forestryguy

Fellow Chessie owners. I am wondering about coats. My Chessie has had a thin coat for the past two hunting seasons and then fills out around January. When I lived further South and the first few years I lived here his coat would come in and be full before the season started. He had been an outdoor dog up until a few years ago and not he sleeps inside at night, but outside all day. I suppose that this could be the reason for the thin coat, but know of full time inside dogs that get a full coat. I do not believe his coat is over oily. If you rub your hand down his back your hand will only be slightly oily, is this to much? He also has hip dysplasia and had heart worm about a year and a half ago and now has an enlarged heart. I am feeding Purina Pro Plan. This is the only food that I could get a good response to when he was younger. I know that with everything that he has going on the stresses could be affecting his coat, but I was wondering if anyone else had any other ideas. Thanks in advance.

EntropyFx

Mine is outside all day and in all night, his coat is usually in pretty full by season. I know food is very important for their coat, and I only feed hi protein come august. Also, I've heard egg whites over their food will also help the coat, but that is any dog. Their coat should have a nice sheen but you shouldn't have a whole lot of oil on your hand after you run it over them. Not sure if the heart worm makes a difference or not.


Hope it helps.

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-Garrett

Medicine and Hunting, it's what I do!

bullcan

The guy I hunted with his morning has a chessie with a thin coat. He is a great dog other than that. He showed up this morning with a long-sleeved, youth sized under armor shirt underneath the dog's vest. I am so glad that nonone seen us. It's too bad they don't make rogaine for dogs.

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CraigS

My younger Chessy seems to be allergetic to corn/grain based feed and has caused coat problems, mainly thin hair and hair falling out on her back. This Summer we switched to a grain free feed at the recommendation of the breeder because a litter mate had the same problem and her coat is thick and full this fall. We were feeding pro plan before we switched.

forestryguy

[QUOTE=CraigS;345609]My younger Chessy seems to be allergetic to corn/grain based feed and has caused coat problems, mainly thin hair and hair falling out on her back. This Summer we switched to a grain free feed at the recommendation of the breeder because a litter mate had the same problem and her coat is thick and full this fall. We were feeding pro plan before we switched.

What food did you switch too? I have had the idea of making my own food. My sister does it for her dogs and has had great results from it in over all health. I know that it takes a lot of time though to pre make everything.

CraigS

I feed "Chicken Soup for the dog lovers soul" and "Taste of the wild" I get both at Theisen's.
Chicken soup is fed most of the time with a bag of taste of the wild here and there.
I also serve milk replacer a couple a times a month and a equine fat supplement too.

I spend around 200-250 a month for 6 dogs

forestryguy

Thanks for the info. I am going to look into changing his food and see if that helps at all.

ringbill

I was told to keep my chessie outside and only allow him in the house for a few hours at a time or he might not grow his coat in time for season. He has had his full coat since september 1 both years I have owned him. No shivering in the blind for my chessy.

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duckhunter052002

my chessy hasnt seen the inside of the house since he was 3 months old, he has a nice warm house and has a beautiful coat.. he was breaking ice sunday morning, no shiver.. but i fedd my chessy 3 raw eggs per week, 6 pounds deer meat,and black gold dog foodlaced with olive oil... same thing my dad did when he raised and trained chessys

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www.klktaxidermy.com
Spirit Lake, Iowa
Speak your mind , just be able to back it up

forestryguy

I am thinking that he is going to go back to being an outside dog. Plus a diet change, like I said before.

What is Black & Gold food like now. My buddy and I use to feed it for coon dogs when it was a small company. It seemed that the quality went to hell when they outsourced production.

duckhunter052002

this time of the year i feed diamond sporting dog... still lace food with olive oil and three eggs per week(raw) the deer i feed puts on weight and holds it during the winter and hunting season.. during the warm months i have had good luck with the black gold.. my chesy just celebrated his first birthday... i hunt with nothing else my last chessy lived 12 years and hunted till his heart gave out.

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www.klktaxidermy.com
Spirit Lake, Iowa
Speak your mind , just be able to back it up

forestryguy

Unfortunately I think his heart will give out before 12. He has an enlarged heart due to heart worm.