[faeriebeauty22]

so my pup has been losing his hair and getting dry spots... for a while now, i'd say about 9ish months. it JUST dawned on me that it's probably because he's not getting enough fat in his food (the wonders of pregnancy and the desparate attempt to avoid stretch marks), so i'm putting butter in his food tonight, but i'm wondering, since i read that thread on the wonders of coconut oil, if i could use that in his food? just looking for ideas to add some healthy fat to his diet to help his skin stop freaking out.

 

[thekimballs]

What is he eating now?

 

[faeriebeauty22]

he's been eating beniful dry food. i used to give him wet food too, when he was a puppy, but he's really picky about what wet food he'll eat... i'm not sure if i should try something different altogether or what, but i'm definitely open to learning

 

[thekimballs]

Beneful is the worst of the worst in terms of foods. I wouldn't add oils; I'd immediately switch him to a better-quality food. There's a natural food sticky at the top of the forum, and in my signature (either link, click on "diet") I explain the raw diet (which is what I feed), but for kibbles I personally recommend Solid Gold, Back to Basics, Natural Balance, and Canidae. Bil-Jac frozen (NOT Bil-Jac the kibble) is also very good.

 

[runes]

he might be allergic to his food. all commercial/conventional grocery store dog foods are loaded with fillers including wheat and corn that many dogs are allergic to.

please go to a 'real' pet store (not petco) and talk to them about your dog's issues and needs. the higher quality food will be SO much better for his overall health. in addition, if his allergies persist, you may have to put him on a more hypoallergenic diet (like duck and rice).

our pug came to us with some pretty bad fur/skin issues, as well as a raging ear infection, which can all stem from inadequate nutrition. he was eating conventional grocery store brand dog food and treats up until he joined our family. we put him on high quality kibble (natural balance) as well as raw food (nature's variety) and his coat is now beautiful, and his ears no longer are a problem. i do occasionally give him about a 1/2 tsp of coconut oil, as well as a green algae/vegetable supplement, some fresh fruit (apple, blueberries) and sometimes even a scoop of plain yogurt. he LOVES it.

also, watch the treats that you give him, many of them are basically junk food for dogs.

eta: many high end dog nutrition retailers will give you free samples to try before you have to buy a big bag. our dog eats just about anything so we do rotate his food so he gets different tastes and protein sources (chicken, lamb, beef etc.), but if you little guy is finicky you might be able to try some different brands/flavors to see what he might like.

 

[faeriebeauty22]

hm, okay, this helps. we just recently switched him TO beneful, actually, he had been eating science diet since birth, and had just switched to beneful maybe a month or two ago because of the hair loss. sooo now that i know that beneful sucks... lol. i'm glad it's almost gone, we need more food anyway. where would i find those suggested in the previous thread?

i do give him treats, and they probably are total junk food, but i only give one to him maybe once every 2 or 3 weeks, and every couple days i give him some bites of fruits and veggies like carrots and apples, but i just started with that...

 

[runes]

check the company websites for a local retailer.

for example, natural balance has a store locator on it's home page.