Increace in fur growth - Page 1

Anyone that knows of anything to increase fur growth. I know that the poison Arsenic. Will increase the growth, however i do not feel good about feeding my dogs this. Any one with some qualified input www.edbergs.dk

Feeding your dogs a balanced diet with appropriate nutrients should provide all a healthy dog needs for good fur. Fur length, thickness and condition is also related to genetics. But it is nuts to think about feeding a dog arsenic, in any quantity, unless you are in a third world country where such measures are used to kill parasites. Where did you hear or read that arsenic would promote fur growth? Of course, if a dog has a burden of parasites, all aspects of its' health may be affected and one measure of a dogs overall health is how its' fur looks. If you have concerns about the coat, the first thing to do is have the stool sampled for parasites. I can tell if a dog has an enzyme deficiency or parasites or is fed an improper diet simply by looking at the coat. Most experienced people can. An SV judge I know, during a show, pulled an owner of a dog aside one year and suggested to them that they check the dog for parasites. Indeed, when checked the dog was loaded with worms. The coat looked terrible and it was a young dog. Perhaps you can tell us more about why you are concerned with the coat of the dog.

It used to be common practice with AKC handlers to feed low amounts of arsenic in order to grow a better coat and to prevent a dog from shedding. Not sure if it worked, but some swore by it. Seems to me like one of those situations where the cure is worse than the disease. I doubt anything will grow a heavier or thicker coat than the dog is genetically programmed to have. I think supplements can improve the quality of the coat though. I assumed Kim is asking if there is a way to speed up hair regrowth after a dog has shed? None that I know of and I've fed a lot of different supplements in the 35 years I've showed dogs, none really made much differnce IMO. The first person to invent such a product will be an over-night billionaire I think LOL.

Its probably not practical in your case but getting them to sleep in a colder place (eg an outside kennel instead of the house) can sometimes help the fur to grow more thicker and longer. Obviously the most imortant factors those that hodie already mentioned.

Blitzen, You learn something new EVERYDAY! Thanks for your comments regarding the explaination about arsenic.

LOL, those darn AKC handlers know all the dirty tricks, SGBH. They also told me if you prevent a dog from being exposed to daylight, it won't shed. Some I knew kept their dogs in a dark building 24/7. I think there might be something to that one as those who did that were able to show their coated breeds year round.

I don't know how it's called in english, but in the netherlands we use the german word 'hüttenkäse'. It's a cheese. I was told recently by a vet that 'hüttenkäse' would do the trick to grow hair after shedding (and to speed up the shedding!). Haven't tried it myself yet, but a friend of mine swears with it. And if it doesn't work, at least you know you're not hurting your dog with it.

hüttenkäse = cottage cheese Napoleon lost almost all of his body hair from arsenic poisening that supposedly killed him... but it makes a dogs hair grow, who would have thought. It also made him fat, delirious, his legs gave out, and whole list of other nasties. Arsenic was a recreational drug in the 18/19th century. Their version of meth meets viagra. Very addictive, withdrawl = death, continued use = death. Was used in many medicines/remedies of the time. Guess physicians back then found a way to keep patients coming back for more ;o). The long term damage is certainly not worth the risk. The body builds a tolerance over time, can deal with higher doses that would otherwise kill a first time user. But internal organs get damaged nonetheless, cancer is also a risk, loss of vision, loss of concentration, and much more. Chronic arsenic poisening as a result of repeated administration in small doses like you would have to do to improve a coat is very painful. Since dogs have a much higher tolerance for pain, I guess some of the side effects would not get noticed quite so easily until it would be too late. If the dog has a coat that is simply not a good show coat or not good enough, supplements are not going to help much. Also what might be available in the US might not be available in Denmark. The basics to a good coat are proper health, as mentioned above proper parasite control (if intestinal parasites are present treat 3-4 times to kill off parasites in all possible stages of development, once or twice is not enough, 3 times minimum, treat 4 times for heavy infestation), and a good food. As always I recommend www.eaglepack.com, Original Adult Formula. They have importers in most countries. Most dog foods are too low in fat. Adding some to the food can improve coats quickly - butter, cream, different types of oil, almost any non-hydrogenated fat will do. About 1 tablespoon per day for an adult. Careful with flax oil, if not stored properly (air, light, warmth are a nono) it does more harm than good. I use fresh ground flax, ground in small portions at home, then stored in the fridge. Stay away from soy oil (bad for thyroid function). Do NOT brush your dog too often, it can break the hair and also stimulate the skin to keep growing and loosing hair constantly, the shedding never really stops and you never get that full coat. Once a week is enough. Pluck loose hair our of the coat with your hands when the dog is blowing the coat, then follow with a very quick brush if really necessary, or a damp towel.

olive oil and sardines are v. good for coat shine and recovery after shedding, Vit E supplements may help as well. D.H. a question about soya - I knew there was a relationship between soya and thyroid malfunction in humans - is it just the oil, or is it worrying that many "high quality" comercial dog foods use soya protein? I have often wondered.

Salmon Oil. You should be able to get the Kronch brand. It comes from Denmark. http://www.henne-pet-food.dk/engl/index.htm