Healthy Dog Fur
Dog coats are almost as varied as dog breeds, but in general a healthy dog will have a shiny coat. In fact, one way of monitoring your dog’s health is to make sure that its coat remains rich and lustrous. Therefore, it is essential that you keep a close eye on your dog’s coat and do everything you can to make sure it remains shiny and healthy.
Keeping a Shiny Coat
- Diet – What your dog eats has a direct impact on its coat. Since protein makes up 90 percent of a dog’s fur, your dog must receive proper quantities of protein in its diet. Protein-rich brands of dog food include National Pet Pharmacy’s Wellness CORE Grain Free Original Dry Adult Dog Food and Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Canine Formula with Smoked Salmon Dry Dog Food. Another component of healthy dog fur is a proper balance of amino acids. To further ensure your dog has a healthy coat, you might want to supplement its diet with National Pet Pharmacy’s Avoderm Natural Booster Skin And Coat Supplement For Dogs And Cats.
- Brushing – Brushing your dog regularly not only helps prevent matting, it allows you to examine your dog’s coat closely so that you can see if there are any abnormalities in hair growth or skin condition. Doing so also ensures that your pet is free of ticks, fleas, mites or other parasites. To brush a long hair dog, use short strokes, pushing up against the lay of the hair then pushing down. Be sure never to pull the hair. To brush a short hair dog, use longer strokes, moving in the direction of the lay of the hair. National Pet Pharmacy offers a variety of brushes, including M2Pets Snap-N-Clean Grooming Brush for Long Haired Dogs, which is particularly well suited to long hair dogs, and M2Pets Snap-N-Clean Grooming Brush for Short Haired Dogs, which is perfect for short hair ones.
- Shampooing – Shampoos and soaps such as National Pet Pharmacy’s Hyliderm Hypoallergenic Shampoo by Vitality Systems for Dogs can help clean your dog’s coat while supplying it with healthy nutrients and oils. To wash your dog, brush him with a soft towel or sponge. Afterward, dry him with a warm towel and keep him inside until all moisture is gone. Frequency of shampooing depends on the breed of your dog, with longer hair dogs requiring more grooming than smaller ones.
Causes of Unhealthy Dog Fur
Unhealthy dog fur can result in a coat that is dull, brittle and even patchy with hair loss. Hormonal imbalances, infections, stress and conditions such as alopecia can all contribute to problems with maintaining a healthy coat. If these conditions do not respond readily to treatments such as change in diet, be sure to consult your veterinarian. Remember, however, that different breeds of dogs have different kinds of coats. King Charles Spaniels and English Cocker Spaniels, for instance, have interwoven coats while Afghans, Malteses and Yorkshire Terriers have fine, silky ones. In general, though, all breeds should have shiny fur if their coats are healthy.
About National Pet Pharmacy
National Pet Pharmacy is your pet health superstore. From prescription only pet medications to organic dog food, National Pet Pharmacy knows that pet health is more than just medicine; it is pet supplies, pet beds and pet food. From nose to tail, National Pet Pharmacy cares for your whole pet.
Related Articles
Search for More Information
Search over 10,000 Pet Health Articles