# Excessive shedding.



## Cain (Feb 14, 2011)

So in about the past two weeks, I have noticed increased shedding in Cain's coat. Sometimes there might be slight dandruff, but for the most part there isn't. The thing that confuses me is that his coat is very soft, shiny, and seems to be full. So far I've been feeding him chicken, pork, and beef, with occasional fish. Organs include liver from all three meat sources, and kidney. Thymus glands, and just introduced spleen. I give two fish oil capsules to bridge the EFA gap from fish. 

You can run your hand through his coat, and will get a few strands of hair on your hand. I don't really ever remember it being like this. Anyone have any idea what could be causing this?


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## Love my lab (Dec 9, 2010)

My dog is shedding crazy too, but it is because of the weather getting warmer. Maybe Cain's just getting rid of the winter coat?


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

How long has he been on the raw diet? It could be just the very strange weather we are having around here or it could be the first year of raw.


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## Cain (Feb 14, 2011)

Love my lab said:


> My dog is shedding crazy too, but it is because of the weather getting warmer. Maybe Cain's just getting rid of the winter coat?


That's what I thought it might be.



whiteleo said:


> How long has he been on the raw diet? It could be just the very strange weather we are having around here or it could be the first year of raw.


He has been back on it for over 6 weeks now. The weather here has been crazy too. It's been cold in the 40's, then jumps to 90+, and then somewhere in between.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

If he's only been on raw for 6 weeks then its probably a combination of both detoxing and the weather.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

some time in the first year of feeding both dogs raw, they blew their coats.... bubba had shed ao much...he had bald spots.

we've narrowed it down to one or more of these reasons:

1. furminator - just once but maybe they reacted.
2. not enough animal fat....not that we as humans do not need fat...dogs however need it more.
3. the salmon oil we were using.
4. detox

their fur is growing back but very slowly especially the pug, but he's coming along......

their blood chemistry is all good...skin scrapings are negative...

what this has taught me is that in the first year, anything and everything can and could happen...


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## Northwoods10 (Nov 22, 2010)

The labs are blowing their coats here getting rid of winter bulk. Remi is even shedding a bit, but not nearly as much as the girls. (shorter coat) 

I'd assume it is probably a combination of the two things. Weather & fairly new to raw.


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## nortknee (May 5, 2011)

Do you guys advise against the furminator or any sort of rakes like that? Do you just deal with the hair?


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## Cain (Feb 14, 2011)

I forgot to mention that sometimes his coat seems a little rougher, while other times it seems very soft. This can change on a daily basis.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

nortknee said:


> Do you guys advise against the furminator or any sort of rakes like that? Do you just deal with the hair?


can't speak for others...but it made bubba itch like crazy, after....


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## Northwoods10 (Nov 22, 2010)

nortknee said:


> Do you guys advise against the furminator or any sort of rakes like that? Do you just deal with the hair?


What kind of dog is Cain? Sorry, I forget. 

I do recommend the furminator with a dog that has a little longer coat & undercoat. I use it on my labs...more on Nallah than Morgan. She has a thicker coat and she sheds the most. I wouldn't recommend using it on a dog with a shorter coat or no undercoat. I don't use it on Remi for that reason. I know they make different styles of them, but I haven't used any but for the longer coats.


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

I have one for the short haired dogs and I love love love it. I have to say it's the best comb I have ever had.


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

My hoodlums have been on raw for 8 months now and still shed a LOT. In fact, they STILL have not grown their hair all the way back from when they were spayed/neutered in October. Sigh.

Maybe it's just because it's so dang hot here all the time? 

We are moving north, two more days!!! (we leave Tuesday), so maybe having some cooler weather will help? Because I can't figure this out at all.


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## Cain (Feb 14, 2011)

Northwoods10 said:


> What kind of dog is Cain? Sorry, I forget.
> 
> I do recommend the furminator with a dog that has a little longer coat & undercoat. I use it on my labs...more on Nallah than Morgan. She has a thicker coat and she sheds the most. I wouldn't recommend using it on a dog with a shorter coat or no undercoat. I don't use it on Remi for that reason. I know they make different styles of them, but I haven't used any but for the longer coats.


He is a Cane Corso and American Bulldog mix.

This is him at 6 months;


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

i don't like the furminator. i think it was taking
to much hair out. i use an under coat comb and a pin
brush. first i use the under coat comb combing in all directions.
i section the combing off and spend time on each section. then i comb
him down with the under coat comb. i smoo th him out with the pin brush.
i brush him 3 to 4 times a week.



nortknee said:


> Do you guys advise against the furminator or any sort of rakes like that? Do you just deal with the hair?


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## Kofismom (Sep 14, 2010)

nortknee said:


> Do you guys advise against the furminator or any sort of rakes like that? Do you just deal with the hair?


I use the furminator on Kofi. I am careful not to overdue, but in the beginning I used it about every other day. 
She has been on raw for almost a year, and sheds very little, even in the spring.
We love that thing!
Her raw diet has really seemed to help her shedding, and so I use it now about once a week.


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## nortknee (May 5, 2011)

SerenityFL said:


> My hoodlums have been on raw for 8 months now and still shed a LOT. In fact, they STILL have not grown their hair all the way back from when they were spayed/neutered in October. Sigh.
> 
> Maybe it's just because it's so dang hot here all the time?
> 
> We are moving north, two more days!!! (we leave Tuesday), so maybe having some cooler weather will help? Because I can't figure this out at all.


I'm moving north too, on Tuesday! 
Looks like the 17th shall be a day of new adventures!


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

nortknee said:


> I'm moving north too, on Tuesday!
> Looks like the 17th shall be a day of new adventures!


