DD shreds and has way less hair than before.

[DD's Mom]

These two photos are taken when DD was 10 weeks . He was super super cute and has lots of hair , tear stain was moderate.


This photo was taken when DD was a bit over 4 months. And as you can see, tear stain is severe ( i think ) and his hair coat is jst so thin compared to before. ( i know this photo has a jacket on, bt i can still see the thin hair coat from parts exposed. )

When We just bought DD he was sick once , wouldnt eat , and puked once. We took him to the vet , the vet says he might jst dislike his food, then got us to buy 12 cans of royal canned food. So we fed DD only 'royal' canned food for a week. Then started combination of normal dry food and royal canned food. I dun know if this is related to the problem now or not

Anyone with similar experience?


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App

[Lynzodolly]

Royal canine is what I feed Albert on and mix wet with dry sometimes I wouldn't say that would be a problem , have u seen the vet ?.. He could just be teething real bad regards the tear staining , and he could be stressing , possibly growing his adult hair early ? X

[Snuggle's Mom]

Have you tried another type of dog food? There are many varities from which to choose from and I am sure that there will be other opinions as well. As far as the tear staining, he is still a Puppy and is most likely teething. In many cases the tear staining will stop after he is about a year or so old. Not quite sure what to advise as to the thinning of his hair but it might be food related, but cannot say for sure.

[Sylie]

If it were me, I would find another vet and have his thyroid checked. I suggest that you check out posts on dog food too. How is DD's weight and is he growing at a normal rate?
Even before you take him to the vet, check out thyroid problems in dogs on the internet to see if he displays other symptoms. Hair loss is a symptom in dogs and humans.

[DD's Mom]

Hi ,
( 4 month) he weighted 3.7 pounds, he did grow a pound compared to 3 months. I switched to Canidae to see if DD will get better. I just switched, ill see after a week if DD eats more than before or not.


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App

[Sylie]

Originally Posted by DD's Mom

Hi ,
( 4 month) he weighted 3.7 pounds, he did grow a pound compared to 3 months. I switched to Canidae to see if DD will get better. I just switched, ill see after a week if DD eats more than before or not.


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App

That seems like very normal growth. I compared it with the chart I kept for MiMi, she gained less than a pound in that first month that I had her. DD probably eats enough. A lot of people are surprised by how little food a tiny dog actually needs and think they aren't eating enough.

Canidae is a good food. It is one of the ones I give mine.

I'd still be concerned about the hair loss though.

[Leila'sMommy]

An assistant at my vet's was saying one day that you can use fish oil for skin and hair. You just poke a hole in a capsule and squeeze it out on the food. Has anyone ever heard about or tried this?


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App

[Crystal&Zoe]

Have you had a full blood panel done? I would do a CBC, Chem Screen and urinalysis to rule out anything health wise. At 4 months I can't imagine a thyroid condition showing up but I guess it could. You should have full blood work (not a limited one) done before his neuter anyway so this won't be anything that will be 'wasted'.

If everything checks out health wise, then look at possible environmental issues or even food allergies causing this. Is he scratching and itching a lot? Quality of food does make a difference and Royal Canin is not one of the higher quality foods. Which formula are you feeding? What is the protein amount? What is the fat content? Some dogs need more, others need less. And it is actually recommended by most holistic vets to add a good Omega 3 supplement to even a healthy dog's diet like fish oil.