Is flaking normal??

[Boxer_21]

Riley has been bursting with energy today so I figured that seeing as he's taking a nap now, I'd have time to post this message.

Late last week I noticed that he has some flaking on his coat. Is this normal amongst puppies?? He's been eating Pedigree puppy kibble since he was old enough to eat dry food. Yesterday morning I started to mix Iams in with it so I could switch him over to that. Could it be the food he's eating?? Please keep in mind that he was flaking before the food mixing so I don't think that would've caused it. Do you have any ideas on how to take care of this problem?? One more quick question.. I was told by several vets (and the breeder) that Iams is one of the best foods to feed. What do you guys think of it??

 

[Louby]

Oscar sometimes has this flaky problem. We were advised to mix a little margarine/oil with his complete food which is dry and this seems to solve the problem.

 

[None-removed]

Yep, it could definitely be tied to the food. Flaking is usually just a sign of dry skin, so you could try giving him treats or another food that are richer in Omega 3,6 and 9 oils, adding tuna or salmon to his food once or twice a week, giving him and egg every couple of days or even adding a little bit of extra virgin olive oil to his food.

Also, bathing can play into dry skin too, since bathing strips the skin of natural oils. Boxers need to be bathed fairly infrequently (mine get bathed every 4-6 months). Puppies need to be bathed more often, so when you do need to bathe him, use a dog formula oatmeal and lanolin shampoo for best results on keeping his coat in good shape.

Iams/Eukanuba used to be a very good food, but now it ranks among the lowest quality commercial foods. Do a search on Iams and Eukanuba to get all kinds of information and links. Vets tend to push it since alot of vets sell it.

 

[khousman]

Adding some flax seed oil (omegas) can be very helpful for dry, flakey skin, too.

Kristi

 

[Mandithemush]

I also had flaky skin with Mandi when she was a puppy. I put her on Iams lamb & rice food. I also have her on vitamins from the vet that had fish oils in it. They really helped. I found she has allergies and sometimes she still scratches. She gets her chest very red. She has no problems with the flaky skin anymore, my trainer also said sometimes its a puppy thing. Lexi never had any problems. Good luck!

 

[Atlas]

Atlas was very flaky when he was a pup. We started adding a little olive oil to his dinner and sardines twice a week and this cleared it up.
In regards to Iam's I would do a search to get more info on it. From what I have found (I just changed foods) Iams is not one of the better kibbles.

 

[Mandithemush]

Cubby & Atlas what food do you use? I didn't realize Iams wasn't considered that high of quality anymore. I was thinking something was up though because now it can be bought at the local supermarket also. What brands do you recommend? Ya know what I'm going to start a new thread asking other people also. Just curious to see what they say. Thanks for the info.

 

[None-removed]

We switched from Nutro, which is a pretty good food, to a combination of Wellness 5 canned (www.oldmotherhubbard.com) and Solid Gold (www.solidgoldnutrition.com) for one meal a day and "modified" raw for the second meal. The raw meal is 10-12 oz of raw fish/chicken/beef/etc., and a veggie mash with fruit and yogurt. I do feed large raw, meaty bones but only as chew treats and I use beef knuckles usually. Any food bones he gets are ground to a paste.

Iams and Eukanuba were great foods a few years ago, but the company was aquired by a large conglomerate and they sacrificed quality for profit margin. They use questionable meat sources now, along with heavy grain fillers (dogs have virtually no need for grains), lots of chemical preservatives, also their cooking process removes most of the nutritional value... Iams and Euk are still better than some on the market, but other foods like Wellness, Innova, California Naturals, Eagle Pack, Solid Gold, etc. are made with human grade products, minimal or no fillers, no preservatives and the cooking methods leave the nutritional value in tact, for the most part. The newer foods offer better nutrition and while they are more expensive at the counter, the amount of food used is greatly reduced - so it can actually be cheaper.

Hope this helps. Do a search on any of the brand names for lots of information on the brands, and posts from users talking about the pros and cons of each.

 

[Mandithemush]

Thank you so much on the useful info. I will definately look into those foods. I printed this thread so I would have all the names you mentioned.
Thank again!!

 

[daysha]

I agree with the flax seed oil that helped Zoe alot when she was a pup. Also with the bathing comment it does deprive animals of their natural oils which makes them flaky. I have also herd about Iams dropping in quality. I myself feed Nutro and I can tell a huge difference in the apperance of my dog from what she used to look like. Good Luck