A Supplement Needed? If So, What?

[Gayle.]

My 10 month old Australian Shepherd is fed a diet of raw meat and veges, eggs, cheese, oats, fish, yoghurt, plenty of meaty bones such as chicken pieces, brisket bones etc....as well as about 3 meals per week of Eagle Pack Holistic kibble.

He is bathed about once a month with Troys Oaticoat soap free dog shampoo. Flea treatment is Frontline Plus every month and he is brushed thoroughly 2-3 times per week.

I've noticed recently his coat, especially along his back, is dry, coarse and greasy to the touch. And it appears to be getting worse. It started off the area above his tail was dry and coarse as well as around his collar area but in the past few weeks and especially since having a hydrobath last week, it's extended right along his spine.

I'm happy to try anything to give him back his soft, glossy coat and understand it will take 3 months or more to show results. Any suggestions?

[InspectorRex]

Have you discussed this with his breeder? That would be my first port of call as it maybe something that line does.

Could be the sampoo you are using too .Try Aloveen and make sure sit is rinsed thoroughly from the coat so no residue is left then use a good conditioner and rinse that thoroughly too

[Gayle.]

Thanks! Will try both of those things. I've heard good things about Aloveen so I'll pick some up this afternoon.

[cowanbree]

Your boy is fast approaching the age where he will have a puppy drop. I find the hair tends to dry out and look a bit yuck just before, also generally get a red tinge. He should have quite a big drop in the next few mths and the coat will grow back looking healthier. Oily isn't normal though so I would watch that, maybe over doing the baths? Certainly I don't bath my aussie that much

Edited January 18, 2008 by cowanbree

[Gayle.]

Ok, thanks. The puppy drop makes sense.....he isn't losing much at the moment though, Just a hairbrush or two full when he gets an all over groom, which I'd assume is about normal for his coat length and his size.

I wouldn't have thought once a month was too much for bathing a dog. What if you show your dog? Wouldn't they get bathed before each show, even if it's once a week? Or do they just get brushed? His coat isn't so much oily as greasy to touch......I'll try and explain it as best as I can. it feels dry and coarse, but if you rub your hands through it, they come away with a greasy feel....not oily though. Similar to the feel you get if you touch raw fleece but not quite as extreme. Fleece is greasy, it's not oily.

He definitely has a red tinge to the black...specially around the ears and flanks. I thought it was because it was summer and it was getting slightly bleached by the sun.

[wylie]

There is no problem with washing Aussies once a week let alone once a month.

As to the red tinge in his coat it is either his coat drop and dead hair that is waiting to come out OR it is his diet.

I have seen Aussies whose black coat has gone red right thru it due to a diet that is not balanced in some way.

Personally i would cut out the oats from his diet and any other carbohydrates he does not need them at all.

[Gayle.]

Do you think the oats could be causing it? He would get only about 2 cupfuls in 6 kgs of food and in the last batch of food I made up he didn't get any at all because I'd ran out and didn't replace it with anything.

His coat is mostly black right through, but he does have a reddish tinge to that very soft fluffy hair behind his ears. He's had that for ages, but that's not the dry coarse area. The parts that are dry are black right through.

A typical few days of food would be:

Day 1, breakfast, 2 raw chicken thighs. Dinner, 350 grams of raw meat and vege mix (contains most of what I decribed in first post), snack or training treat, a small handful of Eagle Pack kibble, either inside a toy or given by hand.

Day 2, breakfast, 1 1/2 cups Eagle Pack kibble, 1 tin of sardines in oil. Dinner, as above. Snack, a smoked pigs trotter, training treats, a few pieces of Purina Beneful kibble (I would probably use a small bag of this between two dogs in 2 months as treats).

Day 3, breakfast, 3 lamb neck rosettes, dinner, as above, snack or traing treats EP kibble.

Day 4, breakfast, 500grams (approx) of meaty brisket bones, dinner, 1 1/2 cups EP kibble and a tin of sardines. Treats, a dried pigs ear and some Beneful (a dozen pieces maybe).

If you mix that up and spread it over a month.....add in some chicken necks and a few raw lamb chops and maybe a kilo of raw human grade steak, you'd have a good overview of his diet.

[cowanbree]

I do show my dogs and generally only do whites for shows with a full bath every 6-8 weeks. To much washing upsets the natural ph of the skin esp if you use the wrong shampoo

[Gayle.]

His skin seems to be fine, it's clean, looks healthy and has an elastic feel to it. The shampoo I'm using isn't a cheap brand and it's soap free, so shouldn't have anything harmful but I'm happy to change to something else.

[Dogsfevr]

My showdogs are bathed twice aweek & pee feathers every night.They are not done in all these natural things & have never had any issues in over 20 plus years..

Over bathing has never ever affected an y of my dogs & all my showdogs go to shows fully bathed.

The thing to remember is natural as such doesnt always mean it works.Some of these natural dog shampoos i find very drying & bring the coats up awful.

The red tinge most certainly can be due to diet ,sun bleach ior its the dead /puppy coat thats ready to be removed.

What dioes the breeder bath there dogs in in??