posted 02-23-2004 09:34 PM         

My 12 yr old Pekingese has little areas of short hair (looks like it had been shaved a few weeks ago, though it wasn't) that don't seem to be growing back. He had a thyroid test that turned up normal, and the only thing I can think of that has changed is his diet. He's been having food allergy issues, so I've been switching him around a bit for a couple months. He hasn't had diarrhea, but this strange hair loss/lack of growth seems to have started a couple weeks after I started switching diets. He was eating Science Diet for a while (no coat problems), and then we switched to Wellness Chicken, then to Wellness Fish (at this point, we noticed uneven coat, massive shedding, and severe dandruff. the skin improved after cutting greenies, which have wheat, out of his diet)

He's currently eating Natural Balance Duck and Potato. He also has lost a bit of weight (due to the lower caloric density?) and still has some flaky skin in addition to a strangely uneven coat, particularly along the neck and back. He still seems to be shedding a lot, but I'm wondering if it's now because the weather warming up and not because of allergies, heath reasons, etc.

Has anyone experienced this or know of any possible explanations? Will changes in diet do this and eventually go away?

Thanks so much!

posted 02-23-2004 10:54 PM         

I really think that the flaky skin is a definate sign of a food problem. The food you're feeding seems to be okay..i just checked out the ingredients but maybe he has a faint allergy to one of the ingredients? They can run a test at the vet which will list tons of things and tell you how allergic your dog is to each one of them...maybe something like that would help.

posted 02-25-2004 11:36 PM         

It doesn't sound like because there aren't bare patches or crusty skin, just areas of fur that look shorter than the rest of his coat and flakiness.

I've heard Wellness is a great food, and he seemed to do well on it (increased energy, etc.) but he seemed allergic to some ingredients.

I'm in a bit of a dilemna because he has had fewer ear infections on Natural Balance than when he was on Science Diet, but his skin and coat were much better condition. Also, the inflammation in his spinal disc has been reduced, perhaps because of the Yucca in it, I think I'll try to keep him on Natural Balance for another month to see if it's just taking a while for his body to adjust; if it doesn't fix itself, I think I'll get an allergy test run for him to see what he can eat. He's definitely allergic to yeast and wheat, and we suspect oatmeal or chicken as well.

By the way, is a poor skin/coat always a sign of nutritional deficiency? I'm starting to wonder if SD was the better diet for his particular consititution, but I'm a bit hesitant to feed him a food with that ingredient list.

posted 02-27-2004 12:25 PM         

Speaking from my personal experience with my dogs, diet can make a HUGE difference with a dogs coat, not to mention other things.

I have two older dogs, both 12, and 2 younger dogs, (1 and 2 yrs old). My Old Men have benefited IMMENSELY from being switched to a better diet. My old lab/rott mix, Dalton, has arthritis in his hips and has a lifelong history of chronic ear infections. Also tends toward having dry skin. Gomez, my shep/malamute mix had a rather coarse coat.

Both of these guys are now on Canidae's Plantium (senior) formula (kibble) and get and get a nightly supplement of glucomsamine. I also toss in a vitamin E capsule about 2-3 times a month. Coats improved dramatically. Stiff and sore joints also improved. Gomez's weight has come down, coat improved. Dalton got even softer and shinier and has less hip pain and WAY less problem with his ears...virtually none.

One of the younger dogs, Mattie, has allergies and tends to chew her hair off when it is not falling off by itself. She is also on the Canidae Platinum (she tends to be fat, thus the lower protein and fat diet). Since switching to the Canidae she has no problem, unless we give her table scraps or other snacks, accidentally, that bother her. No breads, no wheat, etc.

We supplement them with a dab of canned food in each meal. I tend to buy Wysong and Merrick's canned food. Mattie has had some issues with Natural Balance canned, even though my other dogs are fine on it.

I do not intend to offend anyone that has good results with Science Diet, so please do not take this personally. But, I do not think too much of other so-called premium foods, like Iams and Science Diet, since I have put my pack on Candidae. Incidentally, my 1 year old Pit Bull mix is eating the Canidae regular formula. Her coat has become even silkier in less than 2 weeks. (I just got her and changed her food.) Unfortunately, she has even MORE energy than she had before. lol

I used to feed Iam's/Eukanuba, and Pedigree at one point. After seeing the dramatic changes in their health (and they have always been VERY healthy anyway), I will never go back. My mother has seen similar results switching her pack from Science Diet to a better food.

You may also wish to consider a vitamin supplement. Vitamin deficiencies can also cause problems like that. You may also want to scrutinize things in your dogs environment. Blankets, beds, and toys can be a problem. Rubber, synthetic fibers used in stuffed toys, and plastics can be a potential source. Often rawhides and such other treats/toys can be processed with chemicals that cause reactions (i.e. bleach). So can seasonal allergies.

One other thought for you. If traditional dry and canned foods seem to be the cause, you might think about trying an all natural, raw diet.

If you have some non-chain, smaller pet stores nearby, I recommend that you talk to a couple about the various diets available and see what they recommend. These types of stores are typically a little more knowledgeable about foods. Combined with your vet's advice, you may find this well worth your while.

I apologize for the length of the post. This is an issue near and dear to my heart and wanted to share what I hope will be useful information.

Regards, Phoo.

posted 02-29-2004 09:08 PM         

I'm not quite ready to take the plunge into raw, but I'm very reluctant to switch him back to Science Diet. I'll definitely look into smaller, non-chain stores and continue comparing ingredient lists.

By the way, does anyone happen to know how digestable potato is? He's always been on diets with rice until the switch to Natural Balance, and he has lost a bit of weight since then.