# Copious shedding - Detox?



## Kbug (Oct 23, 2011)

So, my 3 labs have been on raw since October. Two of them are seasonal shedders. So far, Dixie hasn't shed as much as usual.....and Aerith is shedding much much more than normal. I'm a little concerned with Aerith's shedding. In March I noticed the skin on her belly was turning reddish and then a couple weeks after that she started itching and the hair started loosening and coming out. Now, its just coming out in huge handfuls. Her coat along her chest and shoulders is great, soft and still very thick.....but on her flank and hind end it a different story. She's lost so much of her coat she's actually got bald spots in some areas and you can easily see her skin through her coat on her flank. She normally gets very patchy looking and thin coated in places, but never to where you can see the skin through the thin spots. 

If this keeps up I'm afraid I'll be able to pass her off as an American Hairless Labrador.

So, is it her "detoxing" or is it something else going on?

Kbug


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

Can you post an example of her weekly diet - exactly what you would feed for a week?


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## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

I would think any major detoxing would be complete by now. I have labs, and they really just seem to shed a ton pretty much year round. I'm constantly amazed at all the hair tumbleweeds I have around the house. 

If you are seeing bald spots, I would think there is something else going on not related to raw. My Tux is an environmental allergy dog, and he has bald spots on his upper front legs. This is from the fact that all the pollens and mold etc that are now out, are really irritating him and causing him to lick and chew at himself more than usual. It is an ongoing battle for us.


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## Kbug (Oct 23, 2011)

Liz said:


> Can you post an example of her weekly diet - exactly what you would feed for a week?


She gets chicken, eggs, fish, turkey, pork and liver with pork being about 50% of her diet. I wanted to make it 50% red meat with 25% pork and 25% beef but my supplier has my beef heart and kidney on back order so they haven't had any of that in a little over a month. I'm practically out of everything and will be going to order more this coming week and depending on what my supplier says about the beef I'll have to dig around for an alternative. I can maybe get some pork kidney or some other organ from the Asian market but they can be hit or miss in variety and supply. 

Kbug


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

Kbug, some pork can be very lean. My girls really dropped coat about seven months in and weren't getting it back! I added coconut oil, and lots of heart for red meat - they get turkey heart and pork heart because I can afford it best and occasionally I can get a good deal on beef heart. Once a year I get a case of venison heart as a splurge. I also give a ton of eggs at least five times per week if not more, and if they get a very lean meal like lamb lung I add some fat. It really helped my collies and shelties get very nice coats back in.


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## Kbug (Oct 23, 2011)

shellbell said:


> I would think any major detoxing would be complete by now. I have labs, and they really just seem to shed a ton pretty much year round. I'm constantly amazed at all the hair tumbleweeds I have around the house.


Two of them only really shed in spring. One of them sheds like a person might...a few hairs here or there. Really, I can run a shedding tool through his coat and not a single hair comes out on it. The other two clog the tool after only 2 strokes.



> If you are seeing bald spots, I would think there is something else going on not related to raw. My Tux is an environmental allergy dog, and he has bald spots on his upper front legs. This is from the fact that all the pollens and mold etc that are now out, are really irritating him and causing him to lick and chew at himself more than usual. It is an ongoing battle for us.


That's the thing...she's red and I think she's got some yeasty stuff in her "armpit" areas that she scratches at....but that's it. Before raw she has chewed/scratched huge sores on her forelegs, neck, and tail....but that hasn't happened so far....just hair loss and belly scratching/redness (but no sores). And she's never had "bald spots" on her flanks before...thin patches where the undercoat has been shed, but not bald spots or thin enough to see her skin through the hair.

Kbug


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## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

Kbug said:


> That's the thing...she's red and I think she's got some yeasty stuff in her "armpit" areas that she scratches at....but that's it. Before raw she has chewed/scratched huge sores on her forelegs, neck, and tail....but that hasn't happened so far....just hair loss and belly scratching/redness (but no sores). And she's never had "bald spots" on her flanks before...thin patches where the undercoat has been shed, but not bald spots or thin enough to see her skin through the hair.
> 
> Kbug


I am thinking you might want to explore the possibility that she could have a food allergy to a certain protein. I was told by my holistic vet that having red/inflamed areas in the stomach/armpit/groin areas is an indication of a food allergy. I would actually probably look first to the pork as being a potential allergen. I know a few other people who have allergy dogs where it is food related, and pork always seems to be the culprit. And these are raw fed dogs I am referring to.

Just something to look into, I don't know your dog or anything, but based on the info you have shared, that is definitely a possibility I would look into.


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## Kbug (Oct 23, 2011)

Liz

I've been using pork shoulders as my pork source and I don't trim any of the fat. I can always try a different cut too.

Kbug


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

The pork may be a problem for her. Some dogs don't do well on pork or maybe it is enhanced. They are so sneaky about enhancing pork. I hope it is not an allergy as they are sometimes so hard to figure out.


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## Kbug (Oct 23, 2011)

shellbell said:


> Just something to look into, I don't know your dog or anything, but based on the info you have shared, that is definitely a possibility I would look into.


If I can get enough beef/beef heart to supply her meals I'll cut pork out of her next rotation. If I can't well, it really doesn't bother her that much so I'll wait until I can. She's lost a lot of weight and the areas where she is yeasty are just newly exposed to air circulation so I'm not sure if some of her redness is from that. I just don't really recall her being red before last month and she's been on pork for a couple of months, but certainly not the quantity she's had recently. And I think based on past history of chewing/scratching patterns she does have some level of seasonal environmental things going on....but even that didn't involved bald spots. 

Kbug


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## SaharaNight Boxers (Jun 28, 2011)

If she's gaining weight or getting that porky look you may want to test her thyroid levels


ETA: There also is something that is called "seasonal flank alopecia" I believe you may want to look at.


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## lily (May 16, 2011)

i was feeding eggs,chicken as a staple in my dogs diet only to find through allergy testing shes allergic to both!!!,if it continues then try an elimination process it may be helpful,karen


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

Is she fixed? Here are some words of encouragement, my intact female is the reason why I changed to raw. If I knew how to post some pics I would. Anyway, she only had hair on her back, took a full year for her to come back. Its been like three years now. Everyone that knows her comments on her coat now and wants to touch her she is so soft, and her hair is so thick. She shed like crazy on and off while growing her now coat in. Worried me all the time. So be patient sometimes I think it take some dogs longer to detox? I still have to give her a bath like every month, she is naturally oily and I do give her a lot of fish, sardines, fresh. Oh and she is a Chocolate Lab....


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

Oh I do give pork, but just the ribs and heart, also lamb ribs and heart.


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