Help! Bad fur, super frizzy......???

[MiainCa]

Wasn't sure what to title this! LOL! My rescue dog Sasha has really frizzy and dry fur. I have taken her to the groomer and they left it alone, but conditioned it. I have brushed her, shampoo'd with good conditioning shampoo, etc. I had mentioned in another post that I was contiplating "buzzing" her, to see if her coat would come back in nice. Also she has a really ratty tail.....in fact we call it her rat tail! Here are some pictures to show you. Any advise at all would be so appreciated to get her looking beautiful again! Thanks so much!

Mia

This is how she looks all the time
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc118/fraasfamily/1Sashabadhair003.jpg
This is when I pet her, and run my hands up her back. Her fur will just stay that way........
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc118/fraasfamily/1Sashabadhair012.jpg
Here is her tail (kinda blurry) she didn't like having her backside photographed!
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc118/fraasfamily/1Sashabadhair025.jpg
Here she is when I try to smooth her fur down....
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc118/fraasfamily/1Sashabadhair014.jpg

[Meekie]

How long have you had her? I would suggest getting her on a top quality dog food to condition the coat from the inside out. I would also start giving her fish oil daily. I give mine 1 of my capsule a day. They just eat the soft capsule in their food at night and really like it. :goodluck:

[catstamm]

I am by no means an expert on LH's but buzzing them can only damage the coat from what I understand and causes frizzies.
What does her diet consist of and what supplements do you have her on?
To much bathing and water will also dry out the coat.

[SirOliversMom]

Okay you're not kidding she's having bad hair days. :D

Although she is still very beautiful.

After Tammy was altered she also blew her coat and the groomer told me that this is common with altered females to do this. I keep her shaved but not right down except for her paws and she looks great. But before you do that I would try diet and supplements.

Here is Tammy with a cut that is about 2 weeks old:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v371/SirOliversMom/082.jpg

[MiainCa]

I have had Sasha for 2 months on the 5th of this month..and she arrived looking this way :( I don't have her on any supplements, but will definately give the fish oil a go! She is eating Science Diet dry food only. Would you recommend something different?

SirOliver'sMom - Tammy looks beautiful with her haircut! I really think Sasha would benefit from that along with some good fish oil in her diet....

Thanks everyone!


Mia

[tina&duncan]

I have had Sasha for 2 months on the 5th of this month..and she arrived looking this way :( I don't have her on any supplements, but will definately give the fish oil a go! She is eating Science Diet dry food only. Would you recommend something different?


Hi Mia, Sasha is a cutie pie! But she does have quite the 'do!

As far as food goes, Science Diet is not a great food, I'd go as far to say its a poor food... I would get her on something like Wellness CORE or Innova EVO or another grain free food...Hair and skin quality can be related to allergies/food intolerances... Definitely get some fish oils going with her as well... (PS Check out the thread on how to grade your dog's food)

And you may want to try shaving her right down, or having her clipped short by hand-scissoring her... That will reduce the "split ends" while not damaging the hair further.... Sometimes with hair like that that is so damaged, its best to just shave her down..

Kinda like when you burn your own hair with bleach or overdoing the curling/flat ironing... u need to trim off all the dry/damaged stuff... if you don't, the damage just travels up the new hair...

Out of curiousity, what are you brushing her with?? If you are using a really fine tooth slicker or a comb you might be contributing to the frizz...

I would get her a loosely bristled brush with boar bristles eventually instead, but for now I would say no more brushing and no more baths.....

Hope you have some luck!!

Tina

[Cocoa and Me]

I was also thinking about Innova EVO for her since its pretty high in nutrients and oils. You just need to be careful since lots of pups gain weight on it (because its so rich). Its a great food though! I've been trying to think of other foods (so you'd have a variety of foods to choose from) that have a lot of oils or omega3s. But Innova EVO is the only one coming to mind. :chin:

Maybe give some Vit. E oil capules too.

[catstamm]

A new food choice is a GREAT place to start...you can also check out
www.thedogfoodproject.com
www.dogaware.com
Make sure the fish/salmon oil is high in EPA and DHA (those are the omega 3's)...otherwise "who knows" what the other oils could be :)

[alpha_psa]

May be my words sounds not very serios but...
Choco color very very often gives dachshund's coat softness and it is downy (if I can use this word - sorry for english). Some times grown-up's fur is like pup's.
I have a choco longhaired bitch now (I am co-owner). A show girl!
I can tell - what I do
First of all - she is on natural food and omegarich acids - some special suplements. And I give her seacabbage, fish, cod-liver oil.
And of cause I do some special grooming. I wash the dog with lanolin rich formula shampoo and conditioner. And than dry with a hairdryer and a comb.
I think that in your situation I can at first cut her hair very shot and begine to feed her correctly and keep an eye on on her new growing hair.
http://s45.radikal.ru/i109/0809/95/d0d00a0a3efd.jpg
http://www.picollo.ru/imagehost/pics/800cb11b798c6f8cd02fd4e6cb5d97a8.jpg
http://www.picollo.ru/imagehost/pics/5880017e5bd0d425365550d11cebbaf9.jpg

[Amos' Mom]

I am sorry but I don't think it is the Science Diet food. I raised my dogs on it and their coats are beautiful! Amos has the most beautiful shine to his coat and if you go into my photo album you can see how beautiful my Makenzie (longhair) was too! And I have never had a health issue with any of my furkids and I have used nothing but that food.

