alligande Posted May 31, 2011 Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 Since I switched Brodys food to chicken soup, his coat is no longer as shiny. He has always had a gorgeous shiny coat and at the moment it looks dull and a bit straggly. The food is working for his tummy but from his coat it looks like he needs something else as well. I like to keep things as simple and affordable as possible, plus I do not want to upset his bowels again. My first thought was to give him an egg, but with the bowel problems I am thinking this is not a good idea. Looking for suggestions - thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted May 31, 2011 Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 A lot of people have had good results with the omega fats (omega-3 and omega-6 in particular. I believe that there is an optimal ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 for best results but do not know it off the top of my head.) Look into salmon oil, flax seed oil and borage oil. A similar thing happened to one of my dogs about 7 years ago when I tried Dick van Patten's Natural Balance. Her coat became very dull. Poor dog - she tried to tell me she didn't like the food by not eating it. I guess she knew better than the experts :-) Jovi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary&Sully Posted May 31, 2011 Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 I really like salmon oil, comes in a pump bottle at the store. Did a lot for my dogs coat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted May 31, 2011 Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 Any oils you add can be upsetting to a tender tummy. I speak from unpleasant experience! I'd start very slowly, with a tsp or so of oil, or just one capsule, and add a little vit E to help w/absorption. Give with a meal, and watch your results. The thought is that dogs don't absorb the omegas from flax or borage oil as well, your pup may do better with those. Good luck! Ruth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted May 31, 2011 Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 Alligande, If your vet hasn't done a culture for clostridia perfingens, if your boy gets sick again, ask for this test. C. perfingens plagued Buzz for the last years of his life. It becomes a bacterial overgrowth that 'blooms' when the dog is stressed, some vets believe. I hope your boy stays in good shape, but someone mentioned c. difficile in your 'what to feed' thread, and my memories of c. perfingens surfaced. You can goole it, just add 'dogs' to the topic. Ruth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushdoggie Posted May 31, 2011 Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 Salmon oil and virgin coconut oil are both good for skin and coat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligande Posted May 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 Alligande, If your vet hasn't done a culture for clostridia perfingens, if your boy gets sick again, ask for this test. C. perfingens plagued Buzz for the last years of his life. It becomes a bacterial overgrowth that 'blooms' when the dog is stressed, some vets believe. I hope your boy stays in good shape, but someone mentioned c. difficile in your 'what to feed' thread, and my memories of c. perfingens surfaced. You can goole it, just add 'dogs' to the topic. Ruth Ruth at this stage I have lost track of what he has been tested for , since we switched to chicken soup we have had zero problems with diarrhea, his stool is back to being normal, so it looks like the vets guess was right, irritable bowel caused by the food. My suspicion is that the foods we where feeding are much higher in protein and that was the problem but I could very wrong. Now I just want to make sure that he is getting enough vitamins etc as his coat just is not as nice. Luckily when Brody feels good he eats anything. I am going to bookmark the page I found about it though incase this all comes back and I can ask the vet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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