# Anyone change dog food brands and seen improvement of shedding?



## Rionel (Jun 17, 2020)

Has anyone noticed less or more shedding when changing their GSD from one brand of dog food to another? I seemed to have settled on a brand that reduced the shedding, but after a while the manufacturer changed the formula and the dogs wouldn't eat it. I'm curious to see if people have better luck on any certain foods/barf diet/meat supplemented diets, etc...

Also, if anyone has tried Dynovite or something along that line, and it helped, please let me know.

Thanks.


----------



## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

I have not seen a significant difference simply switching brand to brand as much as i have upgrading to a higher quality (class, grade, tier) of foods, which, generally involves a change in brands. For instance, i’d expect to see an overall improvement in skin/coat/shedding when jumping from Ol’Roy to Acana... but not necessarily between Acana and Natures Logic.

My current dog is raw fed and i’ll admit, i was a bit disappointed initially when his changes weren't as dramatic as i recalled them being with past dogs 10+ years ago... but then, he was on a better food than they were to begin with. His shedding is about the same but his coat is softer and more shiney... less itchy and no odor.

As far as kibble, i’ve been happy with Fromm Gold, Natures Logic and Acana. My dog also loves Ziwi Peak and did great on it, but ouch $$$.


----------



## Rionel (Jun 17, 2020)

Many thanks. I have been supplementing with about 25-30% real meat in the kibble (chicken, pork, beef liver) and my vet didn't seem to think that was a bad mix. Said she looked great, even at 80lbs. I wondered if - apart from a different kibble - I should be aiming for less protein and add some carbs? I've tried a bunch of $30-$40+ bag foods and right now she looks better than ever on Sports Mix (except the excess shedding). I may switch to barf diet, at least in part.


----------



## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Rionel said:


> Many thanks. I have been supplementing with about 25-30% real meat in the kibble (chicken, pork, beef liver) and my vet didn't seem to think that was a bad mix. Said she looked great, even at 80lbs. I wondered if - apart from a different kibble - I should be aiming for less protein and add some carbs? I've tried a bunch of $30-$40+ bag foods and right now she looks better than ever on Sports Mix (except the excess shedding). I may switch to barf diet, at least in part.


What would adding more carbs gain you? Feeding raw is probably the best thing you can do for your dog. Many don't because its scary and appears difficult at first. It's way more work than clicking buy on a website and having the kibble show up. I don't have freezer space or the supply chain worked out to do it. Next dog...


----------



## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

If you decide to stick with kibble think about adding salmon oil as a topper.Hubby's terrier mix had skin,coat,shedding issues when he first brought her home and the addition of the oil cleared it up in a few weeks.I add it to all three dog's food now.Their fur is soft and shiny,no skin dander,plus they love the taste.They still shed all summer but not at all during the winter months.


----------



## Rionel (Jun 17, 2020)

dogma13 said:


> If you decide to stick with kibble think about adding salmon oil as a topper.Hubby's terrier mix had skin,coat,shedding issues when he first brought her home and the addition of the oil cleared it up in a few weeks.I add it to all three dog's food now.Their fur is soft and shiny,no skin dander,plus they love the taste.They still shed all summer but not at all during the winter months.


That sounds like a great idea. Thanks!


----------



## Rionel (Jun 17, 2020)

eddie1976E said:


> What would adding more carbs gain you? Feeding raw is probably the best thing you can do for your dog. Many don't because its scary and appears difficult at first. It's way more work than clicking buy on a website and having the kibble show up. I don't have freezer space or the supply chain worked out to do it. Next dog...


Not really sure myself. The vet directed me to information about canine heart disease possibbly being caused by grain free diets. I definitely need to dig more into it, but the AKC issued a warnig. There was a study by a UC Davis, etc... Incidentally, I met a couple on vaction last year that had adopted a GSD that was beautiful. They said she looked horrible and mangy when they adopted her, but had switched her to pork loin, potatoes, carrots all cooked together and that was as cheap as using high end kibble. She had one of the most beautiful coats I had seen.


----------



## Rionel (Jun 17, 2020)

Rionel said:


> Not really sure myself. The vet directed me to information about canine heart disease possibbly being caused by grain free diets. I definitely need to dig more into it, but the AKC issued a warnig. There was a study by a UC Davis, etc... Incidentally, I met a couple on vaction last year that had adopted a GSD that was beautiful. They said she looked horrible and mangy when they adopted her, but had switched her to pork loin, potatoes, carrots all cooked together and that was as cheap as using high end kibble. She had one of the most beautiful coats I had seen.


...and my dogs have been mostly on grain free the last two years.


----------



## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Yes, grain free is linked to elevated heart issues. I would look into switching off grain free. There are lots of threads on here about that topic.


----------



## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

I had to switch Shadow to some different kibble last year for a few months because I couldn't find hers here. Her coat definitely took a dive. So did her overall condition. 
A couple of years back I experimented with switching to Acana because I suspected I would have a problem finding her food here. By all reports it's a good food. Coat looked horrible, overall condition was bad.
All dogs have individual needs so if a particular kibble works for your dog then stick with it.


----------



## Rionel (Jun 17, 2020)

Rionel said:


> That sounds like a great idea. Thanks!


Just an update. I ended up topping kibble with a can of sardines a couple times a week and I am already seeing improvements. Maybe just coincidence, but I will do that once a week now that the shedding is settling down. Thanks again for the tips everyone.


----------

