Shedding Help
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What does she eat...?
Kibbles and Bits - Wholesome
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I suggest you take her off of it right away. Corn is the first ingredient, which is a no no. Corn is a major contributor to allergies and the coat. If you are interested, you can read more on the PMR diet. Or, you should think about switching her to a better quality kibble and add some fish oil to her food. Fish oil is rich in omega's which is good for the coat. Does she shed a lot?
Whole grain corn, poultry meal, soybean meal, beef fat*, brown rice, apples, peas, carrots, animal digest (source of chicken flavor), calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, salt, choline chloride, potassium chloride, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, vitamin A supplement, niacin supplement, D-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), caramel color, yellow 5, yellow 6, red 40, blue 1, blue 2, rosemary extract.
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Kibbles n Bits is a low quality food. And probably the reason why she is shedding so much. She will for sure do better on a higher quality food that will give her more adequate nutrition. I suggest going to either grain free food or the even better raw, fresh prey model diet.
I am sorry but I do not know what PMR diet is. Can you give me some help on that?
What dog food would be a good one to change her to?
Yes, she sheds a lot. And while I am at it, I wash her with Adams flea and tick shampoo. Could that also contribute to the shedding?
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Skylar, Zack, and Abby on the WEB
This is where you will get a ton of info on the Prey Model Raw diet. From RawFedDog's sig. These are some grain free kibble foods: Orijen, Acana, Taste of the Wild, Innova Evo, Horizon Legacy, Merrick Before Grain...there's more but I can't think of all of them right now. Bathing with a flea and tick shampoo regularly is harsh on the coat and skin. Yes, I think this could also contribute to the shedding. But, I think the food she's on now is the major contributor. How often do you bathe her?
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K&B is one of the worst things you could be feeding really. Pretty much anything that can be found at grocery store is basically garbage.
If you want to learn more about nutrition, please read the following:
4shared.com - document sharing - download Complete and Final.doc
I personally reccomend a grain free, meat based food, whether you chose to feed kibble, raw, or homecooked. Its difficult for dogs to digest grains and they end up pooping out majority of the food you give them.
Most people here that feed meat based foods can vouch for the fact that they feed 1/2 the ammount or less of grocery store brands and their dogs have very small/firm poops.
Keep in mind that "premium" foods may initially seem costly, but they are generally nutrient dense, meaning your dog will be eating less and saving you money in the long run ( not to mention vet bills).
If youre looking for a decent quality, but not too expensive kibble, check out Taste of the Wild. A lot of people that have dogs with allergies, skin/coat issues swear by it.
Taste of the Wild : Home
If you want to learn more about nutrition, please read the following:
4shared.com - document sharing - download Complete and Final.doc
I personally reccomend a grain free, meat based food, whether you chose to feed kibble, raw, or homecooked. Its difficult for dogs to digest grains and they end up pooping out majority of the food you give them.
Most people here that feed meat based foods can vouch for the fact that they feed 1/2 the ammount or less of grocery store brands and their dogs have very small/firm poops.
Keep in mind that "premium" foods may initially seem costly, but they are generally nutrient dense, meaning your dog will be eating less and saving you money in the long run ( not to mention vet bills).
If youre looking for a decent quality, but not too expensive kibble, check out Taste of the Wild. A lot of people that have dogs with allergies, skin/coat issues swear by it.
Taste of the Wild : Home
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Once you get on a better diet, there is also a supplement that a lot of people really like called Optima 365 that is supposed to help reduce shedding.
I have used it with my Cavalier and had good results, but I will be phasing it out when I switch him to raw.
Optima 365™ For Dogs And Cats
I have used it with my Cavalier and had good results, but I will be phasing it out when I switch him to raw.
Optima 365™ For Dogs And Cats
She is bathed about every 2 weeks... Is there a better less harsher shampoo? I used to live in Indiana and the vet made her own, it smelled like mint, was easy on the coat and had asprin in it as well.. really good shampoo to bad I moved and the vet retired..
Thanks for the file and for the info. This will help me find a better dogfood that I will be picking up either tonight or in the morning.
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Regarding bathing, unless your dog has fleas, theres no point in bathing with anti flea shampoo because they are pretty harsh. Pick something that is natural without harsh chemicals.
