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st bernard archy.

19 9:18:57

Question
QUESTION: I have a four year old st bernard. I rescued him from a dogs home last year. His co waat was matted so he was shaved. I brush him every day and his hair comes out in clumps but doesnt leave bald spotts. Is this normal? He also seems quite skinny and very unhappy. I cnt get him into a vet as he hates any animal and is funny with new people. Is there any suggestions? Thank u

ANSWER: Shedding is normal in most breeds, actually all dogs shed to some degree, but some do more than others. Dogs generally start a major shed in January when the days start to lengthen, and then they have another minor one in the fall.

Brushing is great, but for all that undercoat, you may want to try some sort of deshedder blade, like FurGOPet, Love2Pet, or even Furminator, although it isn't quite as good as the other two.

If he is skinny, he may just need more food. A large dog can eat a lot of food, just make sure that it is a quality product. Here is my recommendation for choosing a good food:

The first ingredient should be a specified meat meal (ie. chicken meal, lamb meal, etc.; all water is removed from meat), there should be a minimum of grains (one, or, at the most, two), there should be NO by-products, NO preservatives such as BHA and BHT, NO ethoxyquin, and NO menadione sodium bisulfate (source of vitamin K). Dogs also do not need extra salt. Fiber shouldn't be over 4%; more fiber equates to more poop to pick up. I like to see probiotics and enzymes in the food (acidolpholus). Corn is an excellent source of the omega fatty acids if one doesn't have a dog that is allergic to it. When I go to a company's website to see the nutritional analysis of a product, this means as much to me as seeing a list of the ingredients. I want to know how much protein, fat, and fiber is in that food. My dogs do best on 25% protein and 15% fat due to our climate and the large area they have to run in; many pets would do better with lower fat and protein levels. The worst thing one can do with a dog is let it get overweight; too many health disorders (ie. diabetes, pancreatitis) accompany that. One important thing to remember is that, if a dog is neutered, it will rquire LESS food than one that is intact due to the change in hormone levels.

I cannot speak to the dog being "unhappy". Maybe you just need to interact with him more... play with him, take him for walks, etc.

If you feel that there might really be something wrong with him, your veterinarian is your best friend. Get your dog in and have him professionally examined.



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QUESTION: Thank u for rapid responce. Archey is neutered. I dnt wnt him overweight. I feed him 3 times a day and will often just leave it or turn his nose up. Have u ever know a st bernard to be aggressive towards any dog, cat, bird. This makes it very difficult to walk him and get him into vets which is impossible. When I do walk him after 10 20 mins he will slow right down which feels like im draggin him. He sleeps all the time. I know when u get a dog from the dog home u dnt know there history. I have bin told to buy hibbyscrub for his coat. Wud u recomend this. Thank u for ur time.

Answer
I am not that familiar with St. Bernards to speak on their temperament, but the few I've seen at shows seem fairly complacent. However, any dog can become aggressive, depending on how they have been raised or trained (make that lack of training!). If you are having trouble controlling Archy, maybe it is time to get him in for some obedience classes and to start working with him every day. I highly recommend that for every dog!

Are you sure about Archy's age? His wanting to sleep all the time really makes him sound like an older dog to me. Life expectancy for a St. Bernard is 8-10 years, and older dogs do tend to lose muscle mass and have trouble keeping on weight.

I really cannot judge Archy's physical condition from those photographs since he has a fair amount of hair now; one would have to put hands on him to feel the amount of muscle mass versus boney structure. Slightly thin is always healthier than fat.

Hibiscrub is an effective hospital-strength antiseptic and disinfectant, and is effective against a wide range of bacteria, yeasts, viruses and some fungi. (Care should be taken to avoid contact with the eyes and ears.) Great product, but why do you (or anyone) think that he needs this for his coat? Are there any signs of skin problems? You didn't mention any previously. This is not a product that a dog should be licking, which could easily happen if it was used on him.