illness

Question
hi i have a whippet dog he is thin and has lost some of his hair, also his ears are dry and cracking i have been giving him vitamins but cannot get condition on him. can you help?

Answer
First, he needs to be seen by a veterinarian and have some blood work done. There is a *reason* why he is losing hair and ears are dry and cracking. Be sure to have his thyroid checked, and also take in a stool sample for examination. If those turn up normal, then look to what you are feeding the dog.

Feed a good-quality food like Eagle, Wellness, Canidae, or Solid Gold. (There are a number of good foods on the market now.) The first ingredient should be a specific meat protein (preferably a meat meal), there should be NO by-products, limited grains, and the food should have no menadione bisulfate (source of vitamin K activity). http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=menadione

Also, increase his food slightly in order to put more weight on him, but watch closely so that he doesn't get fat.