Did you ever think that she night have some wirehair in her? That is what I thougth of the minute I saw her. My neighbor went to buy a longhair and when she brought her pup over to show me I said I think your pup has a wirehaired parent. She then went home and called the breeeder she found out the father was 1/2 wirehaired. Your Sasha looks just like her! They did finally shave her because they wanted a longhair not a mix but they love her and they are happy now!

Good luck in whatever you do with her but I don't think switching her food will do it, because she could have wirehair bloodlines. I would do the fish oil though I did it for my kids.

[alpha_psa]

I am sorry but I don't think it is the Science Diet food. I raised my dogs on it and their coats are beautiful! Amos has the most beautiful shine to his coat and if you go into my photo album you can see how beautiful my Makenzie (longhair) was too! And I have never had a health issue with any of my furkids and I have used nothing but that food.

Did you ever think that she night have some wirehair in her? That is what I thougth of the minute I saw her. My neighbor went to buy a longhair and when she brought her pup over to show me I said I think your pup has a wirehaired parent. She then went home and called the breeeder she found out the father was 1/2 wirehaired. Your Sasha looks just like her! They did finally shave her because they wanted a longhair not a mix but they love her and they are happy now!

Good luck in whatever you do with her but I don't think switching her food will do it, because she could have wirehair bloodlines. I would do the fish oil though I did it for my kids.

May be you are right but look, her hair is not wire. her ears! they are LH. I prefer to think that it is a "fur" problem. We say "quality of coat" fuzzy
I think that proper feeding (raw or kibbles - it is to owners and veterinarian choice) and right grooming. And patience!

[BeauBuddy]

I was remembering your photos at the lake. How did Sasha get dried off? Did someone throw a towel on her and dry her vigorously? Maybe that was a contributing factor. (Just thinking out loud. I only have smooths, so what do I know. It occurred to me that she looks like me after I take the towel off my head!!)

[doxierock]

I'm interested in this thread as well because my Dex is supposed to be a long hair but instead I call him a fuzzy haired doxie (long hair on the ears though) and his fur is like cotton candy, very downy. It gets matted really easily and picks up everything from outside too. He's like velcro! I had recently taken him to the mountains and he got burrs in his fur and I had to cut them out and he lookded ridiculous so I was forced to get him cut. I'm hoping when the hair grows, it will be a bit smoother and more manageable.

BTW: I've tried just about every conditioner/shampoo known to dog and that hasn't helped. He also eats a raw diet.

[kpm_tex]

I would use a stripping kinfe (comb) to get rid of all that fuzzy hair.. you might even try a Furminator... but a stripping kinfe would work as well.

Shaving may result in the hair coming in fuzzy again. Since she is a foster.. who knows what kind of nutrition she had before and where she was kept... both of those probably contribute to the poor coat quality now. Good food, fish oil, maybe some Vit E will all help as will regular grooming.

[MiainCa]

A huge :thanx:THANK YOU to: Meekie, Catstamm, Siroliversmom, Tina & Duncan, Cocoa and me, Alpha PSA, Amo's Mom, Beaus Buddy, Doxierock and kpm tex!! You are all so full of knowledge and great information!

Alpha PSA - Those pictures of your girl were beautiful! Thank you for sharing those and her coat is just gorgeous!

Amo's Mom - There is definately no wire in her. She is a LH and was used for breeding purposes before she was dumped. She is very soft (although extremly frizzy!)

Beau Buddy - She was frizzy like this before the lake trip! LOL! But she was towel dried.

Tina & Duncan - Thanks for the food recommendation (along with the others who agreed). Where to you purchase Innova EVO? Also I use a natural fiber bristle brush on Sasha. It is one the pet store recommended.

Also for the last 12 years I have free fed my other dog (Sheperd/Corgi mix) What should I be doing with Sasha? She is free fed now, and I don't want her to become too overweight on a new food. What do you do with your dogs? I fixed the problem with Sasha eating our catfood, as I now feed them up on our counter so she can't get to it, but Maxie is not going to be happy not having her food there all the time! :angry013:

Thank you all again!!

