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Topic Dog Boards / Health / GSD puppy coat
- By speedbird216 [gb] Date 26.02.16 16:32 UTC
Hello my 13 week old GSD puppy has started to get a white powder on her coat. Any ideas? Is it simply a case of giving her a bath do you think. She is fed a mixture of puppy kibble & raw meat with the occasional pilchard.

Thanks
- By Wait Ok Date 26.02.16 18:57 UTC
Hi,
I would give her a jolly good brush rather than wash, washing will remove a lot of the natural oils in the coat and could dry the skin!
Diet can affect your dogs skin and coat condition. Carry on with your raw meat and occasional pilchard, increase the meat and give less kibble if you can, try adding some raw chicken wings to her diet leaving the skin and any fat on the bone for her to eat too.   Vary your meat types, fatty and gristly meats are very good for our dogs too and of course raw bones . Which kibble are you using, a grain free would be best.
If you are really worried of course you must visit your vet.
- By speedbird216 [gb] Date 26.02.16 19:17 UTC
Ok thanks will try that. Whats the best way to feed the chicken wings. I did try but she tried to swallow it whole
- By suejaw Date 26.02.16 20:30 UTC Upvotes 1
Get a pair of pliers or similar to hold onto the wing so she cant swallow whole, it will teach her to chew, might need a few attempts for her to get this.
- By georgepig [gb] Date 26.02.16 22:48 UTC
I freeze two or three together then feed them frozen. George has to chew them then as it is too big to just swallow down.
If I give him them not frozen he doesn't even bother chewing them.
- By Wait Ok Date 27.02.16 07:59 UTC Upvotes 2
I would never worry too much how my dog consumes a wing, as some wings are very small and only require one crunch before being swallowed, although obviously much different with a very tiny dog.
.
The more concerned and worried we are to get the bones back and to take them away the more dertermined  our dogs are to snatch and swallow quickly! So my suggestion is to leave them alone, watch without any interference.
Our dogs do not chew as we do, they crunch and then swallow, this is perfectly normal. Chicken carcasses may slow the speed down and the idea of freezing a few wings together to make them bigger and harder is a good idea, this again will slow them down.

The more we panic the faster our dogs will want to swallow.
- By georgepig [gb] Date 29.02.16 08:12 UTC
It doesn't bother me if he swallows them whole it just means he hasn't crunched the bones up which is what I want him to do for his teeth.
- By Wait Ok Date 29.02.16 08:53 UTC
In that case then I find rib bones are very good I/2 a rib cage (lamb or pig) as they can not just chomp and swallow. Pig leg bones too, these are not as hard as lamb or beef legs the dogs will gnaw for a lot longer than the chicken wings eventually consuming the whole thing. Whole chicken carcass or whole rabbit too will take them a while to chomp up. My bones are counted as a meal for the girls, there is a lot of goodness in them.
- By furriefriends Date 02.03.16 09:50 UTC Edited 02.03.16 09:55 UTC
I would consider going entirely raw , its frequently advised mixing the two isnt ideal. I personally wouldn't but I know many who do quite satisfactorily. If she was mine I would then make sure you include fish either in the form of more  raw fish ,  minced or whole or give salmon oil or other omega 3 supplement.
Given she is so young I would look at food first before supplements also it could be connected with losing puppy coats and will resolve.
on the not crunching bones I would watch carefully as I don't mind if they crunch but I don't want them swallowing smallish bones whole. feeding bigger bones they really cant swallow without crunching is often safer. My dogs range from 4kg to 44 kg so have experience of different sizes of dog and one that inhales . if she isnt watched she will gulp down in one go and has been known to choke. fortunately she has also been able to regurgitate. I go with suejaw either bash with a hammer so its broken up or hold with pliers or fingers if safe to do so
Topic Dog Boards / Health / GSD puppy coat

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