Thin Coat

[Mary Lou]

Max has a decent coat. He gets hot spots in the summer and they disappear in the fall or after I spray the affected area with hydrocortisone. What I've noticed though is that his siblings have thicker coats than he does. His coat is thick at the neck but then thins out a little over the rest of his body. What can I do to improve his coat and why is he the only one out of his siblings with the thinnest coat? Is there a shampoo or dog food specialized for improving the texture of his coat?

[CarolineS]

Sometimes a thin coat is indicative of a thyroid deficiency. This can be tested with a blood test at the vet's.

If he has allergies, this could be playing a role too. My dog has food sensitivities and has always shed quite a bit. I didn't think this was correlated to the food, until I switched her to a "lite" dog food (seems to agree with her digestion better). Since then, the shedding has been cut dramatically; her coat was never thin, but I guess more of it would stay in longer if she wasn't shedding quite so quickly. http://www.rottweiler.net/rottie/smile.gif

Don't know if either one of these things pertains to your dog, but perhaps it'll give you a place to start. Does your vet have any ideas about this?

[Mike Bolton]

I agree with the thyroid test. After that I would use a healthier food and a skin and coat supplement.

Some breeds have some problems with corn based foods in hot weather, it burns hot in ther system. It can cause more problems with hot spots.

Also foods with corn, wheat, soy can cause some allergy problems.

"IN" Diet Supplemement will help a lot for Hot Spots and the thinning coat. See there site at www.alc-INovators.com

Check this web site for a very healthy food you might try if it is in your area.
INNOVA by Natura Pet Products - www.naturapet.com - Use the dealer locator to find a store in your area. It is the best food I know of. You will feed 1/3 less too.

I use it along with the "IN" for the best coats I have ever seen. So do all my dog friends that show dog.

Hope that helps,

Mike



[This message has been edited by ~Von (edited August 05, 1999).]