Hair/fur question

[L Meaux]

Hello all
I have a question about CC fur. Is it supposed to be thin? This is my first CC so I’m not sure if a really thin coat is normal or if she’s losing too much of it.

Has anyone noticed a loss in coat due to diet?

Thanks!

 

[Steven C]

Hello all
I have a question about CC fur. Is it supposed to be thin? This is my first CC so I’m not sure if a really thin coat is normal or if she’s losing too much of it.

Has anyone noticed a loss in coat due to diet?

Thanks!

We have changed foods 5 times in a year due to CC allergies with hair loss in small patches. We learned that any wheat bread triggers the allergic reactions and also most food with grains. The food that we did great on with our last DDB was Biljac which makes our CC vomit consistently. If we go grain free only we get loose stools half the time.

Our current favorite food is Victor Hero, made her hair really shiny and thicker and any bald spots are gone. However, its too heavy for her so we are mixing it with Diamond naturals and it seems to be the perfect balance so far at about a month in. I am no fan of Diamond it was just one of the brands we tried along the way and it was good, but because I don't like Diamond I had to find something else. Victor hero has great reviews and has never been recalled, like Biljac.

I feed raw with 1 chicken quarter per week only. Not a huge fan of raw but many here probably are, just doesn't work well for us with the little dogs also.

Good luck I know these dogs are highly allergic, my last one cost me a ton of cash to treat it every few weeks with dangerous drugs.

 

[L Meaux]

We have changed foods 5 times in a year due to CC allergies with hair loss in small patches. We learned that any wheat bread triggers the allergic reactions and also most food with grains. The food that we did great on with our last DDB was Biljac which makes our CC vomit consistently. If we go grain free only we get loose stools half the time.

Our current favorite food is Victor Hero, made her hair really shiny and thicker and any bald spots are gone. However, its too heavy for her so we are mixing it with Diamond naturals and it seems to be the perfect balance so far at about a month in. I am no fan of Diamond it was just one of the brands we tried along the way and it was good, but because I don't like Diamond I had to find something else. Victor hero has great reviews and has never been recalled, like Biljac.

I feed raw with 1 chicken quarter per week only. Not a huge fan of raw but many here probably are, just doesn't work well for us with the little dogs also.

Good luck I know these dogs are highly allergic, my last one cost me a ton of cash to treat it every few weeks with dangerous drugs.

 

[L Meaux]

I am feeding grain free Merrick. This doesn’t appear to be an allergy. I’ve had a pit bull with skin allergies due to food and grass (awesome right) and this isn’t presenting like that at all. Her coat is just really thin mostly under her neck and the underside of her body.

Thank you for the response

 

[Boxergirl]

I am feeding grain free Merrick. This doesn’t appear to be an allergy. I’ve had a pit bull with skin allergies due to food and grass (awesome right) and this isn’t presenting like that at all. Her coat is just really thin mostly under her neck and the underside of her body.

Thank you for the response

Can you get a picture? Is this a new thing or has her coat always been like this? Different dogs have different hair types. My English Mastiff has the fluffy gene and her coat is longer and featherier than most other EMs. With that being said, coat changes can be indicative of other issues such as a thyroid imbalance, demodex, and allergies - as mentioned above. I don't think you're dealing with that, but it is a possibility for some dogs. As always, if you're concerned it never hurts to ask your vet.

I don't remember for sure ... is your girl a rescue? Is she full CC or possibly mixed? Might make a difference in coat type.

 

[Steven C]

Can you get a picture? Is this a new thing or has her coat always been like this? Different dogs have different hair types. My English Mastiff has the fluffy gene and her coat is longer and featherier than most other EMs. With that being said, coat changes can be indicative of other issues such as a thyroid imbalance, demodex, and allergies - as mentioned above. I don't think you're dealing with that, but it is a possibility for some dogs. As always, if you're concerned it never hurts to ask your vet.

I don't remember for sure ... is your girl a rescue? Is she full CC or possibly mixed? Might make a difference in coat type.

No expert here with any of this but conventional wisdom tells me that its from what the dog eats. My wife buys all these creams and skin exfoliations and garbage, but the reality is if she eats good it shows in the skin. Each time I change the food in my dog, the coat changes, same with the poodles.

It doesn't hurt to try another food besides Merrick for a couple weeks to eliminate that problem. Just my 2c. Process of elimination starting with the easy first. Hopefully its not as hairy as a thyroid deal.

 

[Boxergirl]

Of course it's logical to consider the food first, no argument with that. There are other reasons for a thinning coat and we have a lot of lurkers that may have a similar issue going on. A lot of people don't know that there are certain common health issues that can cause coat changes, which is why I mentioned it. As I said, I don't think that's the case here but it never hurts to tuck the information away for future reference.

 

[L Meaux]

She is a rescue and an owner surrender so I am fairly confident she isn’t a mix.

Her coat has always been somewhat thin. Her skin is fine. No redness or rash. No flaking or anything like that. And the thinness is really mostly on the underside. It’s not like she’s losing patches of hair or scratching excessively.

We just had annuals done and my vet didn’t comment on anything

 

[BlackShadowCaneCorso]

Some corso do have a thinner coat, there are claims that this is due to the boxer and Pitt influence being added as the breed is supposed to actually have a "cow coat", however having also had 2 females who have had thyroid issues it is also a possibility although for me it seems to be an issue I face with intact animals more than spayed ones.

The easiest/cheapest thing to try is the food and see if that makes a difference. If not then you can read up on Hypothyroidism and see if she exhibits any other symptoms, although to be fair neither of my females had excessive symptoms as listed. It is a blood test that is typically sent out and if is her problem is easily managed with a small pill twice a day.

If everything is clear and a new food doesn't seem to help them I would likely lean towards it being just the type of fur she has and just being aware in colder temps she might need a jacket.

 

[L Meaux]

We have changed foods 5 times in a year due to CC allergies with hair loss in small patches. We learned that any wheat bread triggers the allergic reactions and also most food with grains. The food that we did great on with our last DDB was Biljac which makes our CC vomit consistently. If we go grain free only we get loose stools half the time.

Our current favorite food is Victor Hero, made her hair really shiny and thicker and any bald spots are gone. However, its too heavy for her so we are mixing it with Diamond naturals and it seems to be the perfect balance so far at about a month in. I am no fan of Diamond it was just one of the brands we tried along the way and it was good, but because I don't like Diamond I had to find something else. Victor hero has great reviews and has never been recalled, like Biljac.

I feed raw with 1 chicken quarter per week only. Not a huge fan of raw but many here probably are, just doesn't work well for us with the little dogs also.

Good luck I know these dogs are highly allergic, my last one cost me a ton of cash to treat it every few weeks with dangerous drugs.

Your CC doesn’t have issues with chicken? I had to take mine completely off any chicken based food. Gave her the worst gas