# Foods for color?



## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

Are there any foods that would enhance the colors of the GSD?

Reds, redder, blacks darker, etc.

Just curious


----------



## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Olewo.

https://www.olewousa.com/

I don't know about the nutritional claims ....... or if showline folks just feed to get oranger dogs......


----------



## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Yep, Olewo.And raw meat.


----------



## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

Could you not establish the same results from pureed carrots and beets?  (Pureed to increase digestibility, which I honestly see being better results than just overpriced dehydrated carrots and beets but maybe that's just me)


----------



## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

LOL. I don't feed it; I just know folks do to get the redder reds. My dog is a WL......


----------



## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

ChancetheGSD said:


> Could you not establish the same results from pureed carrots and beets?  (Pureed to increase digestibility, which I honestly see being better results than just overpriced dehydrated carrots and beets but maybe that's just me)


Sure, you could. But I have spent a lot of time in Europe and have eaten their produce. Carrots in the USA last forever, even the organic ones. I have no idea what they use to treat them. In Europe, they go bad within a few days. 

Also, you don't feed it to them dehydrated, you reconstitute the product with water. 

I like to make a batch, blend it really well in my blender, and then freeze it into little cubes. He gets a couple with every meal. 

As far as overpriced, I don't feel that way. It takes a lot of raw carrots to make dehydrated ones.


----------



## GSDAlphaMom (Jul 20, 2010)

I don't feed anything for color (I have showlines), they are naturally red. I have heard sealmeal helps with pigment (and getting ears to stand) but I have no idea if there is any truth to it.


----------



## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

I had a black / red pass me the other day, and it was literally flaming red. I was amazed at the color of this dog, and wondered what he fed him.


----------



## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Anthony8858 said:


> I had a black / red pass me the other day, and it was literally flaming red. I was amazed at the color of this dog, and wondered what he fed him.



Probably fed nothing special. It was a black and red and not a black and tan.


----------



## Atticus5 (Mar 28, 2012)

I have a 3 1/2 month old red/black shepherd. Since the day he came home, I have included pure pumpkin and yogurt to his nightly meal. The red in his coat is gorgeous!


----------



## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Atticus5 said:


> I have a 3 1/2 month old red/black shepherd. Since the day he came home, I have included pure pumpkin


Canned?


----------



## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

I have heard that kelp and beta-carotene (available in capsule form) will help increase pigment. But I imagine you'd have to feed it for a long time, like 6 months or more, to notice a change in the pigment--in theory, new hair influenced by the supplements would have to grow in--it wouldn't change the pigment in the hair that is already existing. I gave my puppy kep and beta-carotene supplements for about three months and didn't notice a difference.


----------



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I've never fed Keefer anything special, and he's naturally very red. Some dogs just have richer pigment than others. Olewo and other products may make a difference too, I have no idea since I've never tried them. If Keefer were any more red he'd be fluorescent!


----------



## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

I *love* Olewo and am a believer 
I feed Olewo carrots daily. Improvements I've noticed: softer coat, better stools, richer pigmentation/color and thicker coat. My rescue has an improved coat quality and itches less. Olewo is much cheaper than feeding store bought carrots and you don't have to put the time into prep. 

1 kg (2.2 lbs) of carrot pellets makes 10 kg (22 lbs) of fresh carrots
when re-hydrated. One tablespoon of carrot pellets will turn into ½ cup of moist, ground carrots.
I usually buy the 5kg bags for 50$. They regularly have offers for customers which drops the listed price by 5-10$. 
5kg dry makes 50kg or 110lbs of hydrated carrots. That makes each pound of carrots about 45 cents. Even on sale, store bought carrots are more expensive so (at least in my case) it does end up being cheaper and easier than buying/pureeing yourself.


----------



## Atticus5 (Mar 28, 2012)

I use two generous spoonfuls of canned pumpkin for his dinner.
I'm not sure if it is the pumpkin or the yogurt, but his coat is not only a beautiful red color, it is also incredibly lush and shiny. He has the softest coat of any shepherd I've ever owned.


----------



## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Atticus5 said:


> I use two generous spoonfuls of canned pumpkin for his dinner.
> I'm not sure if it is the pumpkin or the yogurt, but his coat is not only a beautiful red color, it is also incredibly lush and shiny. He has the softest coat of any shepherd I've ever owned.


Thank you. I got some yesterday for his loose stools, so I just may continue to feed it daily. Can't hurt at all, and he liked it.


----------



## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

We have used Olewo products before they were available here in the USA. I used to have them shipped in from Germany.....eek! the shipping costs back then!

I love the products. The carrots & beets.
They are very good products, and I always recommend them to my puppy people.
I don't think they "change" the color of any dog....but I do think they help enhance the colors by helping improve the condition of hair and skin....besides the inner nutritional values. I use them on all my dogs...including the WL's.
Dog's digestive tracts are healthier....thus making them better from the inside out...
Pumpkin, Sea-meal, Coconut Oil, Sardine Oil... are also excellent ingredients for your dog.
*There used to be a product that I was able to buy...._many years ago_....*Algosan.*
It was a product from Germany that was in an "oil form"...it contained Iodine (very important for skin)....it was labeled for Primates, Horses and Dogs... (at that time).
AMAZING difference in a blue Doberman's skin.....that the vet took the dog off of ALL medications and documented the transformation. 16+ years ago.
*I cannot find this product any longer, for many years now...*?


----------



## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

I wrote a blog article on enhancing coat colour naturally:

K9 Instinct - Dog training, dog obedience training, raw diet, raw feeding, minimal vaccines: Enhance your dog's coat condition and colour naturally with diet and supplements.


----------



## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

Wild Wolf said:


> I wrote a blog article on enhancing coat colour naturally:
> 
> K9 Instinct - Dog training, dog obedience training, raw diet, raw feeding, minimal vaccines: Enhance your dog's coat condition and colour naturally with diet and supplements.


Thanks for the blog. I really enjoyed reading it.


----------



## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

Anthony8858 said:


> Thanks for the blog. I really enjoyed reading it.


No problem! Thanks for reading it!


----------



## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> I've never fed Keefer anything special, and he's naturally very red. Some dogs just have richer pigment than others. Olewo and other products may make a difference too, I have no idea since I've never tried them. If Keefer were any more red he'd be fluorescent!


My Dachshunds are mostly black/tan with the tan being actually a very deep red, the kind of color "to die for" in GSDs. 
I don't feed them special anything or supplement, I do think it's genetic.


----------