I personally use Earthbath brand and Happy Tails shampoo, though it can be hard to come by at regular pet stores, I've also heard good things about NuHemp shampoo and I've seen it sold at some petstores. Look for the moisturizing one:
Animal Health & Wellness | Functional Treats & Dietary Supplements | Animal & Rodent Comfort Products
store locator:
NuHemp 101: providing natural treats and dietary supplements | provides natural nutrients to optimize performance, health and vitality at a reasonable cost.
I'm glad youre willing to learn and help your dog on a path to a better life, we need more pet owners like you!
Make sure to transition slowly, you can add some plain yogurt to the food to help with digestion.
I personally use Earthbath brand and Happy Tails shampoo, though it can be hard to come by at regular pet stores, I've also heard good things about NuHemp shampoo and I've seen it sold at some petstores. Look for the moisturizing one:
Animal Health & Wellness | Functional Treats & Dietary Supplements | Animal & Rodent Comfort Products
store locator:
NuHemp 101: providing natural treats and dietary supplements | provides natural nutrients to optimize performance, health and vitality at a reasonable cost.
I'm glad youre willing to learn and help your dog on a path to a better life, we need more pet owners like you!
Make sure to transition slowly, you can add some plain yogurt to the food to help with digestion.
Thank you.. I had a sheltie years ago but I just got this one a year agao. I have bouts with cancer, clean right now and know the benifits of have a dog as a healing process...
I understand the transition, but can you give some sort of example, please...
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When you find the new food you're going to use, start the transition by mixing 25% of the new food with 75% of the K&B. Do this for a couple of days, and then up it to a 50/50 mix for a few day before going to 75% new food, 25% K&B... and then of course onto taking the K&B out of the diet entirely.
The amount of time you transition is up to you. Some people take days, some people take weeks, and some even take months. I go by how the dog reacts to the change, if their stools remain solid through the process, then you're fine. If they get diarrhea, don't up the amount of new food until the stools are solid again.
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Bathing a dog every 2 weeks can strip the coat of it's natural oils. If she gets dirty and stinks by 2 weeks, then bathe her. If not, I wouldn't bathe too often. I bathe Aspen every 7-8 months. He's a very clean dog and HARDLY gets dirty and doesn't smell (one of the advantages of a PMR diet). His coat has a nice glossy sheen to it. Like Unosmom, I also use Earthbath. I use the Oatmeal and Aloe shampoo. It's very gentle on the coat and skin. It leaves his coat really soft. Like I used conditioner, but didn't. And the good thing about it is that it doesn't have that strong perfume smell that some shampoos have. What does Aspirin do for the coat?
You will probably have to go to a smaller specialty pet store to find any of the better grain free dog foods. You can find them in your area either thru a search on line, thru your vet, or in the yellow pages. Petsmart or Petco won't carry those foods. Most of those stores will also carry a good, soap free shampoo that you can use on your dog. If you get one that is soap free, it will lather well but will also be a lot less harsh and you can use it pretty much as often as you want. My Lhasa is 13 and I have to bath her about every two week just because she tends to get pee on herself and also she's so short that she picks up every bit of dirt in the yard. I use a soap free shampoo on her and it works great and lathers really well.
I feed EVO kibble made by Innova and both dogs do really well on it. It is grain free and small bites so the little old dog can eat it as well as the big dog. Innova also makes a non grain free food that is good. Your dog is small so even though it is expensive, she should eat very little per day. I did transition the old one very slowly to the new kibble so be sure and do that or you may have tummy troubles. Good luck.
I feed EVO kibble made by Innova and both dogs do really well on it. It is grain free and small bites so the little old dog can eat it as well as the big dog. Innova also makes a non grain free food that is good. Your dog is small so even though it is expensive, she should eat very little per day. I did transition the old one very slowly to the new kibble so be sure and do that or you may have tummy troubles. Good luck.
Ok... Need help ASAP..... my sheltie is loosing her hair and she has flaky skin real bad. I switched her to Inova dog food and am putting Omeg 3 and 6 into her dog food. What can I do? I was here with a non-soap shampoo with oatmeal in it. Anything else I can do? We can not figure this out...
Please help...
Please help...
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Have you done bloodwork on her at all? There might be some underlying issues with her that have nothing to do with diet. Where is her hair loss on her body?
Is there any way that you could post up pictures of her? That would give me a better indication of what is going on.
Is there any way that you could post up pictures of her? That would give me a better indication of what is going on.
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