Excessive Shedding....Is the Diet the Culprit???

[Mako'sMom]

Hi everyone. Usually I don't seem to need to post any questions as I can generally find most answers with a search, but a friend of mine posed a question to me that I could not answer and I decided to turn to all of you for your expertise. I know everyone is probably experiencing the same none-stop crazy shedding we are this summer, but a friend of mine seems to believe that a specific ingredient in some dog food will exasperate the problem. She believes that the ingredient is Rosemary, but was not 100% sure. I have never heard of this, nor considered it. I just figured that this summer was everyone was experiencing an unusual amount of shedding. She wants to explore other food options to better control the shedding. Do any of you know if there is any validity to this, and if the ingredient is in fact Rosemary that you should steer clear of, or is there another ingredient to watch out for. I would appreciate any info you could offer on this subject. Thanks guys!

Oh ya....and just wanted to let you know that we finally got Mako into a CKC ring for the first time this past weekend and he gave a great effort!!! Very proud for the first time out, and great training for future showing. He was 1st in his age group, Reserve in Open class, and Best Puppy in Breed. No points but better luck next time right?!

[rottielover2004]

congrats to you guys. He is a very nice looking pup. I know diet has a huge factor in the coat, but every dog digests things differently. So what helps mine, may not help yours type a thing

[spidey]

What food are you feeding? Diet has a huge effect on coat, but the issue is whether or not YOUR dog has a problem with a specific ingredient (and the quality of the food in general), not the ingredient itself (my dog has no problem with rosemary).

[Mako'sMom]

I think her dogs are on Eukanuba.....not sure why it would be a problem with the food just now tho....I would think that the problem would have been apparent within the first month or even few weeks of feeding Eukanuba. They have been on this food for at least a year now.

Thanks, Rottilover, Mako is really starting to mature nicely now. He will be a totally different dog from the one you seen by the time we hit Seiger in September.

[Miss Greta]

Way to go Mako!
Well, excessive shedding can indicate allergies as well. I am not familiar with a problem with rosemary, in fact my holistic dog books say it helps the coat with shine, and can help repel fleas. And my organic dog shampoo has rosemary in it.
My girl was on her dog food for almost 2 years before she started having problems. Goober eyes, licking paws, increased shedding. Seems it was the grain-switched foods and no problems. Just a thought.

[spidey]

Eukanuba has corn and by-products in it. Corn is a very common allergen for dogs and by products can be all kinds of things (and can be different from batch to batch, since the control standards are lower). It's much more likely that the dogs are reacting to the low-quality ingredients in this food than just "rosemary".

[shybird]

All five of my rotties are eating Innova and have been since being here with me. This year they are shedding like there is no tomorrow. They all have very shiny thick coats even with the constant shedding. I sure don't have the answer as to why. In my case, I can only think it has to do with the extreem hot/dry weather and the constant use of the AC.

[Baxter's Mom]

Furminator, it's the 2nd best invention... ( 1st TIVO, smile) Highly recommend, love it... Removes loose hair and dead hair in undercoat...

[livertw]

What size Furminator do you use? There are three sizes advertised ($24, $35, $45)

Daisy is a shedding machine currently. She eats Canidae. It is beastly hot here and no matter how much I brush her, there are black tumbleweeds blowing through the house!

[Kahlua's mom]

I don't know about rosemary causing excessive shedding. But I second the furminator! I use the medium size, no more fur balls hanging around in all the corners of my house.

[Mako'sMom]

Okay, I was talking to my friend again and it seems I misunderstood her the first time. Apparently she is looking for food that contains Rosemary because it is supposed to help with excessive shedding....not cause it. My mistake. Still I have never heard of this. Anyways, I am very interested in this "Furminator" as I too have had a hard time keeping up with the fur-balls and tumbleweeds this summer....it's driving me nuts...lol. Where do u get this furminator?

[Miss Greta]

you can order a furminator on line (just goolge) or several of the pet stores carry them. A friend of mine used to be a kennel assistant in a Golden Retreiver place. They had anywere from 12-20 GR's depending on who was breeding, showing, etc. That's the only thing they used.

[ShelbyGirl]

Originally Posted by livertw

and no matter how much I brush her, there are black tumbleweeds blowing through the house!

BWAAA-HAAAA-HAAAAA. That's funny!

I have the same problem. The air conditioner kicks on & it's like the wild wild west, the black tumbleweeds start tumbling!

[theoriginalflyingl]

More props to the furminator! Before Morph moved in there were 7 cats and one dog. He shed more then all of them combined. But the Furminator sure keeps it in check now ;)

[livertw]

I bought a Furminator on Saturday. $50!!! Took off an entire grocery bag full of undercoat. Used it again on Sunday. Another bag full. Daisy shines like black glass and is approximately half the size she was.