I changed my aussies food to fresh which he has been on for quite a few weeks at the same time I changed his shampoo but his coat is terrible never seen it so bad. It looks dead and reddy colour ever though he is a black tri. He is 5yrs old and never seen it so bad even in the summer do any of you think it could be the  food or the shampoo. his previous food was canagan.

Our Albert's coat turned really bad - like a door mat, in spite of everything we did to improve it.   We had a blood test, and it came back as Cushing's syndrome.    One of the symptoms is that the old coat never moults out.       Not saying it's the same with your boy, but if all else fails, have a blood test.

Jo

I too had a dog with Cushings, and her coat was the first sign it was awful, went from sleek glossy and deep black to dry thin and scrubby brown. She had a pot belly too and I was forever trying to drop her weight but it was not that it turned out to be cushings.

Underactive thyroid in coated breeds also often results in a poor brittle guard coat and thinning undercoat.

I have a Yorkshire Terrier with Cushings.  Like Merlot indicates, pot belly and awfully thin coat.

I would change his food back as a first step and see what happens, as you've changed that recently.  Some foods simply don't suit some dogs - my old rott mix was really dull and sorry looking on the really good skinners varieties but on dry Chappie, which is really not that great a good, she was in stunning condition!

If that makes no difference then look at thyroid and cushings.

I would stop the shampoo unless there is some medical reason for using any of them.
.

how do they treat Cushing?

Daily medication can keep it under control but it can never be cured.
It is when the body produces too much  glucocorticoid. Regular blood tests are needed to ensure that it does not go the other way and damp down the production to such a degree as to cause an Addison's crisis when not enough glucocorticoid is produced and this is much more dangerous.
There are all sorts of possible effects including calcium deposits being produced and hard calcium plaques appearing under the skin.  Lots of info if you google it.
Aileen

It can be treated with conventional medication, or through natural means - a friend's dog has mild Cushings' and she's on a combination of a few natural supplements and it keeps it totally under control.  She actually lost all her hair at the worst stage but now, you wouldn't know she had it.  The conventional stuff can be quite hard on the dog's system (not always, it depends what's given and it depends on the dog - this one would have reacted to anything as she's hypersensitive - but it can be) but it can be the best thing, it all depends on the individual dog.

But really, if his coat has changed since you changed the food, that would be my primary suspect.  It's not always doom and gloom!

> But really, if his coat has changed since you changed the food, that would be my primary suspect.  It's not always doom and gloom!

Agreed.   Good skin and coat does come from within.

I agree that it is most likely that this new diet does not agree with this particular dog but if the shampoo has also been changed this is worth considering. I recently changed the shampoo I use for my own hair (usual brand not available at the time). After a couple of weeks I noticed that my hair, which has always been fine and silky was now harsh. Changed back to my previous brand and it has gone back to how it was.

if the shampoo has also been changed this is worth considering. I recently changed the shampoo I use for my own hair

There are major differences in human skin & dogs, dogs do not have pores, they sweat through their mouth, humans have pores & sweat through their skin.......i have no idea at all if that makes some difference or non at all to a coat, but detergent might well dry up a dogs coat, i have no idea at all why some people shampoo their dogs hair unless it's covered in mud etc or special shampoo for medical reasons -
.

HP wrote:
they sweat through their mouth (dogs), humans have pores & sweat through their skin.......i have no idea at all if that makes some difference or non at all to a coat

I just thought about that - of course there is a difference we wash off stale sweat & any grime the moister attracts, dogs don't have sweat on their hair & all that goes with that -
.

I know when some dogs switch to raw food they can go through a detox which can last quite a while. Perhaps it is this?

Never thought of that.