Great food treats 80% of the body’s inflammation, but shedding means there is still something more. Could be he still has some “leaky gut” issues. 60-70% of the body’s immune system is in the intestines – it’s called the GALT – gut-associated lymphoid tissue. If the GALT is still inflamed, even on the best diets, things that shouldn’t be absorbed will be and things that should won’t be. There are many things that can keep the guts inflamed – heavy metals, parasites, fungus, virus, bacteria. Now, most of these aren’t the ones I learned in veterinary school – those would cause overt disease.
Instead, these causes of inflammation are the annoying “no-see ‘ems” that cause irritation and over-stimulate the GALT. Heavy metals and fungus are the two I address most frequently. Metals come from vaccines, pollution, pesticides on crops, even the containers that process the foods. Fungus is all around. It’s in the environment, in the soil. Different parts of the country have different issues. And, if your dog ever ate anything other than the best food, yeast/fungus was supplied readily in that food. Yogurt, a commonly used home-remedy for yeast, is often not enough to get rid of the fungus (yeast).
A few things that can help rid the body of heavy metals: Chorella, charcoalized bamboo, and homeopathic detoxification products available from your holistic veterinarian.
To rid the body of fungus can take time and patience. A fungal infection is often complicated by the changing nature of fungus, mixed infections and how well the fungus hides in the body. Fungal infections usually take months to treat; rotating herbs, sometimes including western antifungals, can rid the shedding dog’s body of fungus. A few things that help: Noni fruit, Schisandra Chinensis, and undecanoic acid. Again, your holistic veterinarian can help.
Shedding is the body’s way of telling us there’s a problem. Granted, our dogs will blow their coats twice a year, but all the time fur all over the furniture – not normal. For those of you with continuously growing coated dogs, well, your dog’s skin will feel greasy with fungus, or his coat will be dull if there is inflammation in the gut.