Maintaining a Healthy Coat
I was wondering what you guys use to maintain a healthy,'non-overshedding' coat throughout the year. We add fish oil in Yogi's food once a day, furminate/brush 2-3 times a week and bath him every 2-3 weeks.
We're used to the normal shedding but lately he's been itching and overshedding to the point where just touching him comes with a handful of fur.
We're used to the normal shedding but lately he's been itching and overshedding to the point where just touching him comes with a handful of fur.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Wendt Worth Corgi's on
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I don't like to use the furminator alot since it will damage the coat breaking good fur off which in turn makes them look ragged and dull. I really like to use a shedding comb to pull under coat off and then a soft slicker brush finishing w/a body brush to distribute the oils into the coat. I limit bathing but in high shedding time I will groom, bath, towel dry, groom as they are drying off alittle and then blow the remaining coat dry and brush. Blowing the coat out is the biggest achiever in getting the coat under control. I will also blow them out once in awhile to blow any dust or dirt caught in the coat and groom. It really helps to blow loose hair out and any dirt and cuts down on bathing. I also don't use regular dog shampoos, instead I just use Pantene pro V. I've heard alot of the dog shampoos are drying and over conditioning can make a hair coat thick and pasty to where it collects dirt and doesn't let loose hair to come off easily.
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Permalink Reply by Hilary C. on
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What's the best brand of shedding comb you've used, in your opinion? Slicker? I've never used (or heard of) those types of doggie brushes, but I'd love to get them!
I remember the first time I took Boscoe to the groomers and when I picked him up I wasabsolutely stunned at how great they made his coat look!! Being a first time Corgi owner at the time, I was struggling with his coat and didn't know what to do...and it sounds like you just named the two types of brushes they most likely used to get his coat that great looking!!
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Permalink Reply by Lili on
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Niki gets combed through and then 'slickered' daily or everyother day if things get too hectic around here. He's not much trouble to groom and it doesn't take long to do. His coat is always shiny, I'm not sure that he sheds all that much. I've read that corgis shouldn't be bathed very often so he's not on a bathing schedule. He gets a bath when it seems like he needs one based on scent. The shampoo I've used is Tropiclean Oatmeal which is supposed to be god for itchy skin.
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Permalink Reply by A & P on
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We are doing the same as you but after a bath (every other month or depending how much they smell), I will end the bath with oatmeal conditioner.
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Oatmeal shampoos and conditioners work great. Don't over brush, Corgis only do their MAJOR shedding twice a year (which doesn't include their daily fluff on everything you own...which there's no cure for). Especially don't over bathe. Boscoe gets bathed maybe once a month and it's not due to being stinky, it's from dirt and playing with his best friend, Abby the Labby. Over bathing will dry out their skin's essential oils and cause hair breakage, which it sounds like Yogi already has. Just minimize the bathing to once a month, brush twice a week with a normal brush, not the FURminator because to restore the hair, all you want to brush for now is to redistribute the natural oils to the hairs. Continue the fish oils, it's awesome! And a quick boost for a healthy coat, one or two scrambled eggs a week. Make it a special Sunday brunch for Yogi until his hair is back to normal...should only take a few months (3).
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Permalink Reply by Yogi on
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Thanks!
I do think we bath him too much, he goes to day camp 1-2 times a week and he gets a bit stinky by the end of the week. We usually brush him and spritz on his doggy spray and he's good to go for another week. I'm trying my best to go once a month but my husband lets him on the bed and there's no way he can after 2 days of romping with other dogs.
We use Tropiclean products. I have both Oatmeal and Puppy. His coat definately got shinner once we added the fish oil. He gets lots of compliments. I'll reduce the Furminator, but so far it reduces the shedding.
We have tile and wood floors throughout the house so shedding is so much more evident.
..One other thing I've noticed..
A while back he had a hotspot that he kept itching and for a month he had a small cut under his chin area. It was really pink and he just kept scratching it. It finally healed and his fur grew back. Lately he has the same really pink skin showing right on his chin (just beneath his mouth). He doesn't itch this area but whenever he comes home from day camp its really pink, I assumed inflammed. I'm sure its from playing constantly. He doesn't seem bothered by it, but doesn't want me touching it. I really what to know whats causing this..before I take him to the vet.
Any thoughts?
Here's the best pic of it (sorry I couldn't make it smaller, no photo editting skills) :
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Hmm....Looks exactly like what my Boscoe had a month ago. His was caused by being in the crate all day while my husband and I were gone at work (6 hours max). We don't usually crate our dogs because they're very trustworthy, but once we put up the Christmas tree and (very doggie tempting) glass ornaments, we crated them for their own safety.
Boscoe would get so restless all day that he would rub his muzzle on his crate trying to get the door open, causing that same sort of tender rash. I stopped crating him immediately and put Neosporin on the sore (and also noticed that dogs can't lick their bottom lip and chin! LOL) It healed within 3-4 days!! We also got rid of the glass ornaments.
So if he's getting this sore (which will start to itch once in the healing process like a scab does to you or me) whenever he's at doggie day camp or if it's getting pinker whenever he comes home from doggie day camp, are you positive they are letting the pups romp around and play all day? Or are they crating them for the majority of the day (which would also cause dogs to stink a bit more from being in close quarters and all that body heat) and only letting them play when it's time for the parents to pick them up? If it were my dog, I would inconspicuously check out the other dogs’ chins the next time you pick up Yogi from day camp. See if some of them have the same thing. If not, then perhaps Yogi is allergic to the treats they are giving him (?)
P.S. I have no photo editting skills either! LOL
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Permalink Reply by Nicola Porter on
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I use olive oil in their food once a week or so.
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Olive oil is good for the coat too! I put it on Boscoe's food, but it's for his ocassional upset tummy (see Doggy Acid Reflux discussion) i never thought of the benefits it has for his coat! Good call!
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Permalink Reply by Kelly on
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I brush Gibson w/a double sided brush every few days (one side for the undercoat/one for the top coat) and furminate once a week if he's really shedding. I feed him high quality food and then bathe him once or twice a month :)
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Permalink Reply by Melissa on
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Hi. We have a really great brush that I use on Lily. Its an el cheapo doggie brush from Wal-Mart but she LOVES it. I read somewhere(I actually think someone posted it on here a while ago) that raw ground beef will help maintain a Corgi's coat. Not sure though, we haven't been brave enought to try it. Hahaha. Anyways Lily loves to be brushed and if we leave the brush in her reach she will bring it to us every evening, I sit there with her and brush her and watch TV. I have noticed that when I do this there is alot less "fluff" on my couch at the end of the day. I wash her once a week and that makes sense about the dry skin etc.
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