Coat in very bad condition

[Leonor Ferreira]

I’ve adopted an Red Setter (Maggie) and she arrived in a very poor condition. She hardly has any fur in her back, and the reaming coat is dry. I’ve been giving her some fatty acids, I scrub her coat with a good body cream and brush her every day with a soft brush. I’ve been doing this for the past 1.5 months but I cannot see big improvements. Can anyone give any tips to help her?

[Thomas&Merete-Kennel Alvertoppen]

Thank you for your fast reply :)
Does Revolution also work against ticks? That is our main concern here in Norway in the summer season..

Did you recive my e-mail regarding our Dublin trip?

Best wishes
Merete

[amandapyman]

hi merete,

there is a product called shoo! tags, these are non toxic no chemical tags that dogs wear on their collar, that are for protection against fleas and ticks, i havent used them yet, but im going to give them a try, as i use frontline and hate putting chemicals on my dogs. they last up to 4months, so seem more cost effective, you get them on the net,

regards

amanda

[Thomas&Merete-Kennel Alvertoppen]

Thanks for the tip! I will check it out and see if it helps for our dog, but first I'll just have to stop using any products just to see if her coat is getting better. Just to be sure that we can rule out other factors that can cause her hair loss.

Best regards
Merete

[Margaret Sierakowski]

But dont expect quick results if you stop using a product like Frontline after experiencing problems. With my dogs, it took at least three months for the skin problems to settle and six months for the coat to grow back

Try doing a Google search for "Frontline allergies" or "Frontline adverse reactions"

Not all my dogs have problems with Frontline, some of them are OK with it. But there seems to be a familial thing , The ones that get the reaction are closely related, and all except one are bitches

[Leonor Ferreira]

Hello Amanda! I can get it frm amazon.co.uk it is not chemical (try to avoid chemical medicins or suplemnts as much as I can for me and my dogs) which is great i I’m definitely going to give it a try. I'll post you the results...

[Sue and Cash]

I would give Zinpro for dogs a try. Works great to restore the coat and it is safe. You can look them up online also. Zinc is so important for repairing and maintaining their coats. I would try the biscuits and use a few a day like treats. If it regrew the coat on my sick Brittany, it can help others too.

[Ilona & Gina]

Bom dia Leonor,

(good to read portuguese, learnt it decades ago, forgot a lot....what a shame.

First of all, a visit to the vet is always good, just to give you the peace of mind you need to care for your new little darling.

When I read "bald patches" on Maggie's bum, I thought it must be parasites, poor little girl. My girl, Gina, has atopic dermatitis and she had bald patches on her bum, not from fleas, but from licking it raw. It looks so sore, and I felt soooo embarrassed - she looked like a neglected stray dog!

As other forum members already said, heaps of omega 3, fish oil seems to work - I give her eight capsules a day, makes the stool a bit loose, though.

You seem to do the same things I do, and it may take a while, so don't worry. It took Gina two months to get her coat back. Can you get a shampoo on oat meal and aloe vera basis? Also, I give Gina massages with a non-greasy bath oil, which is origianlly for people with dermatitis (you do that anyway, I understand). It makes the coat shiny, but not oily, and she loves the TLC (Tender Loving Care). Maggie will need a lot of that, too, I bet. She's so lucky to have you.

I wish you all the best, sent all my love to Maggie and you and look forward to reading some more portuguese!

Hello from Ilona

[Mary Davies]

Hi,
I had a red dog who went bald along his topline. He had a thyroid problem.
Mary

[Kristin]

My dog is also a rescue. I will say it took almost a year of having him on a good food before I saw a noticeable difference in his coat. He will never have a show dog coat, but he just looks a lot healthier to me overall. There should be a discussion on this site somewhere about coat care and health and I got some helpful tips from others on this site. Also, your dog may still be very stressed having gone through a lot of changes recently it seems. You may want to reach out to those in the rescue group on this site for their experiences. Good luck with your little girl!

[Leonor Ferreira]

Dear Kristin,
Thank for your reply. I am giving her the bionic biotic at the moment. I've trimmed all the old and dead hair and now I can reach the skin with the body cream. I feel very sad with her looks as I am used to my girls (the border collies) wonderful and shining coat. She has a very calm nature, but I can see that she is still afraid of being left behind. Just the other day I was walking them in the woods and I've decided to run with Luna for a bit. And for a moment I have been out of Maggie's site. She started to bark and when I got back to her she was all shaking - the poor thing. So yes, I believe she still stressed out with all the changes and the bad experiences she had in her life. It ctakes time and care I suppose!

[Kristin]

How is your dog doing?

[Deb Bouttell]

Could be a flea allergy- have you used a good product such as Frontline? Also to do the house is a good idea. Years ago we had a cavaliar with a wheat allergy.Did an elimination diet ie chicken to begin with then add something each month... a long processbut the only way to really see if they're allergic to something!! I'd def carry on with fatty acids. Hope you have some success, poor Maggie.