# confused over sudden change in puppy's coat



## Yuki (Oct 5, 2011)

ok here is something i wana share. maybe my homemade dog treats seem to work weirdly on GR's coat and skin or something. i have no idea how but Yuki's coat became softer and shinier than before in just 4 days.  his coat was a bit coarse to touch before. i dont know if this is a good thing or not.

the ingredients i used for making the baked treats for training him are as follows:
whole wheat flour
egg
cottage cheese (indian kind called paneer it has no salt)
homemade peanut butter
sunflower+soybean oil (cooking oil)
garlic
dried rosemary
some milk 
i usually add oats too but i ran out so i skipped them.

the treats i made to fill the kong and freeze...just to keep him busy when he has his zoomies. i dont give them daily or often just only when needed.

1. broccoli, boiled pumpkin, carrot-blended and mixed with mashed cottage cheese
2. cottage cheese, banana mashed and blended with raw egg

other treats i gave him to help with his teething...only one or 2 per day (i just reached in the freezer and got what my hand touched and gave him..a random pick)

frozen carrots cut in halves, frozen broccoli large florets and frozen boiled pumpkin cut in chunks.

my question is...how or what happened? i also want to know if i am using some ingredient i should not use. i honestly dont know whats happening. i am pretty much in a sort of shock. 

i am feeding him Eukanuba puppy large breed and some calcium supplement and EFA supplement containing only omega3 and 6 the vet recommended. this has been the feeding routine for 2 months now but i hadnt seen any changes in the coat until now.

during brushing i spray him with a coconut oil+water mix to make brushing easier, detangle and catch any stray hair. i use a slicker brush btw. this is also my grooming routine i always do the same.

i am happy his coat is so soft and silky and shiny now....makes me want to run my hands on his coat again and again. the dryness he had on skin, itchiness, coarse coat, sort of oily feeling whenever i touched....its all gone. i just finished brushing him and i was really surprised. he isnt biting his tail or legs either or itching himself as much as he used to before. i keep petting him a lot so i know how his coat feels to touch. 

but i am worried about the sudden change  did i do something wrong? is this normal?


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## Stef_Walsh (Sep 3, 2011)

I'm no expert (and I'll leave it to the experts to correct me if I'm wrong), but I can't imagine that your puppy having a shinier and softer coat can be in any way a bad thing. From everything I've read and been told, that's what you strive for your dog's coat to look like!


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## Yuki (Oct 5, 2011)

Stef_Walsh said:


> I'm no expert (and I'll leave it to the experts to correct me if I'm wrong), but I can't imagine that your puppy having a shinier and softer coat can be in any way a bad thing. From everything I've read and been told, that's what you strive for your dog's coat to look like!


its the change that really shocked me...i mean just 4 days!! i am really happy with it but still in a shock lol.

last time i brushed i was like "aaah....how i wish it was more shiny and soft"
today i brushed "omg...what happened? how is it so soft and shiny? eh? huh?"

hope you can understand why i panicked


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

My guess is it is the substances that are coating the fur from the outside, as it wouldn't be something that could happen from foods in just 4 days (think about how long it takes a hair to grow out).
Even though you are doing the same routine of petting,brushing and spraying with the coconut oil mixture, I think the cumulative effect could result in a softer feel to the fur. Brushing itself moves oil from the skin to the fur as you brush.


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## Yuki (Oct 5, 2011)

thanks Ignutah that really put my mind at ease.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

I am always astonished at how much softer Brooks' fur feels after I give him a bath. It could be because of the conditioner I put on his fur after it is washed, but also I think when the fur has dust on it, it creates friction against your skin as you pet him. Brushing removes dust as well.


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## Leo's Family (Jul 28, 2011)

A healthy shiny coat is a good thing. Diet affects them a lot. Just a heads up though, garlic is not really good for dogs, a little wont hurt. But just in case you didn't know.


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## Jige (Mar 17, 2011)

It is the sunflower oil. It is really good for dry flaky skin. My vet told me to use it on Jige when I brought him home as he had dry skin.


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## Yuki (Oct 5, 2011)

thank you everyone :smooch: i am happy that something isnt wrong. well its good thing i guess 

about garlic....i just use one clove of garlic for about 4 oz of baked treats. i dont think its much. i take care not to over feed garlic. he gets around 8-10 treats while training. each treat is about 1/3 inch in diameter.


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## Zoya (Jan 24, 2012)

Thank GOD I found this thread! I too have a confusion with ZOYA's coat. 
She used to have a very soft white coat but now for the past 1 week I notcied rough brownish coat on her back. I hope this not a problem...!


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## Deber (Aug 23, 2011)

Zoya, how old is your pup? When our pups first begin loosing their puppy fur they get what the forum calls their Toupee. It is their first guard hairs that runs along their back from neck to tail. This hair is more course, totally different from the soft puppy fuzz. They really look silly during this time and lots of threads in the puppy section about this. My two kids are light goldens too and when the first guard hairs came in they were a shade darker and so hard! But as the puppy fuzz leaves and the first coat comes in it all matches better. Now though still a different texture than the rest of the coat (sides) it looks about the same. This is all normal and just the first of many of their changes in coat. 

Lots of pictures of this to check out and see if this is what you are seeing.

Syd, I also use a coconut based conditioner on my goldens that I started using when showing my yorkies. I find the cocconut not only leaves the hair soft and shiney but really conditions their skin too. It may be this that is helping Yuki's coat. I also have a diluted spray bottle for when I brush all my dogs with a touch of this and water. Love the smell and leaves the coat so nice and soft.


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## Zoya (Jan 24, 2012)

ZOYA is 6 month old at the moment. Thanks for clearing my doubt. I just went through the other threads and it seems like its usual and nothing to worry about. 
BTW can you guys recommend any good Shampoos and Conditioners??


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