Just like our own hair and skin, a dog’s coat and skin are also a reflection of their overall health.
It’s vital that you take good care of your canine friend’s skin and coat, as the skin is one of the most important organs of their body. It forms a barrier to protect your beloved dog from various infections, and it helps to maintain the body’s internal environment.
A dull coat or skin irritation is a sign that your pet might be suffering from some internal or external issues. Some common skin and coat issues that your dog might suffer from are dull fur, itchy skin, rashes, hot spots, excessive shedding, dandruff, and dermatitis.
If your dog is nipping at its skin, scratching all the time and losing fur, it’s a clear indication that your dog’s skin and coat are not healthy.
Keeping your dog’s skin healthy is not hard. The following tips will help you keep your friend’s skin and coat healthy throughout the year.
Your dog needs frequent baths to maintain its healthy skin. During the spring and summer, you need to bathe your pet more often that during the winter.
The frequency is totally dependent on the breed of dog you have, its coat, its activity levels and its medical conditions. The frequency may vary from once a week to once a month, depending on these factors.
However, do not wash your dog too often as this will strip the coat of natural oils and will lead to dry skin and irritation.
It’s important that you use a good shampoo as this can stave off a number of skin issues, as well as making your dog’s coat look nice and shiny. There are a wide variety of shampoos to choose from, and your vet can help you make the right choice. Never use shampoos that are made for humans as these can contain harsh chemicals that will damage your dog’s fur or sensitive skin.
After shampooing, wash the coat thoroughly as residual shampoo can irritate the skin and make the fur look dull.
2. Brush Your Dog’s Coat
Brushing your dog’s fur helps to distribute the natural oils in the skin. To add to this, it stimulates the skin and hair follicles, which increases the natural production of skin oils that make the coat look nice and shiny. Brushing also helps to prevent matting and reduces shedding by removing any loose fur.
You should brush your dog once every other day. You should select a brush that is appropriate for the type of fur that your dog has.
A proper diet plays a key role in maintaining the health and condition of your dog’s skin and coat.
Hair is made of protein, so a protein-based diet is very important. In addition to this, your dog’s diet should include calcium, healthy fatty acids, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, zinc, potassium, copper, folic acid, and Vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, and E.
If you want your dog’s coat to be rich and shiny and their skin to be healthy, you can feed them foods such as eggs, chia seeds, almonds, oats, coconut oil, wild salmon, sweet potatoes, and cranberries.
4. Give Your Dog Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplements
Omega-3 fatty acids play a vital role in keeping your dog’s coat in good condition. Their anti-inflammatory nature helps to protect your pet from allergies and inflammatory skin conditions.
Look for omega-3 supplements that contain EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). These supplements are available in liquid or tablet form, so you can choose whichever is more comfortable to feed your dog.
Water is an important element when it comes to having a healthy body and skin, hence it’s extremely important for your dog to drink plenty of water throughout the day.
However, while too little water could result in dehydration, urinary tract infections, kidney stones and organ failure, too much water isn’t good for your dog either.
For healthy dogs, a general daily guideline is between ½ and 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight. This means that a 65-pound dog should drink between 33-65 ounces of water per day.
6. Regularly Check for Parasites
From time to time, you should look through your dog’s coat for parasites such as ticks and fleas. These parasites can affect your dog’s coat and overall health, and can lead to irritation, itching, and even hair loss.
To check for parasites, run your fingers over several parts of your dog’s coat, such as down the back, near the tail, on the belly, and behind the ears.
Source: top10homeremedies
Images: depositphotos
