According to the VCA Animal Hospital blog, the general condition of a dog's skin and coat provides lots of clues about an animal's overall wellness. Since your pet can't tell you exactly how he feels, it's important to pick up on visual clues about his health.

In addition, many of the steps you take to maintain your dog's fur and skin will also help support his resistance to disease, the impact of aging, and allergies. Sometimes, attention to the outside of your dog will start by addressing what's going on inside his body.

HOW SHOULD A HEALTHY DOG'S SKIN AND COAT LOOK?

Obviously, various dog breeds have different kinds of coats. For instance, you wouldn't expect to see a poodle, Labrador retriever, and Chihuahua with the same sort of hair. Still, some qualities of healthy coats and skin are deemed fairly universal:

• Coats should look shiny and feel smooth and not coarse or brittle
• Skin should feel supple and appear clear and not flaky, overly greasy, or bumpy

HOW TO HELP PROMOTE YOUR DOG'S HEALTHY SKIN AND COAT

As a pet parent, you can provide appropriate grooming and a complete diet to help your dog's coat and skin remain healthy.

Regular grooming

Regular brushing or combing will keep your long-haired dog's coat from getting tangled. The action also helps distribute natural oils through the coat. Depending upon your preference and your dog's fur, you might use a dog brush, comb, or even one of those special grooming gloves.

Some dog experts suggest daily or at least, thrice-weekly brushing sessions. Grooming your dog also offers you and your dog a nice chance to bond and relax together. If your dog sheds a lot, a brushing session will give you a chance to comb out loose hairs. That way, you won't find so many on the carpet or furniture later.

On the other hand, you generally shouldn't bathe your dog too often. Frequent baths will wash off natural oils and risk dry fur and skin. Of course, you can bathe your dog when he gets especially dirty. Otherwise, long-haired dogs can usually go for six weeks, and short-haired pets may only need a bath twice a few times a year.

Omega dog supplements

For most dogs, basic nutrition comes from a high-quality dog food brand. Still, these processed foods generally supply enough omega-6 but little or no omega-3. This is why:

• Corn-fed animal protein and many vegetable oils provide abundant omega-6. You commonly see those kinds of ingredients in commercial dog food.
• At the same time, fish and flaxseed oils provide omega-3. A few specialty brands have these kinds of ingredients.
• Dogs need the right balance of both types of essential fatty acids to keep their fur and skin healthy.

The American Kennel Club says that these omega dog supplements are one of the best and most popular supplement choices. Besides preserving your awesome pet on the outside where you can see him, they also help support wellness on the inside.

For instance, plenty of pet owners and vets believe these nutrients help reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and even to promote heart and brain health. They also help reduce symptoms of allergies, another common source of coat and skin problems in dogs.

The AKC does not encourage feeding dogs the kinds of supplements that people take. It's often tough to get a dog to take capsules, and oil is messy and unreliable because you have to mix it with your pet's food and hope he eats it. Instead, Salmon Bites for dogs provide pet parents with a soft, dry, and for dogs anyway, tasty treat that they should gobble right up.

Related Products

All dogs deserve to feel good on the inside and look great on the outside! Their coats are an important part of being able to recognize cleanliness and/or allergies. Our Skin & Coat Bites are an easy way to help your dog's coat stay shiny and shimmering all day long.

 

Source: 

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/fish-oil-for-dogs/