codypup Posted October 18, 2003 Report Share Posted October 18, 2003 My pup, Cody, just turned 8 months. His coat seems a bit thin as I can see the pink of his skin through the white fur on his chest. I have figured this is his puppy coat and it will thicken as he ages. Also shedding has been minimal...which I enjoyed. How ever, last Saturday I began switching him to Innova and almost immediately he is shedding alot! Is this coincidental? I have hoped it would stop but it hasn't. He's not going bald at all but again I was wondering if it related to changing his diet and could it really happen that fast. Any opinions or thoughts? Jill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK dog doc Posted October 18, 2003 Report Share Posted October 18, 2003 Hi Jill Well, it could be a coincidence, actually, but it also could be related to the diet change. (My, I'm helpful, aren't I? ) What diet was he on before? And has he had a stool sample checked? We sometimes get an unthrifty patient who's just wormy. As a general diet thing, there are dogs who do great on the worst crap diets around, and others who have to be on something soooo premium and restricted that it's astonishing, and everything in between. I generally feel that the proof is in the puppy... if the dog does well on it, it's a good diet *for that dog* - though not necessarily the next one down (within reason, of course... a really crappy diet is still a really crappy diet.) Your choices are to either: 1) stick with that diet through a shedding cycle (up here I usually see a spring shed and a fall shed, the fall shed in prep for the winter coat and the spring one in prep for the summer coat) and see if his winter coat comes in well; 2) switch back to the previous diet to see if the shedding stops (though THAT could be conincedental as well, just to make this more fun!); or 3) get him worked up for underlying problems. Bear in mind this may be part of him maturing his coat - a lot of dogs don't have an adult coat til 2 years old or later. So maybe he's just reorganizing (althogh I didn't see this in my BC - maybe other people have...?). As long as his skin looks good, he's comfortable and he's not itchy, smelly or balding, you have some leeway. Where in Colorado are you? (My home state). Just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codypup Posted October 18, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2003 Doc, Thanks for your suggestions. I'm beginning to think my dog is not one for a premium diet. LOL I tried Canidae...which did not fair well with his stools...then another lamb/rice diet which was worse for his stools. Pro Plan did fine but I thought I'd try Innova. I wasn't sure if there was a fall shedding season. I'll give it more another week or so to see? Then I guess I'll go back to Pro Plan. As for where I'm from in Colorado...a town just south of Denver. I have a sister in Anchorage. Where are you located? Jill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK dog doc Posted October 18, 2003 Report Share Posted October 18, 2003 I'm about 50 miles out of Anchorage in the Mat-Su valley. Small world, eh? Grew up in Fort Collins. Truthfully I don't recall if there was a fall shedding season in CO - but there is one up here (the weather here is more extreme, though.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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