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#1
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Hair today ...
An hour ago, after feeding my feral cat colony (stable, now, thank
heaven), I stood for a while enjoying their sleek, gleaming coats. And, btw, I've begun preparing a separate pail of food for the shelter dogs to add to the ration of those in poor coat condition. It's based on eggs, scrambled in canola oil. What else should I add? I've thought of coat condition as primaily cosmetic, making the dogs more attractive to adopters. But, it's more than that, isn't it? This is an interesting article, indicating that it applies to us, too. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...cience_hair_dc |
#2
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I've thought of coat condition as primaily cosmetic, making the dogs
more attractive to adopters. But, it's more than that, isn't it? Hair condition can be a big indicator of overall health. Of course, we have to take into account what the appropriate texture is for a given breed/type/ethnic background. We wouldn't expect a WFT to have the gleaming black coat of a FCR for instance! (although I think it's the prettiest coat in dogdom of course). For years, I've had people ask what kind of shampoo I use on my dogs, because their coats are so gorgeous. I could say mud packs, because they surely have those more than shampoo! The fact is that they don't get baths unless there's a medical reason. They get wet as often as they possibly can, but that gloss and sweet smell comes fromm INSIDE, not any externals I can dump on them. Janet Boss http://bestfriendsdogobedience.com/ http://photos.yahoo.com/bestfriendsobedience |
#3
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I've thought of coat condition as primaily cosmetic, making the dogs
more attractive to adopters. But, it's more than that, isn't it? Hair condition can be a big indicator of overall health. Of course, we have to take into account what the appropriate texture is for a given breed/type/ethnic background. We wouldn't expect a WFT to have the gleaming black coat of a FCR for instance! (although I think it's the prettiest coat in dogdom of course). For years, I've had people ask what kind of shampoo I use on my dogs, because their coats are so gorgeous. I could say mud packs, because they surely have those more than shampoo! The fact is that they don't get baths unless there's a medical reason. They get wet as often as they possibly can, but that gloss and sweet smell comes fromm INSIDE, not any externals I can dump on them. Janet Boss http://bestfriendsdogobedience.com/ http://photos.yahoo.com/bestfriendsobedience |
#4
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I've thought of coat condition as primaily cosmetic, making the dogs
more attractive to adopters. But, it's more than that, isn't it? Hair condition can be a big indicator of overall health. Of course, we have to take into account what the appropriate texture is for a given breed/type/ethnic background. We wouldn't expect a WFT to have the gleaming black coat of a FCR for instance! (although I think it's the prettiest coat in dogdom of course). For years, I've had people ask what kind of shampoo I use on my dogs, because their coats are so gorgeous. I could say mud packs, because they surely have those more than shampoo! The fact is that they don't get baths unless there's a medical reason. They get wet as often as they possibly can, but that gloss and sweet smell comes fromm INSIDE, not any externals I can dump on them. Janet Boss http://bestfriendsdogobedience.com/ http://photos.yahoo.com/bestfriendsobedience |
#5
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Chris wrote: An hour ago, after feeding my feral cat colony (stable, now, thank heaven), I stood for a while enjoying their sleek, gleaming coats. And, btw, I've begun preparing a separate pail of food for the shelter dogs to add to the ration of those in poor coat condition. It's based on eggs, scrambled in canola oil. What else should I add? Hi, Chris... Great question! There are several things you can do to help get a glistening coat. You can buy an expensive dog coat supplement rich in Omega-3s (which is best for overall health, since these oils benefit more than the coat). Or, you can march yourself down to your local feed store and get a horse supplement called "Super 14." It's a powder, and it comes with a little scoop - add 1/2 to a full scoop to the dog food per day (not per feeding). The most dramatic diet-based coat change I've gotten from my dogs is when I feed Nutro Nature's Choice food - they guarantee it to improve coat condition, and it does! But it's not cheap. If you're prepping a dog to show it to a potential adopter, you can get a coat conditioner for horses called "Show Sheen." It's a silicon spray. After bathing a dog and toweling him, mist him all over with this stuff and work it well into the coat, brush to smooth and leave to dry. It will make the coat very slick and shiny - it's incredible stuff! (Don't use it before going into the conformation ring, though - it's a "coat altering substance" and can get you in trouble!). If the dogs aren't going to be bathed, give the coat a light brushing, spray Show Sheen on him and give him a good, deep currying, then smooth the coat with a soft brush - the Show Sheen will help loosen deep dirt, and will keep dirt from sticking to him. Be careful to wash it off your hands afterward - it makes them very slick. It will make the dog slick, too, so make sure to have a collar on him before you apply it. BTW, if a dog has a very dull and dirty coat and doesn't have any particular skin sensitivities, I like to bathe with Murphy's Oil Soap. It's cheaper than the fancy conditioning shampoos, smells great but not perfumey, and is very good at getting off grimy or deep dirt, and conditions at the same time. I've thought of coat condition as primaily cosmetic, making the dogs more attractive to adopters. But, it's more than that, isn't it? Absolutely! A shiny, resilient coat is always a good indicator of health. A dull, patchy coat can indicate worms, malnutrition, allergies, organ failure, a multitude of skin conditions, etc. This is an interesting article, indicating that it applies to us, too. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...cience_hair_dc Thanks for the interesting link! Hope these suggestions help... Tracy |
