Dry poodle hair

Question
I have a 10yr. old standard charcoal poodle. He has Addison disease and is taking prednisone and elanapril for his hart. Has been followed closely by our vet for his entire life 2 to 3 checks per year. Has a clean bill of health. BUT his hair is very dry. I have been using Paul Mitchell dog shampoo and conditioner that moisturizes but his coat is still dull and dry. I heard that there are oil and protein reconstructing treatments. Can you help me with this problem? What to do and product advice. He has a bath about once a month and is combed every other day.
Thank you
Barb Shetterly

Answer
Hello again Barb,
I don't know your dogs diet restrictions (if he has any at all), but I thought I would add this diet that I made up for dogs with dry, damaged or thin coats.  You can either feed this diet straight or mix it in with your dogs dry food.  If mixing it in your dogs food, I would go 1/2 dry food and 1/2 mix.  I like foods like Bil-Jac, Nutro Natural Choice (though it has caused diarrhea in some dogs so switch if your dog has frequent loose stools), Royal Canin Poodle Variety, Chicken Soup for the Dog, Iams, Diamond Naturals, or even prescription foods.  If your dog is eating something that is Vet prescribed, you might consult them first before using this diet.  You can use the Salmon Oil rather than the canned Salmon if you perfer.  The Salmon you get in a can is usually farm raised and won't have as much oil as the Wild Salmon Oil tablets.

This is a diet I made up for dogs that need to grow thick coats or for dogs that have had skin problems.  

1 lb Hamburger, Turkey, Chicken or Lamb burger, cooked and most of the fat drained off.
1 can Salmon
1 tin Sardines in Olive Oil
1 cup Spinach blended with the oil of the sardines
1 egg scrambled
1 1/2 cup Special K or Total Cereal
1 Apple Blended (or you can use 1/2 cup of Applesauce/ perferably without sugar)
1/8 tsp Garlic powder
1 grated carrot
1/2 cup brown rice, cooked using chicken broth for better flavor
1/2 Tablespoon Cottage Cheese, this is optional and can be added per feeding rather than made up in advance.

You can also add fruits or veggies that your dog likes, or take out things that you think your dog will turn his nose up at.
This recipe is for a large dog, but if you think this is more than you would use in a week, it freezes nicely.  It has vitamins and minerals that are good for a dogs coat and skin.



Hello Barb,
There are a few things you can do to help your Poodles coat from becoming so dry.  The conditioner you are using is good and you aren't bathing him too frequently.  When you brush your dog you need to wet the hair to help prevent hair breakage.   You can use spray conditioners or a product that I like to use from Sally's Beauty Supply called "Proclaim Spray-On Conditioner".  Just spray it on your dog then brush the hair.  It will keep the hair from breaking when brushing and will also leave a pleasant smell and a wonderful shine.  You can also get the "Mane and Tail" conditioner from Sally's that works great to help condition the hair.  They also have another great conditioner called Cure Care that has proteins and vitamins to promote healthy growth and shine.  

Depending on your dogs diet, you can also get Wild Salmon Oil tablets that you can put on his food once a week.  They promote hair growth and are wonderful for helping with dry and brittle hair.  You can also use canned Salmon or Sardines (given once a week in the food or as a treat) but they aren't as effective as the Salmon Oil.  You will need to give it some time before you start to see a change in his hair, depending on the dog, maybe 3 weeks to a month or so.  

Give it a try and if you have other questions for me, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim