maltese puppy coat

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Archived Message

puppy coat
by Claudine
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
puppy coat Hi Everyone! I have two maltese and one of them has a terrible coat. Her coat is very raggedy and thin and mats very easily. Her hair seperates so that you can see her pinkish skin. I was wondering if this is her puppy coat or should I give her some sort of supplement such as Linatone for her coat. I give her vitamins daily. My other maltese was sick when I got him and he lost most of his fur and when it grew back it was the most gorgeous coat. Help. Claudine, Missy and Monte

DISCUSSION:

How old is the puppy? How often do you brush/comb her? What kind of shampoo do use? What are you feeding her? I can't remember Puff's coat ever being thin and scraggly, although it has been a while since he was a pup, and his coat is a bit on the overly wavy to almost curly side, so it may just be different. See the previous message I wrote for other considerations. I don't believe in supplementing dogs that are on a good quality food (the key word is quality here) unless there is a problem, as an imbalance in vitamins or minerals can cause health problems, but if she does have some sort of skin condition, ask your vet. There are some safe supplements for puppies that add extra fatty acids and oils to the skin to help with poor coats. Some dogs do need the extra nutrition even on a balanced diet.
Aimee