brightstar123 Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone else has noticed if the amount of hair shed by their dog is affected by their diet? Our lab (adopted at around 1.5yrs) shed unbelievably when we first got her about a year ago. Yellow hairs everywhere, in a crunchy layer on the floor, coating the inside of the car, all our clothes, in our pantry So really just the usual story with labs! However after a few months the shedding decreased gradually and for the last 6-8 months the shedding is not noticeable at all. There is nothing on the floor, nothing on our clothes. I find a stray hair here and there in the car but that's it. I pat her and cuddle her and nothing sticks, also nothing in the brush now when I groom her. Which doesn't seem like the usual story! Much as I would like to believe I've invented a labrador shedding cure :laugh: I'm sure that's not the case. I changed her onto a 100% raw diet, supplement fish oil/Vit E/krill oil and borage oil, give Dasuquin, eggs and a probiotic. I brush her daily for 5min; she was also spayed when we got her. I don't wash her much, just use the good ol' Calendula rinse as needed. Anyone do any of the following or make any diet changes and notice a reduction in shedding? Just curious :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy21 Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 You need to only change one thing at a time before you can truly decide that. I would imagine it's the brushing rather than the diet.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Shedding is not uncommon in dogs that are acutely or chronically stressed so it may be all the change that was around her circumstances that also contributed. Sounds like she's a pretty happy dog now though!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brightstar123 Posted October 16, 2014 Author Share Posted October 16, 2014 Yes I thought the stress of being rehomed might have increased shedding, although I kind of believed that much shedding to be quite normal for a lab? Does anyone out there have a yellow lab that hardly sheds at all? I know blacks are supposed to shed mainly twice a year, where as yellows are more like 356 days a year, however I suppose there's individual variation. Was expecting her to drop more after winter but nothing yet... Could definitely be the grooming rather than the diet or anything else, although she was groomed a fair bit before we got her for shows etc. Probably not daily though. She is pretty happy though - her obsession with retrieving gets worse everyday lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 My yellow Lab sheds 24/7/365... and fully blows coat around the end of December, early January... My camp dog mutt sheds even worse than the Lab though, so I can't complain... lol! T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yonjuro Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 (edited) I have noticed very little shedding of guard hairs since my husky has been on fully raw. There was much more when he was on mixed kibble and raw. He is blowing undercoat right now so nothing stops shedding per se. There is a theory that fully raw feeding reduces guard hair shedding (breaking in this instance) due to a healthier hair follicle. Proponents of raw feeding will argue that this nutrition cannot be replicated in a diet of processed kibble. I cannot comment on how true this is and can simply relate by own findings :) Either way, I must be doing something right as I am always getting comments on Ronin's condition from other dog owners, even from other husky owners I have met out and about, with their dogs coats that look vastly different to Ronins' Even the vet asked me about his diet as they normally follow the 'traditional' line of Hills Science diet :laugh: and he just said wow, don't change a thing Edited October 16, 2014 by Yonjuro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brightstar123 Posted October 16, 2014 Author Share Posted October 16, 2014 Interesting about the guard hairs. I can say for sure that the raw diet 100% stopped her bad breath problem almost overnight, her yeasty stinky skin/paws are no longer a problem (also could be grooming, calendula etc), her poos are normal/formed and don't stench (no more cow pats) and the farting is no longer driving us out of our home every night for fresh air lol. To me she seems in much better balance :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Yes I notice a difference, mine barely shed unless the Malinois' are blowing coat twice a year. Pug barely sheds at all and people say thats super weird, all on a raw diet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiecuddles Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Mine aren't fed raw but I notice a big difference in my Basset if I use a low quality food. Food emergency a few months back I bought a bag if super coat at the supermarket. She was only on it for about 5 days and she looked dull and greasy, lost weight and she'd a lot for the next month or so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brightstar123 Posted October 16, 2014 Author Share Posted October 16, 2014 Totally agree! Our Lab's worst time was when I also ran out of food and bought a small bag of Supercoat to tide her over - the results were instantly horrifying, especially for the lawn! Foul skin and breath too. She did improve to a degree on super-premium grain free dry food e.g. Canidae Pure Elements or TOTW but not nearly to the extent that she improved on raw. Obviously doesn't work for all dogs but it worked for her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 We board alot of Labs & the amount of Shedding varies on the type of coat BUT they all shed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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