#6
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Chris wrote: An hour ago, after feeding my feral cat colony (stable, now, thank heaven), I stood for a while enjoying their sleek, gleaming coats. And, btw, I've begun preparing a separate pail of food for the shelter dogs to add to the ration of those in poor coat condition. It's based on eggs, scrambled in canola oil. What else should I add? Hi, Chris... Great question! There are several things you can do to help get a glistening coat. You can buy an expensive dog coat supplement rich in Omega-3s (which is best for overall health, since these oils benefit more than the coat). Or, you can march yourself down to your local feed store and get a horse supplement called "Super 14." It's a powder, and it comes with a little scoop - add 1/2 to a full scoop to the dog food per day (not per feeding). The most dramatic diet-based coat change I've gotten from my dogs is when I feed Nutro Nature's Choice food - they guarantee it to improve coat condition, and it does! But it's not cheap. If you're prepping a dog to show it to a potential adopter, you can get a coat conditioner for horses called "Show Sheen." It's a silicon spray. After bathing a dog and toweling him, mist him all over with this stuff and work it well into the coat, brush to smooth and leave to dry. It will make the coat very slick and shiny - it's incredible stuff! (Don't use it before going into the conformation ring, though - it's a "coat altering substance" and can get you in trouble!). If the dogs aren't going to be bathed, give the coat a light brushing, spray Show Sheen on him and give him a good, deep currying, then smooth the coat with a soft brush - the Show Sheen will help loosen deep dirt, and will keep dirt from sticking to him. Be careful to wash it off your hands afterward - it makes them very slick. It will make the dog slick, too, so make sure to have a collar on him before you apply it. BTW, if a dog has a very dull and dirty coat and doesn't have any particular skin sensitivities, I like to bathe with Murphy's Oil Soap. It's cheaper than the fancy conditioning shampoos, smells great but not perfumey, and is very good at getting off grimy or deep dirt, and conditions at the same time. I've thought of coat condition as primaily cosmetic, making the dogs more attractive to adopters. But, it's more than that, isn't it? Absolutely! A shiny, resilient coat is always a good indicator of health. A dull, patchy coat can indicate worms, malnutrition, allergies, organ failure, a multitude of skin conditions, etc. This is an interesting article, indicating that it applies to us, too. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...cience_hair_dc Thanks for the interesting link! Hope these suggestions help... Tracy |
#7
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Chris wrote: An hour ago, after feeding my feral cat colony (stable, now, thank heaven), I stood for a while enjoying their sleek, gleaming coats. And, btw, I've begun preparing a separate pail of food for the shelter dogs to add to the ration of those in poor coat condition. It's based on eggs, scrambled in canola oil. What else should I add? Hi, Chris... Great question! There are several things you can do to help get a glistening coat. You can buy an expensive dog coat supplement rich in Omega-3s (which is best for overall health, since these oils benefit more than the coat). Or, you can march yourself down to your local feed store and get a horse supplement called "Super 14." It's a powder, and it comes with a little scoop - add 1/2 to a full scoop to the dog food per day (not per feeding). The most dramatic diet-based coat change I've gotten from my dogs is when I feed Nutro Nature's Choice food - they guarantee it to improve coat condition, and it does! But it's not cheap. If you're prepping a dog to show it to a potential adopter, you can get a coat conditioner for horses called "Show Sheen." It's a silicon spray. After bathing a dog and toweling him, mist him all over with this stuff and work it well into the coat, brush to smooth and leave to dry. It will make the coat very slick and shiny - it's incredible stuff! (Don't use it before going into the conformation ring, though - it's a "coat altering substance" and can get you in trouble!). If the dogs aren't going to be bathed, give the coat a light brushing, spray Show Sheen on him and give him a good, deep currying, then smooth the coat with a soft brush - the Show Sheen will help loosen deep dirt, and will keep dirt from sticking to him. Be careful to wash it off your hands afterward - it makes them very slick. It will make the dog slick, too, so make sure to have a collar on him before you apply it. BTW, if a dog has a very dull and dirty coat and doesn't have any particular skin sensitivities, I like to bathe with Murphy's Oil Soap. It's cheaper than the fancy conditioning shampoos, smells great but not perfumey, and is very good at getting off grimy or deep dirt, and conditions at the same time. I've thought of coat condition as primaily cosmetic, making the dogs more attractive to adopters. But, it's more than that, isn't it? Absolutely! A shiny, resilient coat is always a good indicator of health. A dull, patchy coat can indicate worms, malnutrition, allergies, organ failure, a multitude of skin conditions, etc. This is an interesting article, indicating that it applies to us, too. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...cience_hair_dc Thanks for the interesting link! Hope these suggestions help... Tracy |
#8
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#10
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