[Petey's Mom]

Can someone PLEASE repost these pics for me? Our firewall blocks Photobucket and I wanna seeeee!!!!
:thanx:

[Amos' Mom]

Amo's Mom - There is definately no wire in her. She is a LH and was used for breeding purposes before she was dumped. She is very soft (although extremly frizzy!)

I just wanted to tell you that my neighbors also bougth theirs from a breeder in Michigan that sells them for $800.00 and a lot of people buy from her but she plays around with her breeds and seems to do it alot! But she is still a breeder that everyone goes to. So being Sasha was used as a breeder doesn't mean someone down they way didn't cross them. There is no guarantee unless you have the pedigree and can assure the line. That is what I have found over the years. That why so many longhairs have no hair they cross them with smooths!:temper:

[MiainCa]

Amo's Mom - There is definately no wire in her. She is a LH and was used for breeding purposes before she was dumped. She is very soft (although extremly frizzy!)

I just wanted to tell you that my neighbors also bougth theirs from a breeder in Michigan that sells them for $800.00 and a lot of people buy from her but she plays around with her breeds and seems to do it alot! But she is still a breeder that everyone goes to. So being Sasha was used as a breeder doesn't mean someone down they way didn't cross them. There is no guarantee unless you have the pedigree and can assure the line. That is what I have found over the years. That why so many longhairs have no hair they cross them with smooths!:temper:

Ok, gotcha! Yes there is no guarantee, especially not knowing where she actually came from and no papers, etc. I am brand new to the breed, as I have always had mutts in my lifetime, so I am not familiar with breeding different types, etc. Thanks for the information though!

[MiainCa]

Can someone PLEASE repost these pics for me? Our firewall blocks Photobucket and I wanna seeeee!!!!
:thanx:

I can email them to you if you want? Email me at Fraasfamily@aol.com :)

[Camilla]

She is adorable!!! I have no experience with LH but I give my two fish oil and they eat Wellness CORE kibble and for dinner raw (Nature's variety raw). Camilla has a thin but nice coat, and the supplements and raw food make it pretty soft and nice quality. Clyde has a beautiful coat and it keeps it nice and thick! :) I have noticed a difference on the raw/welness food and the fish oil. Camilla doesn't love the fish oil, so that's a challenge unto itself! :) GOod luck. She certainly is a doll.

[Petey's Mom]

Thanks for sending me Sasha's pics, Mia....she is gorgeous!! Love those long silky ears :sillylove: Now about that coat....lol...she looks JUST like Chief does after a bath and blow dry. I figured out after the first time I blow dryed him it is best to let him air dry...he looks like a brown dandelion puff otherwise :D

I agree with your decision to shave her down and start over (what could it possibly hurt??), and I certainly recommend switching to a higher quality food and omega supplements (see my email for more details). I'm also wondering about that bald patch on her hindquarters...what happened there?

Good luck with regrowth and keep us posted!! :hug2:

[rjones]

May be my words sounds not very serios but...
Choco color very very often gives dachshund's coat softness and it is downy (if I can use this word - sorry for english). Some times grown-up's fur is like pup's.
I have a choco longhaired bitch now (I am co-owner). A show girl!
I can tell - what I do
First of all - she is on natural food and omegarich acids - some special suplements. And I give her seacabbage, fish, cod-liver oil.
And of cause I do some special grooming. I wash the dog with lanolin rich formula shampoo and conditioner. And than dry with a hairdryer and a comb.
I think that in your situation I can at first cut her hair very shot and begine to feed her correctly and keep an eye on on her new growing hair.
http://s45.radikal.ru/i109/0809/95/d0d00a0a3efd.jpg
http://www.picollo.ru/imagehost/pics/800cb11b798c6f8cd02fd4e6cb5d97a8.jpg
http://www.picollo.ru/imagehost/pics/5880017e5bd0d425365550d11cebbaf9.jpg

OMG I am inlove with your choco and tan girl. That is my dream dog, that or a choco dapple lh...She is gorgeous, now if I could only find a choco and tan in rescue :(

[Cocoa and Me]

Thanks for the food recommendation (along with the others who agreed). Where to you purchase Innova EVO? Also I use a natural fiber bristle brush on Sasha. It is one the pet store recommended.

Also for the last 12 years I have free fed my other dog (Sheperd/Corgi mix) What should I be doing with Sasha? She is free fed now, and I don't want her to become too overweight on a new food. What do you do with your dogs?

Here is the main website for Innova EVO. Its the same company that makes my furkid's food (California Natural). http://www.naturapet.com/

Most of us have feeding schedules. I do 2x a day (breakfast and dinner). I feed mine a 1/4 cup 2x a day. Well...for my smaller one (Cocoa who is 7lbs fully grown) she gets less than 1/4 cup at each feeding. My male is 9.5lbs and gets 1/4c 2x a day.