Shedding /Dry skin

[Waterfords Abby]

I have noticed our BC scratching more and shedding more hair. I am almost over the edge with the hair. A co-worker suggested cod-liver-oil as a home remedy.Any other suggestions???? We have always had Labs. Never noticed this before .We got this dog from a rescue.

 

spook1991@hotmail.com

[sea4th]

Not enough info. How long have you had the dog? What are you feeding the dog? Is the dog an indoor or outdoor dog? Has the dog been seen by your vet? If treatable conditions like mange have been ruled out by your vet, then you might want to look what you are feeding your dog.

[urge to herd]

All the questions Vicki asked, plus, I'd go with almost any other oil as a fatty supplement before cod liver. It's very easy to overdose on the Vit D using cod liver oil.

 

Let us know the answers to the questions about what you feed, vet visit, etc, and we can give you some suggestions.

 

Ruth n the BC3

[Annette Carter & the Borderbratz]

As a groomer I see this in nearly every dog except non shedding breeds this time of year. Especially my heavier coated dogs. New coat is coming in now -as it pushes the old hair out of the follicle and grows in it irritates the skin and lifts the dead skin up. Dogs that are brushed and bathed fairly often (monthly at least) exhibit less shedding and irritation because brushing removes the coat so it doesn't end up on the floor, helps remove dead skin and distributes body oil. Dogs spending alot of time out in the crisp weather still will in some cases have a delayed shed. My own doggies are sort of neglected right now and are sort of itchy but I'll brush them really good this weekend and they will probably feel better. Try this before spending money on vets and new foods, or suppliments. If you see lesions, bald spots, crusties, angry red skin, or smell something fowl (even a little fowl) consult your vet.

Annette

[Waterfords Abby]

Our BC is about 18 months and is an indoor dog.She eats Alpo(2-3 cups per day) and I give her a cod-liver-oil cap ea day.

She has no bare spots but I notice her coat looks dull.She has not had a bath since fall as she hates the tub.I do brush her and sometimes I use the vacum

to help get the loose hairs. Any help or suggestions is very much appricated.

[laurie etc]

My hair would look bad if I ate Alpo, too.

Check out the ingredients in it...if you are going to feed kibble, try a premium brand, not a grocery store variety. The coat of a dog is a good overall reflection of what's going on inside, as well. You may find that with a premium kibble, you don't nee to add oil. But, for adding fat to the diet, I would go for a liquid vegetable oil (canola, corn oil), peanut butter, bacon grease, or anything that you can drizzle over the food. I use Fish Body Oil (or salmon oil) capsules, they add Omega Oils to the diet - which help the coat - Cod Liver Oil is a different thing altogether.

[Waterfords Abby]

we got our dog at a rescue and that was the food that came with her.Do you have any special brands you could suggest.This is all new to us.We thank you for your help...

[Miztiki]

Welcome to the forum!

 

Here's a very quick lesson on food:

 

The food you can buy at the grocery store (Alpo, Pedigree, etc.) has alot of crap in it. Look at the ingredients on your Alpo bag. Do you see anything like corn? Poultry meal? Wheat flour?

 

I don't have access to Alpo's ingredients but I can tell you that most foods contain fillers that the dog can't digest. This means they have to eat more.

 

They also contain crap meat, like beaks and fur and God knows what. It's crap meat they sweep up from the floor.

 

Premium foods cost more BUT here is why you should buy them:

 

They eat LESS of it because more of it is digestible.

 

They don't poop as much, because there's less waste, and the poops are firmer.

 

They will have a shinier coat, better skin, less gas...

 

In the end, premium food ends up costing you about the same as store bought food. Sometimes less because of saved vet bills.

 

I wish someone would have told me all of this years and years ago!

[Waterfords Abby]

Thanks for your help,any brand you would recommend?

She is a healthy girl except for the dry shedding coat....

[Miztiki]

I can't recommend a specific brand because some dogs do better on one brand than another dog.

 

However, any food you buy should have more meat in it than fillers like corn/rice, etc. Read the labels. I hope someone can give you some links that explain about that. I'm fairly new with the whole thing myself, so I don't want to tell you something that is inaccurate. The first several ingredients should be meat though and not fillers.

 

Here's a site that lets you compare up to 4 foods side by side (including Alpo).

 

Here's another site that compares their brand with several other brands, including Alpo (which has the lowest rating).

 

Here's a third comparison site.

 

 

Also do a search here on the forum about dog food.

 

And corn is a cheap filler! Dogs can't hardly digest the stuff. Rice or potato as a carbohydrate source is much better.

[CoRayBee]

The problem with asking for brand recommendations is you can ask 10 people and get 10 different opinions on what is best. So....here's my opinion!

 

1) Avoid food that contains corn/wheat/soy. They are potential allergens, and corn in particular is very difficult to digest. Good grains include rice (preferably brown) and oats.

 

2) Stay far, far away from any food that contains any kind of 'byproducts.' Meat byproducts doesn't necessarily mean meat (there's a lot more to a chicken than meat- feathers, feet, etc.) Grain byproducts could very well mean the dust they scrape up off the floor. Better dog foods will have things like "chicken/lamb meal," "lamb meat," and "whole grain rice/oats" on their labels.

 

3) Avoid foods that are chemically preserved like the PLAGUE! Things like BHA/BHT and ethoxyquin are known carcinogens. Find a food that is preserved with vitamin E (tocopherols,) citric acid, and/or rosemary.

 

My dog food of choice is Innova. I don't question any of the ingredients on its label. Other people I know have their pets on Chicken Soup brand and/or Solid Gold, which also have excellent reputations.

 

Pretty basic list, but I've found it to be a good general list to follow. Maybe others on this board might offer up their expert knowledge!