How can I help get my dog's coat more shiny, healthy?

Medical issues (like hypothyroidism) can cause a dull, dry coat...you may want to schedule a senior blood panel, and mention his coat as a concern. Some things you can add to his diet: Efa-Z plus (non-prescription, but sold at vet's offices), fish oil, flaxseed or flaxseed oil, or even something from PetCo like Lambert Kay shed relief.

I'm assuming your have an Australian Shepherd mix? If his coat is like an Australian Shepherd he never should have had his coat shaved. Shaving double-coated breeds can forever ruin the coat texture, making the coat feel dry, coarse, and woolly. Sometimes the original coat texture never comes back after shaving. No amount of fish oil or eggs will ever fix a coat that has been permanently damaged by being shaved.

Your dog's coat actually protects him from overheating as the longer guard hairs (the hairs you shaved off) reflect UV rays. It's the thick undercoat that can cause a dog to be a bit uncomfortable in the heat, not the guard hairs. Shaving only further exposes the dog's sensitive skin to the sun increasing risk of overheating and sunburn.

Just a friendly tip: Shaving a dog does not in fact make them cooler when its hot out but hotter. The dogs coat acts as an air conditioner, taking that away makes them hot. The only reason you should shave a dog down is because you like the look of them with that haircut.

Best of luck on the shiny coat :)

What your dog eats can affect his health. Your dog’s food should have a good amount of protein, while balanced with vitamins and minerals. To find out what food is best for your pooch, talk to your veterinarian.

Omega 3 fatty acids can help make your pet’s coat shiny,such as raw eggs.

Your dog will not achieve a shiny coat if he does not have healthy skin; water is essential for a healthy pooch.

Exercise gets oxygen pumping through the blood. Oxygen contributes to healthy skin.

Sometimes when you shave off double coated dogs this happens. The more you do it the coarser it becomes. The double coat actually protects them from over heating.. In the future just brush him thoroughly and try not to shave him. You can get salmon oil to squirt on his food that will help his coat.

you can go to pet co or some pet supply store and they have shampoos and brushes that are speicaly made for a shiny coat. also some dog foods help.

this is like my dog, she got pimples removed on her back because they caused her pain, and they had to shave it so they could remove it but the hair didn't grow back so we gave her shampoo and it is now growing back. but we can't give her food since she got liver stones and is on a speical diet. she is a 9 year old (turning 10 in a few months) portugeis water dog.

Add a few tbls. of olive oil to his dry food once a week, works great on my border collie/aussie mix. My vet says you should not shave your dogs coat, and it gets really hot here. They perspire through their hair. My dog has a long coat, and it reached over 110 degrees here this summer, but just brushing alot and the olive oil has kept him shiney and comfortable.

A good diet is always the best place to start. I've never heard of Innova (probably not British) but I feed nature diet (wet) and country choice (dry). Grooming often will get rid of the dead hairs.

My GSD has a daily supplement of cod liver oil which seems to make her coat extra shiny :)

Here's a pic of my girl for reference;

http://i798.photobucket.com/albums/yy267/sequeena1...

Edit: Raw bones are brilliant. You can get them free from your butcher and your dog will love you for it.

short hair and long hair are tied with everyone else. their is no far better than other

Add a tablespoon of cod liver oil to the food. They love it