Sun Bleaching

[RhiWLSL]

I'm no expert on this, but I would think that shampooing your dog as often as you do (and even once a week is way often, in my books) would leave your dog's coat vulnerable to the affects of UV. You're removing the natural oils from your dog's skin and hair when you shampoo, and I expect that would leave the hair less protected. I bath my dog probably no more than twice a year (admittedly, he's a short coated breed) and even then I only use Calendula Tea for the purpose - no shampoos that would strip the oils.

Hi,

I bath once weekly because we swim in a river, which is sand based. My dogs are also grubs and more often then not have been in the dirt or garden. We like them inside and also have a lot of visitors over/take them out a lot, so I like to have a well presented dog at all times. I do use a coat conditioner (Aloveen) to put back a little moisture into the coat what the shampoo would take out.

She has been bathed once in the last 8 weeks. So I don't think the bathing has had much to do with this. I know its just exposure to QLD sun from 6.30am onwards.

[Erny]

Ok.

[dancinbcs]

Bathing dogs weekly does no harm so long as you use the right shampoo for your dog and don't have the dryer too hot. Thousands of show dogs are bathed every week for shows and have wonderful coats. The tendency for a coat to bleach is partly genetic. None of my Border Collies have ever had any part of their coats bleach out. They have all been genetically the blackest of blacks and I have never done anything special to keep them that way. I have had many people over the years ask how I get them so black and I always reply that I just breed them that way.

[Melsmells]

While I must say my "thing" is horse nutrition rather than dog nutrition, fading in coats of horses can be due to several things

Excess iron in the diet, which blocks copper

Low levels of copper and zinc in the diet

Overall imbalances to the diet

Again with horses, EXTREME care needs to be taken when supplementing with things like seaweed meal, just 5 grams of seaweed meal can exceed the requirements of a 500kg horse, so Id have to wonder, translated back to a 50kg dog, if this is safe

[RhiWLSL]

While I must say my "thing" is horse nutrition rather than dog nutrition, fading in coats of horses can be due to several things

Excess iron in the diet, which blocks copper

Low levels of copper and zinc in the diet

Overall imbalances to the diet

Again with horses, EXTREME care needs to be taken when supplementing with things like seaweed meal, just 5 grams of seaweed meal can exceed the requirements of a 500kg horse, so Id have to wonder, translated back to a 50kg dog, if this is safe

Wow, I might have to look further into that then. Or find a "dog friendly" formula :D

[BC Crazy]

The one I use is for dog/cats/horses goats. It's called Value Plus Kelp liquid from VetnPet direct. Just follow the directions to the letter.

Edited May 19, 2014 by BC Crazy

[mish13]

Hi Guys,

Firstly, thanks so much for all the info!

BC Crazy - I will grab some of the Sea Breeze Oil and wash her only once a week (I used to wash her weekly when I was working and never had any issues) Do you know if I could dilute this into a squirty bottle and spray it on her as she is getting a backyard bath at the moment but will get a Hydrobath when I can get to one. She will need a big blow out too.

Hi Aliwake, I have fed Livamol and found that it put a reddish tinge through my SL GSD's coat so I won't use that, I also found I had to up the bones to keep tartar at bay because of the molasses/sugar in it. But it was great stuff for coat shine and condition.

Dancinbcs - I thought as much, I may just have to keep up the stripping and get her under a blowdrier once a week

Hey Mish13 - Where would I find these things? Just so I can look at getting them :)

Thanks again,

you guys are legends!

I buy the K9 Show Stopper from Pet Network on line

[Melsmells]

From the quick bit of reading excessive iodine consumption can lead to dry and flaky skin. Iodine is found in good quantities in salt water fish (moreso than fresh water)

The recommended daily requirement for dogs is "Dogs should receive 0.7 mg of iodine daily for every pound of dog food they eat (on a dry matter basis)."

5 grams of seaweed meal delivers a whooping 4.24mg of iodine, so given that we perhaps feed our dogs 1 kilo (2 pounds roughly) of food per day their requirement would be 1.4mg per day...at just 5 grams of seaweed meal you are giving the dog 3 x its daily requirement just from seaweed alone without factoring in the other parts of his diet which also may contain iodine

(Assuming my maths and googling have served me correctly :laugh: )

Need to get my head around this dog nutrition stuff...very interesting

I think a top up once or twice a week probably isnt a bad thing, but I would worry feeding it in daily

Edited May 20, 2014 by Melsmells