Glossy Coats

[*LabLoverKEB*]

I want to make Sadie's coat, a little more shiny! Do any of you, have any ideas, on how to do this? Thank you!

[Karen]

The old-home-remedy I was taught as a kid was mixing one raw egg into her food every day. Dunno if it helps, we never had to do it. Our Gracie, who was 3/4 Dane, 1/4 Lab so had a sleeker, closer even than Lab coat was so shiny that she gleamed!

[tatsxxx11]

I switched Star and Cody to Solid Gold Holistic dry food a couple of months ago and added a daily herbal supplement I get at the pet supply house. It's a little expensive, but their coats have never been so beautiful. Missing Link is terrific. This supplement contains kelp, spurulina, and all sorts of "good" stuff. The vet said all the ingredients were safe and beneficial. The change was amazing! Of course, brushing daily always helps. And I also add a tablespoon of plain non fat yogurt to their food each day. They also eat loads of raw fruits and veggies! Black labs have the shiniest coats of all. I'll bet Sadie's is beautiful!!

[ December 30, 2001: Message edited by: tatsxxx11 ]

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Thank you, Karen, and Sandra!!!

[shais_mom]

You can try Vitacoat from Drs. Foster and Smith
It works wonderfully.
Also I gave Shaianne Missing Link and Vit E tabs. Now Keegan is getting the left over Missing Link and she is also getting Vit E.
Shaianne's coat was gorgeous. Very very Shiny. And Very soft.
I think that the quality of the dog food that you use is a major factor also.
When I first got Shaianne I fed her stuff from where my dad works. Her coat was dry, itchy and shedding and she had alot of Bowel Movements. Then I switched her to a good quality food from the Pet Store and her coat improved. The food she got this last year was Royal Canin Holistic Blend and I think that had alot to do with her coat quality.
I know that Solid Gold food that Sandra is using is an excellent food. I have read the literature on it and it is very interesting.

You can also try 1T of olive or vegatable oil poured over her food once daily. I would do that until it gets to the shininess you want it and then maybe give it to her everyother day or so. Just be careful how much you give her, you don't want it to act like a laxative!!

[tatsxxx11]

Sarah, Missing Link is an excellent product and clients at the kennel rave over the change in their dogs' coats! That would probably be a good place to start, and not too expensive!

[jaka17]

Some dogs like huskys and norwegions need fish in their diet and if they don't get it they will get the mange. So mabey try buying your dog some cat food that has fish in it and mix it with her food. It worked for my mixed dog and for my Austrialian Cattle Dogs (Blue Heelers). It made their coat shiny and soft.


Hope that this helped.

[sabies]

Hi Sarah,

If that's Sadie in the last picture of your signature her coat already does look nice and shiny! I give my Sadie a raw egg yolk once or twice a week - I know someone else mentioned that too. Some things I've read say yolk only but I don't think it matters.

My Sadie is only 35 lbs so I limit her yolks to 1 or 2 a week. For her it's like a big treat - she LOVES them. (Cottage cheese is another healthy treat she loves but I don't know if it helps the coat, I just know it helps something.)

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Thank you all so much!

[laXgrrl5]

Speaking of glossy coats... When my mother had her two labs, Brutus and Blaize, (Blaize was euthanized when she was four due to bad, bad, bad sickness, and Brutus followed her ten years later) were puppies, they were absolute double trouble.

Once of the things they did was get into two pounds of butter, that was going to be made into desserts for parties. The dogs ate it, and their coats SHONE for weeks.

[raian]

Besides good nutrition on the inside, there are ways to make a coat gleam on the outside with grooming products. One such product is Show Sheen. This is a silicon based spray that is used all the time in the horse show world. It makes them glow, and it detangles as well. One drawback with this product, it really attracts dust.

[Dixieland Dancer]

Originally posted by sabies
Hi Sarah,

If that's Sadie in the last picture of your signature her coat already does look nice and shiny! I give my Sadie a raw egg yolk once or twice a week - I know someone else mentioned that too. Some things I've read say yolk only but I don't think it matters.

My Sadie is only 35 lbs so I limit her yolks to 1 or 2 a week. For her it's like a big treat - she LOVES them. (Cottage cheese is another healthy treat she loves but I don't know if it helps the coat, I just know it helps something.)

I agree that the picture in your signature has Sadie's coat gleaming already. She is beautiful.

Cottage cheese helps aid in digestion. It's the enzymes in dairy products. Another great one is Yogurt.

[mary_jsn]

vitamins help a lot too, you can find them at any pet shop and even drug stores where they have dog medicine and accesories.