MAINTAINING A HEALTHY COAT IN YOUR DOG

Your dogs’ skin is the largest organ in his body and, as a result, time should be taken to take good care of it. To help keep your pet healthy there are regular things you should do, one of which is grooming.  This is essential not only for long haired dogs but also for short haired ones. This helps reduce the amount of hair shed in the house as well as removing dead hairs and encouraging a shiny coat.

Long haired dogs need grooming more frequently than short haired ones but for either type starting from a puppy is ideal to ensure they become used to it, making the grooming process much more pleasant for both you and your dog. Frequent praise for standing quietly and allowing you to groom them is important.

Bathing

Unless your dog has a specific condition a normal healthy dog should only be bathed every few months.  Use a good quality dog shampoo and colloidal oatmeal based ones are particularly good for sensitive skin.  When you bathe your dog, avoid getting water in their eyes and ears. As a hint, while bathing your dog, if you wash the head as the very last thing this will help prevent them shaking and getting you soaking wet. Once a dogs’ head is wet this is a real trigger factor to wanting your dog to shake.  Ensure you rinse your dog thoroughly, getting right down to the skin. If you leave any shampoo on the dog this can cause irritation, towel dry your dog and keep him warm until completely dry. While damp, brush the coat gently to remove any knots.

Flea Control

As well as regular brushing and occasional bathing of your dog, regular flea control with a veterinary recommended product such as Frontline will help keep your dogs’ coat healthy.  If your dog has fleas then they will scratch and can cause sores and irritation to their skin.  You should also get into a routine of regularly checking your dog for cuts and sore patches that you may not notice otherwise. If you do find a sore on your dog then contact your vet and, in the meantime, prevent licking and scratching of the sore by the use of an Elizabethan Collar and/or socks on the dog’s feet. Bathe the area with cool salt water to keep it clean (teaspoon of salt to a pint of water) until you get your pet seen. 

Foods for a good coat

For most healthy dogs a complete, high quality commercial dog food is usually adequate to maintain a healthy coat. If your dog has a sensitive skin then a more sensitive skin diet can be fed e.g. James Wellbeloved. If your dog suffers from a skin condition or allergy then your vet may recommend a specific food such as Royal Canin Skin Support. Hypoallergenic dog foods and veterinary diets contain proteins that your dog is unlikely to have been exposed to previously and so they should not have an allergy to this food. If your dog is on a food trial to diagnose a food allergy then your dog will be fed this food as its sole diet for at least 6 weeks. It is important you feed just this food and water, nothing else, as this can jeopardise the food trial.

Supplements

If your dog is fed a commercially prepared dog food then supplements with vitamins and minerals are not usually necessary. However, if your dog has dry or sensitive skin then adding protectant essential fatty acids into the food can help maintain a healthy coat and skin.

Itchy dogs

Some dogs develop allergies as the immune system over-reacts to harmless substances e.g. pollens, house dust mites or food proteins. The result is an itchy dog. The only way to diagnose a food allergy is via a food trial. If a food trial does not stop the itching then further allergy tests can be used to find whether the dog is allergic to a mite or similar.  It can be very difficult to manage the itchy dog at home and can require a combination of treatments.  Sometimes, simple therapies, such as regular bathing with a medicated shampoo can help.  Good quality flea control is also essential.  Causes of itching add up so a dog with an allergy to moulds or pollens will itch much more if there are also fleas present.

If your dog is allergic then your vet can help by suggesting ways to reduce exposure to allergens i.e. minimising soft furnishings around a dog that is allergic to house dust mites and avoiding dog-walking on grass if they are allergic to pollens.