Dog owners generally want their pets to feel comfortable and have a healthy, shiny coat. However, if your dog has dry skin, it will be itchy and uncomfortable. To improve your dog's health, follow these steps to improve the quality of your dog's coat.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Evaluating Your Dog's Skin
Step 1. Look for signs of dry skin
First, try touching your dog's skin. If your dog starts scratching violently, his skin is likely dry. If you brush your hair, you may find the following signs of dry skin:
- Dry skin flakes
- Dandruff
- Itchy feeling
- Hair is hard and brittle.
- Hard or cracked skin
Step 2. Consider your dog's health
Try to see if there is a difference in the dog's behavior or other things. for example, how about appetite, thirst, energy level (dog activity level)? If you suspect another medical condition is affecting your dog, take him to the vet for diagnosis and treatment. Dry skin can be caused by other medical conditions. If the medical condition is successfully cured, dry skin will also heal on its own.
These nonspecific behavioral changes can be a sign of conditions such as hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland), Cushing's disease, infection, or diabetes. These conditions can affect the health of the skin and coat, especially in older dogs
Step 3. Look for parasites in the dog's fur
Take a good look at your dog's coat. Brush the bristles back and look for dandruff or skin flakes. Caution, visible skin flakes or dandruff may actually be tiny parasites. This parasite named Cheyletiella, has the nickname “walking dandruff” because it looks like dandruff and if you look closely, you can see this parasite walking.
Your vet can diagnose this parasite by looking for it under a microscope. Treatment of this parasite uses a spray (fipronil) once every two weeks
Part 2 of 2: Conditioning Your Dog's Skin
Step 1. Feed your dog healthy food
Make sure your dog gets a high-quality, balanced diet and always has water available for the dog to drink. Choose packaged foods that list meat, such as chicken, beef, or lamb, at the top of the list, followed by vegetables, such as sweet potatoes or carrots. These foods are more nutritious than meat-only or “soy” products and are richer in vitamins and minerals. In addition, you can also look for foods that contain vitamin E or omega-6 fatty acids that are beneficial for dog skin. Add olive oil to dog food to soothe dry skin. This method is quite effective and dogs will love the good taste.
Cheap or economical quality food usually uses low-quality ingredients and is processed on a large scale. This can damage your dog's skin, especially if you switch from good quality to low quality food. The impact of different foods on the dog's skin will be visible after about a month
Step 2. Give the dog a dietary supplement
Regardless of the quality of the food chosen, some of the nutrients will be destroyed during the food manufacturing process. If your dog has dry skin, you can provide additional nutrition in the form of dietary supplements. This supplement can nourish skin cells deep in the dog's body tissues and the benefits can be seen after about a month. Give your dog some of the following additional nutrients:
- Vitamin E: Give dog 1.6-8 mg/kg per day. Ask your veterinarian for the exact dose. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that can improve and heal a dog's skin. This vitamin works by fighting damage to skin cells caused by environmental factors, such as pollution.
- Omega fatty acids or oils: these substances are also known as poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Omega 3 is found in flax, corn, and donkey oil, while omega 6 is found in fish oil. These fatty acids are anti-inflammatory (helps if your dog has allergies) that nourish skin cells, and increase the skin's protective barrier. The recommended dose is 30 mg/kg, but too much can cause diarrhea.
Step 3. Groom your dog's coat regularly
Brush the dog's hair every day. Brushing the coat will distribute the dog's natural oils throughout the coat so it is protected and shiny, and prevents oil deposits that can cause irritation. In addition, brushing also acts as a massager, which will increase the blood supply to the dog's skin. This allows the skin to receive more oxygen and washes away waste products, thereby relieving dry skin.
Trim the tangles in the fur as soon as possible. Tangled fur can constrict the skin and air entering the dog's skin can cause dry, flaky skin
Step 4. Bathe your pup
Bathing not only prevents dirt and oil deposits, but it's also your chance to check your dog's skin for parasites. Generally, dogs are shampooed once a month or at most every two weeks if their skin condition is normal. If a dog with dry skin is rolling in the mud and needs a bath, use a grain shampoo and don't overdry it.
Choose a dog shampoo that is pH balanced for your dog's skin. Do not use shampoo with perfume as it can dry out the skin. It is recommended to use a wheat shampoo because it can moisturize the skin gently
Step 5. Monitor the humidity level of your home
Low humidity in your home plus cold weather can cause or exacerbate dry skin. Control the humidity in your home with a humidifier. In addition, the heat in the room can also dry the skin. Therefore, keep the temperature of the house is not too hot. Prevent the dog from lying near the heater.
Keep the dog indoors during dry, cold weather
Step 6. Be patient
Moisturizing a dog's skin can take some time as skin is made up of several layers of cells. Mature skin cells in the outermost layer are older and drier. Dead skin cells at the base of the tissue are called "germ" or baby skin cells. It takes 28 days for a baby's skin cells to mature and be in the outermost layer. Continue to maintain the condition of the dog's skin for a month to see the difference in the quality of your dog's skin.
