My Dobe is shedding bad.

[ScreamNdemon]

Apollo is shedding like crazy. I clean out his crate once a week and the floor of it is covered in hair. I started him on fish oil about a month ago. What do I need to do?

[fritz'mom]

Me too! Fritz is shedding really bad. Per someone's suggestion I upgraded his food about two weeks ago. Now I am feeding him Taste of the Wild. It doesn't seem to help. He gets fish oil and extra vitamins formulated for skin and coat which are supposed to help the shedding but it doesn't seem to be working. He is a dilute and his normal coat is much thinner than a normal one but it is REALLY getting thin now. My only next step would be to get his thyroid tested.

Any suggestions?

[Sue J]

Don't know if it will help or not but, do you all use any kind of conditioner after bathing them? I use Vet Solution Aloe Vera shampoo and the conditioner that I got from our vet. The aloe vera soothes the skin and really helps with the flaky stuff. Our dogs aren't shedding much but it might hit when the weather warms, it's snowing and cold here today so we haven't experienced signs of spring yet. Hope someone else has a solution for the shedding issue.

[SnuzerDog]

I've been watching a dvd on dog behavior/communication that points out that excessive shedding *can* be a sign of stress. Has anything changed, or anything new been added to Apollo's environment or routine that might be stressing him out? I know when I brought Deano home (my rescue Dobe) the first time I vacuumed around his crate, when I moved it there was a square outline of black hair on the carpet! This has steadily decreased as he has become accustomed to us, our routine and our cats.

Now, he still sheds some normally, and when I bathe him I scrub him with a rubber bristle brush that pulls loose fur out so it looks like a lot in the water, but this always reduces shedding for the next couple weeks.

[jelly8bean]

I would think alot of the shedding has to do with spring approaching. Regardless of temps, the amount of daylight actually regulates most of the seasonal things. However, as SnuzerDog said, this can also be associated with stress so think of things that may need to be smoothed out. Changing food typically will not affect your dog's coat for a while, like 2 months or more, unless they have a allergic reaction of course.

If you decide to take Fritz in for Thyroid testing, also have some basic allergy tests. Dilutes can have big time reactions that affect the skin and coat. When Sara got her first bath... she broke out in red bumps all over and was soo itchy. I had to do another bath ASAP with Oatmeal shampoo and that helped with the itches. The red spots took about a week to go away though.

[ScreamNdemon]

Nothing has changed in his environment that I can think of. My mini pin is shedding also. I didn't think anything about the weather. The last month are so has been up and down with cold to warm weather. May be there loosing their winter coats sooner than I expected.

[fritz'mom]

I sure hope it's just the season change. We have had some really wierd temps here in TN the last month. Some days it's been up in the 70's already and then right back down to 40's. This is typical for this time of year though. Maybe he will regulate soon! Thanks for the info.

[Gunnar's folks]

my gunnar was shedding a lot and started to thin in some spots, i got him Linatone - For Healthy Coats http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754413 its got linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that the body cannot synthesize. i got the small bottle to try and in a month his hair was so much softer and now about 2-3 months later no more thin spots and his hair is soft and he hardly sheds at all, i was freaking out something as wrong, this stuff works wonders. all u do is put it on his food and he loves the taste, he will stand at his bowl till i put it on his food. hope that helps. i have the gallon size now so we wont run out.

[apollo]

We have been also using Linatone on Apollo since beginning of winter and it has decreased the shedding.

[jelly8bean]

Humm.. interesting. Kind of expensive though.

[Gunnar's folks]

kinda expensive but it lasts quite a while, the 32 ozbottle lasted me about 45 days..so the gallon should last me about 6 months or so...it was worth it...plus u can always find coupons for petsmart for $5-$10 off or free shipping, this is where i get my coupons from http://www.coupondeals.us/petcoupons.php.. it was less that $50 with shipping for 6 months not bad really.

[Dobs4ever]

Don't over bathe. This can be a problem. Max every 8 to 10 weeks minimum. Be sure to rinse throughly. Changing dog food can help. Make sure whatever you feed it does not contain corn as this is a known skin allergen for Dobes. Brush the dog daily til shedding is under control. Hope this helps.

[Big Dogs]

I agree with the don't over bath and make sure you are not using a harsh shampoo. Another sign to look for is eye discharge if it's a thick yellow discharge it can some times mean he has an allergy. Good luck!

[tidibole]

I would think alot of the shedding has to do with spring approaching. Regardless of temps, the amount of daylight actually regulates most of the seasonal things. However, as SnuzerDog said, this can also be associated with stress so think of things that may need to be smoothed out. Changing food typically will not affect your dog's coat for a while, like 2 months or more, unless they have a allergic reaction of course.

If you decide to take Fritz in for Thyroid testing, also have some basic allergy tests. Dilutes can have big time reactions that affect the skin and coat. When Sara got her first bath... she broke out in red bumps all over and was soo itchy. I had to do another bath ASAP with Oatmeal shampoo and that helped with the itches. The red spots took about a week to go away though.Absolutely. Spring and thyroid...I have a 7 year old Fawn who to this day still had a NICE coat...very dark almost like a poorly bred RED...However I did have him neutered and have seen his coat become less full..although nevertheless still beautiful... I RARELY bathe my dogs, only if necessary or prior to a show. They are in the house and rarely require additional care. However I have recently put him on thyroid medication and an seeing a tremendous difference in the thickness and sheen....

[fritz'mom]

Okay, You have conviced me to go get the thyroid checked. I will let you know how it turns out.

BTW, his shedding has pretty much stopped. I guess it was just the weather. However his coat is still pretty thin and course along his topline.

[tidibole]

Okay, You have conviced me to go get the thyroid checked. I will let you know how it turns out.

BTW, his shedding has pretty much stopped. I guess it was just the weather. However his coat is still pretty thin and course along his topline.You may also consider an additive to his food. there are many that are expensive but work wonders...I am currently using and have used off and on since the mid 90's NUPRO, dogs love the taste and it is loaded with vitamins and minerals. I have friends who swear by ShowStopper. My vet also recommended using Canola oil in the food which is considerably cheaper. I feed a 26% protein/18% fat content food with the 3 Omegas and only add the Nupro to my males diet as he is a picky eater. The rest of the dogs, even those, that are altered but not on Thyroid medication appear to do very well on this. Good Luck!!!