MORE shedding on BARF????

[SueAndHerZoo]

Hi. When I was feeding BARF to my two dogs about 4 years ago one of the benefits I noticed were gorgeous coats and MUCH LESS SHEDDING! It was a miracle because our pug sheds like no dog I have ever seen, every day, all day, all year long.

When I restarted the pug and our new rescue boxer on BARF about 10 days ago I was really looking forward to the shiny coats and the minimal shedding again, but BOY tonight when I brushed them it was like a dog had exploded. There was hair everywhere and it just kept coming! Is there any reason you can think of that both dogs are shedding like mad after 10 days into a raw diet? I don't remember it getting worse before it got better last time so this is worrying me a bit.

Any thoughts?
Sue

 

[gmacleod]

When you make a substantial upgrade to a dog's diet, it frequently causes shedding. The sort of shedding that blows the entire old coat out This happens often when you upgrade from a low quality kibble to a high one, and when you upgrade from kibble to natural food.

Soo - it's worse in the initial stages, but the coat that appears afterward is usually much sleeker and shinier, with a much lesser degree of shedding (it's impossible ever to get rid of shedding completely - it's the natural renewal process). Anyway, I'd suggest that you give it a little time and see if that isn't what's going on with your two.

 

[daisykaye]

When we started feeding raw to Brody, we would brush out a pile of hair as big a softball ever night. If I remember right it lasted about a week.

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

Thanks guys. As long as I know that it's not a sign that something is wrong (stress, illness, disease, etc.) then I can gladly live with the excessive shedding and brushing for a while, especially if the end result is the gorgeous coat I remember from last time around. I just don't remember the sudden, severe increase in shedding the last time I fed BARF, but maybe I'm going from a lower quality food this time than I was back then. Good to hear this too shall pass.
Sue