Hey! Cool! Where ya movin?


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## nortknee (May 5, 2011)

SerenityFL said:


> Hey! Cool! Where ya movin?


Rofl.

Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. 

I'm getting pre-move jitters, bad. The last time I moved I was 9 years old. I'm 21 now. So "freaking out" is the understatement of my life at the moment, haha.


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

nortknee said:


> Rofl.
> 
> Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada.
> 
> I'm getting pre-move jitters, bad. The last time I moved I was 9 years old. I'm 21 now. So "freaking out" is the understatement of my life at the moment, haha.


Hey! We'll be sort of neighbors! I'll wave to from across the water. I'm going to Maine.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

SerenityFL said:


> My hoodlums have been on raw for 8 months now and still shed a LOT. In fact, they STILL have not grown their hair all the way back from when they were spayed/neutered in October. Sigh.
> 
> Maybe it's just because it's so dang hot here all the time?
> 
> We are moving north, two more days!!! (we leave Tuesday), so maybe having some cooler weather will help? Because I can't figure this out at all.


not to hijack the thread, but you're moving? YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!

did i miss that thread?


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i thought it was marvelous when we used it.....i have two dogs, one of which is in the top ten for shedding....and the other one should be...

and it worked wonders....

and then bubba started to scratch, and he wouldn't stop scratching.....so that was the end of the furminator, but if i could use it, i definitely would.

makes a huge difference.


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## nortknee (May 5, 2011)

SerenityFL said:


> Hey! We'll be sort of neighbors! I'll wave to from across the water. I'm going to Maine.


Ha! Whereabouts?

Normally the ferry goes to Bar Harbor from Yarmouth. 

I'm really excited, but really nervous too. It'll be a whole new cultural experience.


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## Cain (Feb 14, 2011)

Strong thread hijack lol.

Anyways, his coat is starting to thin now.. 

I'm getting a little worried, as this is the first time this has occured.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Don't worry, you are doing everything right it sounds like. Some dogs will detox through their coat but it will come back.


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## nortknee (May 5, 2011)

Cain said:


> Strong thread hijack lol.
> 
> Anyways, his coat is starting to thin now..
> 
> I'm getting a little worried, as this is the first time this has occured.


Heh, sorry. 

Have you tried any fish oil or anything? Is it brittle and just breaks off or is he actually losing it to the point of bald spots?


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## Cain (Feb 14, 2011)

No worries. 

I've been only giving him Salmon oil capsules, 2 1000mg caps a day. They are the Pure Alaskan Omega capsules. I'm going to try to increase that amount, as he is around 60lbs now. 

You can lightly pinch his coat, and when you pull your fingers away you get a small clump of hairs between your fingers. Also just running your hand through the coat will loosen the hairs. There aren't any bald spots, hopefully there won't be, but on the top of his shoulders on his back it's defiantly starting to thin to the point where you can see his skin if his hairs are standing up.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

You might want to slack off on the fish oil for awhile and see if you see a difference, I only say that as some dogs will have sensitivities to salmon oil caps or sometimes what they are comprised of.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

Cain said:


> No worries.
> 
> I've been only giving him Salmon oil capsules, 2 1000mg caps a day. They are the Pure Alaskan Omega capsules. I'm going to try to increase that amount, as he is around 60lbs now.
> 
> You can lightly pinch his coat, and when you pull your fingers away you get a small clump of hairs between your fingers. Also just running your hand through the coat will loosen the hairs. There aren't any bald spots, hopefully there won't be, but on the top of his shoulders on his back it's defiantly starting to thin to the point where you can see his skin if his hairs are standing up.


that's what bubba started doing.....we thought he had mange or some other skin thing....

never did figure it out, but we added more meat fat to his diet and took him off salmon oil.....he gets emu oil now...and his fur is slowly returning...


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## Cain (Feb 14, 2011)

magicre said:


> that's what bubba started doing.....we thought he had mange or some other skin thing....
> 
> never did figure it out, but we added more meat fat to his diet and took him off salmon oil.....he gets emu oil now...and his fur is slowly returning...


Does he still shed?


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

Cain said:


> Does he still shed?


he's a pug. they are amongst the highest shedders.....yes. he sheds. he does not shed, however, to the degree he did when we first got him.

he would leave entire dogs in his path. he was like charlie brown's pigpen.


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

nortknee said:


> Ha! Whereabouts?
> 
> Normally the ferry goes to Bar Harbor from Yarmouth.
> 
> I'm really excited, but really nervous too. It'll be a whole new cultural experience.


Let me preface...I'm sorry Cain!!!!!!!

(psst, right outside Bangor, less than an hour from Bar Harbor. Good luck to you tomorrow!)

Ahem...sorry Cain. We now return you to your regularly scheduled program on dog shedding.


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

lol

Lily blew coat pretty badly during the initial transition, but we're back to normal now. And by normal I mean spring coat blowing because the weather keeps yo-yo-ing between cold and warm.

Still not as bad as the Malamute I know that is eating crap generic kibble though. A whole big black garbage bag of hair. No joke...

I didn't like the Furminator at all the one time I tried it. It got the same amount of hair as my slicker brush except it went EVERYWHERE instead of being neatly contained in the slicker brush. Its very very harsh on the guard hairs and basically just strips the coat. No thank you!

I do keep meaning to buy an undercoat rake though...


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## nortknee (May 5, 2011)

SerenityFL said:


> Let me preface...I'm sorry Cain!!!!!!!
> 
> (psst, right outside Bangor, less than an hour from Bar Harbor. Good luck to you tomorrow!)
> 
> Ahem...sorry Cain. We now return you to your regularly scheduled program on dog shedding.


You too! Hope your travels go well.


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