I would just add some coconut oil to the food.
Benefits of Coconut Oil for Pets | Wellness Mama
Benefits of Coconut Oil for Pets | Wellness Mama
Vitamin Supplement? Food Swap?
I'm looking for some advice on what I should feed my dog. She's a big girl -- about 70-75 lbs. She's about 9 years old now, and still doing really well for her size/age (we went on a 10 mile hike yesterday and although she was clearly tuckered out, none the worse for wear). Like me, it doesn't take that much food for her to keep a good weight. I feed her Taste of the Wild, but only give her the serving size recommended for a 40-50 pound dog (despite which, she's still a smidge on the pudgy side). She also gets some fish oil and a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement.
I've noticed recently that her coat really isn't as soft or shiny as I think it could/should be. Her skin is fine -- no dry flakiness. I'm wondering if it's possible that she's just not getting a full complement of vitamins for a 75 pound dog, since calorically speaking she only needs what a 40-50 pound dog gets.
So here's what I'd like some advice on: Should I give her a vitamin supplement? If so, any recommendations? I am also open to swapping her food completely if there's something that might work better for her (although I am on a tight budget and can't exactly break the bank). Since it's her coat that I'd like to see the most improvement with, should I focus on a skin/hair specific supplement?
I've noticed recently that her coat really isn't as soft or shiny as I think it could/should be. Her skin is fine -- no dry flakiness. I'm wondering if it's possible that she's just not getting a full complement of vitamins for a 75 pound dog, since calorically speaking she only needs what a 40-50 pound dog gets.
So here's what I'd like some advice on: Should I give her a vitamin supplement? If so, any recommendations? I am also open to swapping her food completely if there's something that might work better for her (although I am on a tight budget and can't exactly break the bank). Since it's her coat that I'd like to see the most improvement with, should I focus on a skin/hair specific supplement?
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Bee pollen is a good one too.
Read up on spirulina, it's got alot of goodness and is also a high source of omegas. Fish, from what I recall, don't produce omegas, they obtain it either direct from algae or from the food chain that lives on algae.
I had very good luck improving a dry/shedding/thinning coat on a 12yr old hypothyroid dog with Solid Gold's Seameal. Main ingredient is seaweed, it contains no yeast or sugars, and it's just a very reasonably priced natural multivitamin.
Omega 3 fatty acids do wonders for skin and coat. You can just buy human fish oil capsules (way cheaper than what's advertised for dogs) and either put the capsules right in the food, or break them open and pour it over the food. My dog weighs 50 lbs and his dose is 900mg of EPA, so the dose for a ~70 lb dog should be about 1200mg. Just make sure to check the mg in EPA, not DHA.
Just be sure it contains named fish on the label, some don't. And be sure of no flavoring, or lots of other added ingredients. A lot of them do. I use one from Walmart, for humans too, and its pretty basic.Omega 3 fatty acids do wonders for skin and coat. You can just buy human fish oil capsules (way cheaper than what's advertised for dogs) and either put the capsules right in the food, or break them open and pour it over the food. My dog weighs 50 lbs and his dose is 900mg of EPA, so the dose for a ~70 lb dog should be about 1200mg. Just make sure to check the mg in EPA, not DHA.
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