For a glossy coat.... ?

Assuming you feed the right food...do you rely on diet or do you add vitamins?? Someone told me to add a tsp. of olive oil to the food for shine..your thoughts?? Both my dogs get groomed everyday (yeah, I have that kind of time..lol) Neither dog has dry skin and their coats seem to shine from the frequent brushing...just wondered if I could do more.........neither are given extra vitamins at this point. THANKS.

I give Codi and Buddy a cup of rooibos tea every morning and sometimes as a treat at night and their coats are so soft and shinny, its amazing how good they look.

I feed my dogs home cooked food so I always add sunflower oil anyways...
but other than that, you can use a teaspoon of flax seed oil...it has omega acids which are healthy for the skin and coat.

Also, if you feed your dog kibble, I recommend Wellness. It is a high quality brand and they have a "Fish and Sweet Potatoe Mix" which is great for the coat and for dogs with allergies.

Oils are a good addition, especially with kibble. There are lots of good choices, sunflower, cod, olive, and flax (good for joint health, too), and I know there are several others that aren't popping into my morning brain.

Dogs are natural scavengers, too, and although I don't know all the scientific theory behind it, I do know that you don't have to worry about dogs contracting salmonella from raw eggs, which are another good addition to kibble.

The basis, though, should always be a high-quality feed, whether it's kibble, home cooked or raw. You're going to avoid a lot of skin problems later in life that way.

I don't do anything extra for my dogs and their coats, and they have very nice, soft coats. My mothers adds a suppliment to her dog's food. I found it only gave my dog the runs. I am not a vet but I heard that eggs were good for a dog's coat, maybe you can try that.

I add Lipiderm to his CA Natural, and I do have fatty acid caps that I put in every now and then. I also add yogurt, but I doubt that that has any effect on his coat. I also spray the Listerine solution on his coat after a bath. Usually I rub it in (which you're supposed to do), but sometimes I just leave it.

For a glossy coat

Debi, a super-premium food is a good place to start, because, after all, "you are what you eat". And if you should feed a Super-Premium food such as Eagle Pack or Wellness, they come with Balanced Omegas, do not supplement them with oils or you will upset that balance. For some good food suggestions, go to www.greatdanelady.com and look for her list of better foods.
The reason that many dogs have skin, coat and shedding issues is because of the vast quantities of poor quality foods that are being consumed world-wide. Besides the poor quality ingredients, harmful preservatives and additives, artificial colors and flavors, the body gets little utilization because they have no "live" components.
All processed pet foods have to be heated to destroy harmful organisms etc., even the super-premiums. But in so doing, the heat also destroys any beneficial "live food" enzymes which are essential not only to healthy normal functioning of the body, but also to the uptake and distribution of nutrients. Good brands of super-premium foods have found a way to incorporate digestive enzymes, probiotics and prebiotics into thier food at the end of the process, which is a definite plus! However, the "live food" or dietary enzymes, mentioned above, which are responsible for proper metabolic functioning, are still absent. What to do? go to (edited) and read the info there. They make an enzyme supplement in treat or granular form that will give you the best coat you've ever had. My little Chihuahua, Tigger, started on this 6 1/2 years ago. His coat is like velvet with little shedding, and his general overall health is excellent. He has never had a skin, coat or health issue at all.

I add a egg for the coat, it works really well too.