Sun bleached fur - Page 1

Hello all, I'm trying to acertain a possible method in which to correct the coat of a german shepherd. I recently rescued a male that I know was left outside without shelter from the sun. His coat which should be a rich blk/red is now more of a rusty black with light red. I have been told by my groomer and vet that there is nothing that will help, and also told by a friend that if I shave him down, his fur should come in properly colored naturally. I am just trying to get his coat properly conditioned and looking it's best. If there is no way to help bring his true coat color back, then so be it. He is an awesome dog with a great temperament and good health which is most important. He is no longer left out in the sun and he now gets to be indoors and treated like a member of our family, in the air condition. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance, Debbie

Debbie,I think you pretty much sumed it up in your last sentence of your post.A job well doneseems to me you fixed all that was broken with this dog,sounds like he has a nice home now,you might not ever get the pigment you would like to see but it sure sounds like you have a wonderful new family member

no point in shaving him down, he'll naturally lose all that hair over time. i would never shave a gsd unless medically needed, so intelligent a breed never should be humiliated. unless his actual skin was damanged, his fur should grow back a richer color. congrats on the new addition!

If you RECENTLY go him, it minght not be a sun bleach problem, but a feeding/food problem. The coat of the dog comes from the inside, with the feeding. If he was fed a poor CHEAP diet, that could explain the off color of the coat. Start him on a diet, with a premium grade feed, and he may just "blow" the current coat he has, with a rich beautiful coat coming forth to replace it.

Again it might not be from the sun, a reddish tinge to the the normally black coat is often a hallmark of Giardiasis. One of my dogs had this appearance when he came from training/titling in Germany. Even if your dog appears to to have no other clinical symptoms, you may wish to consider a fecal exam.

I'm not quite sure if this would help out in your situation, but I would go with what SGBH has to say and go to a premium dog chow. I personally use Diamond 60 plus Large Breed at $30.00/40#. I also buy 100% pure Wheat Germ Oil by the gallon and give 1 tsp. per dog and add 1/4-1/3 cups of grated cooked carrots. I live in a dry sand dune area and laying on the sand in the sun is tough on my dogs coats, it pulls out the moisture as cardboard would us. But I think replenishing the oil helps alot. Also watch shampooing, make sure to use a gentle oatmeal or homemade blend. As said before, perhaps when the coat is blown a new richer healthy coat will appear and amaze you! Good Luck I have a homemade recipe for my dog shampoo if your interested. email TRUgsds@aol.com.