Fading coat colour

[Jean Glover]

Hi. I have a 8.5 year old liver bitch and a 2.5 year old black bitch. The older dog, Coffee, is not spayed and has a (treated) thyroid condition.
 
I have noticed that the under layers of Coffee's pantalons and tail are a very pale rusty grey. her ears are very light too. While Suki is showing a little reddishness in some places. I always understood from stray dogs that reddishness in a black coat is caused by lack of specific vitamins. 
 
Coffee also eats the rich mud on the forest floor.
 
I have been giving them a lot of raw food and am wondering if some minerals and vitamins are missing from it. 

Any thoughts? Thanks.

Jean

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[Perfect Paws Dog Training]

Hi Jean,

 

How long have you had Coffee?  Is the coat change new?  Liver FCRs tend to fade in sunlight anyway, so it may not be a nutritional issue.

 

Melissa
  

----- Original Message ----
From: Jean Glover <jeangl...@hotmail.com>
To: flat...@smartgroups.com; flat...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, December 5, 2007 3:50:25 AM
Subject: [Flatcoats] Fading coat colour

Hi. I have a 8.5 year old liver bitch and a 2.5 year old black bitch. The older dog, Coffee, is not spayed and has a (treated) thyroid condition.
 
I have noticed that the under layers of Coffee's pantalons and tail are a very pale rusty grey. her ears are very light too. While Suki is showing a little reddishness in some places. I always understood from stray dogs that reddishness in a black coat is caused by lack of specific vitamins. 
 
Coffee also eats the rich mud on the forest floor.
 
I have been giving them a lot of raw food and am wondering if some minerals and vitamins are missing from it. 

Any thoughts? Thanks.

Jean

[Jenn Tower]

Hi Jean,
 
I am not sure about nutrition causing coat color changes, but I do know of a host of other things that it can be.  The reddish coat on a black dog can be the result of constant contact with saliva, if it is an area that is licked by the dog herself or her housemate.  Dead hair also is a reddish color and I am used to it generally on the ears and legs of intact, as well as neutered, dogs.  I have a puppy, 11 months, and she is still shedding out dead puppy coat on her ears, which is a reddish color and seeing that I am showing her I try to get as much as possible out.  I generally hand strip my dogs ears, they come out beautiful, thankfully I have a few friends that are terrier people and they showed me how.
 
Good luck with the girls, and Merry Christmas,
 
Jenn Tower
Aero - Flatcoat (almost 6yo)
Tuck - Golden Mixbreed (blind and best puppy nanny, almost 5yo)
Joy - Flatcoat (11 months)
 

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