Let's Talk Winter Coats!
Maybe it's been a long summer and I forgot what his winter coat was like...
or maybe it's his mature coat now that he's three years old done growing/bulking and been through a few sheds...
or MAYBE it's the new feeding regimen (raw breakfast patties, grain free kibble dinners, PLUS 2x week tripe, 1x week sardines, and 4x a week raw drumsticks) we've been on for the last month,
but I think Sage's winter coat is coming in thicker and softer than ever this year.
In summer I can comb most of him with the fine greyhound comb or even the flea comb (his trunks are too thick in summer for the flea comb) He is now tough to comb anywhere but his face legs and belly with anything but the undercoat rake or the pin brush, and Jeff found two small ticks that I completely missed in his dense fur. The princess ain't feeling NO peas in THIS coat!
His ruff is quite thick and he's got Wile E. Coyote tufty cheeks. In the summer he's more streamlined. Even my mom, who is not a huge Sage fan and doesn't see him that often, noticed his tail was "all puffed out" and said "he looks like he's part wolf." She is no dog expert, however and I was kind enough not to point out that all dogs related to wolves.
How are all your dogs' coats coming in this year?
Have you noticed a difference as they got older?- I am sure Sage's first winter coat was not this hugely different from the puppy summer coat I got him with, so I am guessing these double coated dogs must get mature coats after a few winters?
Can nutrition really make a difference in a coat in 4 weeks?
Maybe Sage is just predicting a colder winter...
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or maybe it's his mature coat now that he's three years old done growing/bulking and been through a few sheds...
or MAYBE it's the new feeding regimen (raw breakfast patties, grain free kibble dinners, PLUS 2x week tripe, 1x week sardines, and 4x a week raw drumsticks) we've been on for the last month,
but I think Sage's winter coat is coming in thicker and softer than ever this year.
In summer I can comb most of him with the fine greyhound comb or even the flea comb (his trunks are too thick in summer for the flea comb) He is now tough to comb anywhere but his face legs and belly with anything but the undercoat rake or the pin brush, and Jeff found two small ticks that I completely missed in his dense fur. The princess ain't feeling NO peas in THIS coat!
His ruff is quite thick and he's got Wile E. Coyote tufty cheeks. In the summer he's more streamlined. Even my mom, who is not a huge Sage fan and doesn't see him that often, noticed his tail was "all puffed out" and said "he looks like he's part wolf." She is no dog expert, however and I was kind enough not to point out that all dogs related to wolves.
How are all your dogs' coats coming in this year?
Have you noticed a difference as they got older?- I am sure Sage's first winter coat was not this hugely different from the puppy summer coat I got him with, so I am guessing these double coated dogs must get mature coats after a few winters?
Can nutrition really make a difference in a coat in 4 weeks?
Maybe Sage is just predicting a colder winter...
/
Comments
I've been anticipating the upcoming winter specifically because I was hoping that Kotomi would grow a much better coat. Also, the weather is much better and more ideal for the dogs. I have no clue if this plays a part or not, but our California nights are now much colder and so I leave the Shikoku to sleep outside at night. I will only bring them inside at night to sleep if it is raining. Otherwise they are outside at night and in and out during the day.
Generally I hear "people" say it takes 2 months before you can see a change, but perhaps some foods work much quicker then others. The "2 months theory" was directly aimed towards mainly kibble food brands.
Koda's coat is slightly confused. It doesn't know what it's doing. It started raining in the Bay, and his coat got thicker. It hit 80 degrees and he shed it all over my bed in two days. This weekend his coat looked terrible and dull! Usually he's shiny and beautiful. I am switching up some extra vitamins and oils to help him out. Then I noticed yesterday, his neck started to come in really thick, but just his neck.
I'm guessing a mixture of the No. California wierd weather and the fact that he's a pup is just messing him up. He kind've looks scraggly. Not a very good look.
Oh, and he's officially 50 pounds!
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Aww...poor Koda!
I'm hearing weather forecasts that are saying we might ease into the winter here. I'm not looking forward to that because I know that Mylo is going to take his sweet-ass time to blow out. I prefer when it's heavy and fast, like it was last winter. I just hope it's not like his summer shed... that took months! It drove me nuts lol.
Oh, and to keep his coat nice and soft we noticed a HUGE difference in his coat in a matter of 2 or 3 weeks by just giving him Omega 3 capsules, so it definitely wouldn't surprise me if Sage is already starting to show benefits from the diet changes.