my puppy sheds

Question
QUESTION: I have a 12 week old bichon and he is shedding very badly!  I was under the impression that a bichon does not shed! He is an AKC registered pure bred!  Please help!  The shedding is making us crazy!

Thanx

ANSWER: I will need more information, Bichons dont shed that doesnt mean they dont lose coat as they do as you play with them and brush them. Is this happening when ?? Also what shampoo are you using.Non shed coat means that to lose it a brush will need going thru the coat. At such a young age I would use omega 3,6 9 in the diet and see how you go...there is a condition that all dogs can get but before I point youin that direction I need more info. Is he/she scratching

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QUESTION: Yes, he is scratching quite a bit, I don't see any fleas, and I also ask the groomer if she does, and she has not seen any either.  She uses blue shampoo for whtie and light colored dogs.  I try to brush him every day, at least every couple of days, but he can just sit in my lap and get up and I am covered!  Also his hair is very straight, and about 3" long, all of my friends who have bichons are curly, he is starting to curl at the root.  My groomer has only cut around his face, but has not done anything to his body, could this be part of the problem.  We are feeding him Natural Choice Puppy Food.  Is Omega 3,6,9 a vitamin or something that should be in his food??
ANSWER: Gives me a better idea now thanks for responding quickly. Ok so the shampoo should be stopped immediately and use an oatmeal based one . He should be cut down to a short coat a puppy trim asap,stop giving him any treats and use a raw food diet . The Omegas will help maintain his natural coat. The type of coat he has (being straight)isnt a problem it will get curly soon.It sounds like an allergy both to his food and the shampoo. A raw food diet is a better option for him under the circumstances. If you are still stuck after doing this for 1 month please use my fre site
www.eurobichons.com


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QUESTION: I am still potty training...he is doing very well and I do give treats when he goes to the door on his own...is there an alternative to give him for potty training???  And what exactly is a raw diet??? Of course for me I think broccoli & salad, LOL, but what is it for dogs??

Answer
Hi Nancy
ha ha A canine raw food diet is raw vegetables like brocolli however NOT too much , it must be less than 10% of the diet as it is a poison to dogs and some other animals.Carrot batons, oatmeal,chicken wings (RAW) at first he wont know what to do with it, but he will soon learn the value of it. Heart, lungs, Kidneys, occasional liver , all raw, if you want pre packed foods try www.bravofoods.com Omegas and fish oils reduce allergies in dogs so yes give as a supplement daily, cranberry reduces the likelihood of stones , common in bichons and will keep UTI at a minimum.Green beans will give a good source of fibre as will mashed potatoes and pumpkin these can be given cooked .Apple and banana  and pear are a good source of fibre and essential minerals too.
Most of the ills a dog suffers today are due to the way in which we now feed them, kibble is a convenmience food rather like a macdonalds is for us, its cheap, its quick but will do very little good in reality and yes it will pile on the pounds...Dont worry about the dog eating a raw chicken wing (1 per day is sufficient) as it will not cause him any problems. But you need to be careful as the risk of salmonella for you is obviously high and as such cleanliness is paramount.I do hope this helps you as it has helped many thousands of bichons world wide that have now switched.Switching also helps in the area of tearstains , the amount of colouring in all commercial dog food is appalling.This then makes staining more prevalent.