I would start off slow to avoid any gastric upset and see how it goes. I've found that dog lovers that feed raw are pretty passionate about it, and always happy to give advice. I've found this Yahoo group you might like: pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/rawfeeding/ This is not my group, but just thought it might help. If you don't like that one, there are many others. Thought it would probably be a good idea just to talk to some dog owners that are doing it. I make CoCo home made food at home, but my crazy dog demands all food be cooked. He'll eat raw as a snack, but his main diet consists of simmered chicken, tuna, and Halo dog food. Though, I do believe raw would probably be better for him. p.s. I would still recommend the cod liver oil, not just for his hair, but it's also known to help the joints. Anyway, have a nice evening...:)
Part 2 (wouldn't let me post entire message) As far as the diet, don't try to change it all of a sudden, but slowly change him over to an extremely high quality food. With the hip issue, stay away from prescription drugs or aspirin if at all possible, not sure how bad the hip issue is? One thing to consider is that there are natural pain killers for dogs. I guess that would be my thoughts on where to start, and please let me know how it goes.
In answer to your question, YES - But, look first at the diet. If you're feeding a commercial food, look closely at the label and throw it in the trash if it has by-products listed in the first three ingredients. Many dog owners have raved about the health difference they've seen after putting their dog on a raw meat diet. It may be something to consider, or you might want to cook your own dog food at home (I'll be happy to help with recipes if you would like to try). If you stick with commercial dog food try a high quality one, and make sure to read all the ingredients. For the hair issue, your dog could very well be needing more omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids which are found in fish oil. A daily teaspoon of cod liver oil would probably improve his coat quite a bit.
I think I should start a club for world domination under my infallible leadership. What do you say? I have free beer day.
