# Raw diet/ hair loss question



## emjworks05 (May 30, 2008)

I noticed that my girls hair is thining out, i was wondering could this be from feeding raw, i believe i started feeding around the 11th of last month. Her hair didnt start doing this until she started getting raw, so im wondering if she might be allergic to raw? maybe i need to put her back on kibble?


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

is she spayed? could be going into season, could be old, dry hair being thinned out and new soft hair coming in. 

What are you feeding?


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## emjworks05 (May 30, 2008)

I was thinking that her old dry hair could be thinning out and new hair coming in, i thought i would ask anyways. I feed my dogs chicken, chicken hearts and hamburgar, i also give cooked rice, some veggies, and fish oil. Shes not spayed, her last heat cycle was in august, her cycles are usually between 6-8 months.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

While the raw diet is not hard there is more to it than just chicken.









You need to get different protein sources in the diet to help cover different vitamins, minerals and such.

Beef, turkey, fish (not just the oil), pork, lamb - those are probably the easiest to find.

Right now my pack is getting chicken, beef, turkey, pork and lamb. Once a week I try to add another protein source - fish, deer, goat, rabbit - whatever I can get my hands on.

Some hair loss is normal. She will lose the old coat as she grows in new coat.


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## emjworks05 (May 30, 2008)

I feed beef too not just chicken. I thought that it might be that shes lossing her old coat i just wasnt sure. I will make sure that i do start adding new things, i thought that fish was a poison to dogs.


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

Fish isn't poison. I used to give canned mackeral in a pinch to my guys


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## emjworks05 (May 30, 2008)

Yeah i have heard from people on here that they give thier dogs fish, but then the other day i was told it was poison. Well i will just have to try to give it to them to see if they like it. Thanks a lot, i really appreciate all of the advice!


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

Who told you fish is poison?







Unless they were worried about you feeding your dog puffer- which you shouldn't- then I would discount them. I've fed my dog canned mackerel, canned salmon, canned tuna, catfish that I've caught, and I think other fish too. Fish is GREAT. Whole fish (without hooks, of course) is best.


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## emjworks05 (May 30, 2008)

Its one of my friends who also feeds raw, she said that as far as she knows fish was poison. But you know it could be because she was mis-informed also, someone could have told her that fish was bad for dogs and thats as much as she knows about it. When you give dogs fish that you catch do you cook it? Do you take the bones out? I've never fed fish before and dont know how to feed it.


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

As-is. Fish bones are soft. http://rawlearning.com/fish.html 

Freezing for several weeks prior to feeding should kill any possible parasites if it's a fish you've caught from freshwater. Many saltwater fish is fine raw, just like sushi. Certain fish should not be fed raw, I think it's the Pacific Northwest salmon. Atlantic salmon is a-ok raw. Other than that, if you pull it out of the lake then search the digestive tract for hooks and lures (or class rings, that one was in the news recently). Store-bought fish is perfectly fine. I'd find out where she got the info that fish is poison. Fish is fantastic!


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

The OP is in Oregon, my guess her friend is speaking of our Salmon, Trout and Steelhead being fed raw - It's a no-no










http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/ClientED/salmon.aspx


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## emjworks05 (May 30, 2008)

Barb E. i would bet that you are right. Barb E do you feed fish to your dogs? if so do you buy store bought fish in the can?


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## natalie559 (Feb 4, 2005)

Even with me feeding little to no chicken and a good amount of beef I find both my dogs to be low in zinc and iodine- both of which are important nutrients for coat/skin- so I supplement both.

But, your dog should have a good reserve of vitamins and minerals from her kibble fed years and any nutrient deficiencies wouldn't show up this quickly, so I don't know.

Any ingredients in your raw diet that she hasn't eaten before and are new?


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

I only feed a partial raw diet and it's mostly pre prepared or turkey necks.
That said, I'd feed canned fish in a heartbeat, it's been cooked so there is no worry about the flukes


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## emjworks05 (May 30, 2008)

I was also wondering if its safe to feed raw elk to dogs? and the raw bones?


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

Grimm lost most of his fur when we switched to raw-- then it all grew in super-wonderful, THICK and DARK, full, beautiful, soft and super-super-super SHINY. But as I said, he had a huge shed-out and looked shaved when we began raw. In the following weeks, his coat became the most glorious it has ever been! Feeding a balanced raw diet was the best thing I ever did for Grimm. He always had poor quality coat-- and now it is wonderful!


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