective too. Continue to brush out the old coat, as this stimulates skin, removes dead cells and of course feels good for your hound. I use fish oil, but there again, do your research as the balance of EPA and DHA must be right and the dose correct to be most effective. Some suggest that it is good to have a Vit E enriched fish oil ??? This all sounds so complicated, and it seems to have become this way... drives me crazy. Do your research, find what works best for you and your hound. I like these mitts for grooming, soft, supple great for spine area and boney legs https://www.smartpakequine.com/rubber-grooming-mitts-5116p reasonable price at Tractor Supply or any horse tack shop.

 

On a side note, welcome to Greytalk and more importantly welcome to the wonderful world of greyhound ownership. You will enjoy visiting Greytalk and learn some valuable information along the way. I know I have.

[Guest Lillypad]

AND OH YES, I BELIEVE I SPEAK FOR ALL GREYTALKERS....WE LOVE PHOTOS, SO BE SURE TO POST, AND OFTEN!!

 

 

[cleptogrey]

1. it takes time as mentioned above for a new coat to grow. he's in the midst of season shedding and loosing the track coat.

2. it can take time and patience and visits to the vet to get his stool in order. many dogs come off the track w/ tons of bacteria and it can take a while, don't get frustrated. also, while your vet is doing a fecal he can look at bald spots and make sure it's just blowing coat and nothing else.

3. changing foods is confusing, stick with what ever he had when fostered. if that isn't agreeing at all try something simple and add rice. nothing wrong w/ plain old WHITE(not brown)rice to help settle a tummy.

4. feed what you can afford and what agrees w/ your dog's digestive system

5. supplements can be added once his stools are in order- then all the fun begins.

 

best of luck w/ your new pup!

for the more economical foods maybe see what' around locally:

kirkland lamb & rice

iams- green bag

tractor supply

blue seal- lamb & rice crunchies are all pretty good food.

i see you are in indiana- eagle pac is available there isn't it? good food- the old fashioned stuff

[Guest Lillypad]

Sorry,one more thing, as a-daerr said diarrhea will have an effect on coat and skin, overall health for that matter. But is he experiencing diarrhea or rather, soft-ish stools and how often? As you may well know already, if you are going to experiment with food changes, go slowly with the transitions. Best of wishes, you will find the balance that works.

[NeedlenoseJake]

I'm not sure if this is normal or not, but our boy had bad dandruff for months after we got him. I think it just takes awhile for their coat to be normal even when the hound is settled. We tried a ton of products, but my hunch is that the dandruff went away on its own after a few months.

[sobesmom]

Coat issues at 1 month is normal. Baldness is normal. Getting a brush-full of hair is normal. The coat will adapt and get better. That's just new dog stuff. Don't worry about it.

 

If he has food issues - I wouldn't assume the coat issues are associated.

[Guest SpeedBump]

Thanks for all the input. Good to know that his skin issues are probably fine and just need more time. I remember know that the vet did comment on it but didn't seem surprised. I think she called it alopecia...? I'll look into different kinds of coat supplements once we get his food situation squared away. I don't want to be constantly adding or switching things, especially if it's really just his food that needs changed. For what it's worth, he also has a black coat and I don't know if that has anything to do with skin issues. His dandruff is really noticeable because of it, though.

 

To answer some of your questions, I don't think he actually has diarrhea. More like very soft stools that are still formed. Occasionally he has one that's a mashed potato sort of consistency, but it's never been liquid.

 

I know that switching foods too much is a bad idea. The reason we're thinking about switching is that he was on the same food as a foster and his foster mom told me he had digestive problems the whole time he was with them, too. So it's been several months of this food not agreeing with him. We're giving him till we get towards the end of the food bag (a couple more weeks) to see if anything changes, but I'm guessing he'll still be having problems. If so it seems worth it to try something else slowly. If I have any more questions about that I'll definitely ask in the food forum.

 

You can check out some pictures in my introductions thread I took another cute one yesterday that I'll try to get uploaded and posted here.

[Guest SpeedBump]

As promised...

 

He came over and laid his head on my legs. His body was all contorted but his face looked so sweet. It was like "Will you please brush me some more? It felt sooo good!"

 

[ramonaghan]

He is a doll!

[maria]

Will is a very handsome boy! It takes a lot of time for skin changes. He is also still settling in and probably still stressed. he doesn't know yet that this is his forever home. Six months seems to be the magic number for greys to settle in, feel comfortable and for real physical changes to occur. Feed him the best food and I do think oil helps. I give our greys 1/2 high quality kibble, 1/2 chicken and rice (heated of course), and a slug of canola oil mixed in. they are doing great and the dandruff on our newer one (2 yrs in our home now) is all gone.

 

Kisses to Will

[Jiffer]

Mine have always shed out upon homecoming and it takes a couple of months before things settle and the shiny coat is there. You just have to be patient with the copious amounts of fur. It will end.. trust me

 

For diet, always give food a good chance before switching. If you switch every couple of weeks, you'll mess up their system something awful, especially with being so fresh home. Give his food some more time before deciding to switch. Again, it can take a couple of months. I'd avoid any food supplements until you get the food right. I've had dogs develop diarrhea on both Missing Link and Fish Oil caps. If he's really bad (farty or "D"), try some canned pure pumpkin for a few days (just a couple of tablespoons per meal) or a probiotic (yogurt or capsule).

[sobesmom]

As promised...

 

He came over and laid his head on my legs. His body was all contorted but his face looked so sweet. It was like "Will you please brush me some more? It felt sooo good!"

 

 

As promised...

 

He came over and laid his head on my legs. His body was all contorted but his face looked so sweet. It was like "Will you please brush me some more? It felt sooo good!"

 

Now that is a picture that just melts my heart! I do have a soft spot for the black grey boys. My Sobe was one. Everything coat-wise is more obvious on a black grey. You might even notice in the Spring and Fall that his coat will get a brownish tint to it. That's pretty normal. Many dogs go through seasonal "sheds". Even though greys don't shed a lot - you can see the color change in a black grey sometimes. And dandruff - it SHOWS on a black grey.

 

When my Sobe went to the vet - which he HATED - he'd shed like crazy in the waiting room ("blow coat" which is a symptom of stress) and dandruff would come out of nowhere. By the time we got into the exam room my perfectly well-groomed dog would look like a shedding, dandruffy mess! LOL! Of course my petting to calm him would make more hair fly and more dandruff show up!

[scullysmum]

About three months ago I could have written the exact same post about my boy, but he has now been with me four and a half months, has shed his very fluffy kennel coat, got rid of his dandruff and started to grow fuzz on his thighs and belly. I too am giving him a fish oil capsule a day and have just started to change his food to a fish and potato one (he was on lamb and rice but his poops were a bit soft, much better after just one week on the new stuff).

[Guest Houston1219]

Houston was pretty dry when we first got him too. Bathing can make it worse, but the groomer was sure helpful, ironically! We would take him in every couple months just to be rinsed, conditioned with a hypoallergenic oatmeal conditioner, and brushed. He seemed to love it and we did see an improvement. We use a dog grooming academy in our area, big savings! It's like going to a beauty school for a manicure. Supervised students and low prices!