Why is my new chihuahua mutt suddenly shedding, after two months?

Question

when i first got her, she never shed at all! then i was reading all this stuff about prey-model raw feeding and decided to try it out. it seems like she started shedding around the same time i started the new diet, and i know that on the raw feeding message boards they say that the dog goes thru "detox" when you start raw, which makes them lose their old coat in order to grow a new "amazing" coat. i have always been sort of skeptical about things that claim to "detox" (ear candles, chinese foot patches, colon cleansers, apple cider vinegar), so i don't really feel comfortable with that explanation. it seems more like she is reacting badly to the diet. the vet says to feed a good holistic food, like the wellness she was originally eating before the raw diet. any experts? maybe i'll just feed raw for treats from now on...

Answer 1

Feed raw treats for snacks! Listen to your vet! They have shed shampoo that helps reduce shedding

Answer 2

please go with what the vet says.

Answer 3

Stresses, such as a drastic change in diet, DO cause temporary hair loss, in people as well as dogs.  It's a common side effect and does not mean that the diet is unhealthy, just that the body is not used to it and is going "WTF?".

Answer 4

I don't know if your dog is blowing coat due to the feeding, or not, but it's about the right time of year for dogs to blow coat anyway - Winter is coming, and its time to dump the old fur and get nice fluffy new fur before the cold gets here.

Don't sweat it - just brush out her coat frequently, and keep a weather eye out for bald patches. So long as she's not getting bald patches, you're almost certainly fine. If you want to help the coat quality, some people recommend fish oil capsules, one a day, but if she's eating a well-balanced diet, they aren't really necessary.