If the eyes are the portal to the soul, the skin and hair are both the window to an animal’s inner health and well-being. Shiny hair, defined as a hair coat with a healthy and shiny shine, is a sign of the animal’s general health. A drab coat that lacks sheen, on the other hand, indicates that the animal is not as healthy as she should be.
In their article “Coat and Skin Appearance in the Healthy Dog,” veterinarians Ryan Llera, Tammy Hunter and Cheryl Yuill said that a healthy coat should be lustrous and smooth, not brittle or coarse, and a healthy skin should be supple and transparent, not greasy, flaky, or bumpy. Although health and nutrition have an impact on the sheen and texture of your dog’s coat from the inside, regular grooming and skin care on the outside can help maintain your dog’s coat clean and free of tangles, regardless of the type of hair coat he has.
Types of hair coats of dogs
(Photo from iStock royalty-free images.)
Llera, Hunter, and Yuill said selective breeding has resulted in the evolution of dogs with a variety of coat traits. There are breeds whose hair grows continually, such as the Yorkshire Terrier, Shih Tzu, and Pekingese. These dogs require regular visits to the grooming parlor for a shampoo and trim.
Long, thick hair coats with an outer coat of guard hairs and an undercoat of fine hair that serves as an insulating layer are characteristic of Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, and many Retrievers. These breeds frequently go through two large seasonal shedding episodes each year, generally in late spring and late fall, during which most of the undercoat falls off in clumps. Many short-haired breeds lack a distinct undercoat and frequently lose hair at low levels all year.
Proper nutrition
Nutrition is extremely important to your dog’s health. If your dog is fed low-quality food on a regular basis, he will be deficient in vital nutrients that maintain healthy skin and fur. A lack of sufficient lipids, as well as a lack of vital vitamins and minerals (such as zinc, which is essential for excellent skin), can result in brittle hair and a dry protective barrier in your dog. The skin care point here is to provide your dog healthy food and skin-conditioning vitamins.
Allergies, adverse food reaction, and other skin illnesses
Allergies, whether food-related or environmental, as well as food responses and intolerances (such as dairy or grain), can cause itching, redness, and painful skin in general. Your dog will not get relief unless he is examined by a veterinarian to establish the problem. To determine the cause, a diet based on trial elimination is frequently used. A mild, medicated shampoo to alleviate the itch may be used in skin care for a dog with allergies.
Llera, Hunter, and Yuill said that chronic or long-term stress will have an impact on the look of your dog’s coat, particularly its gloss and texture.
When stressed, many dogs sweat excessively. Hormone imbalances or other metabolic issues (hypothyroidism), digestive disturbances such as chronic diarrhea, internal (intestinal worms) and external (fleas, ticks, mange mites) parasites, and cancer are some of the more frequent diseases that can affect your dog’s hair. If the dog is unable to groom himself due to arthritis or weight, he may develop skin issues such as dandruff or matting.
How does regular grooming help?
Regular grooming benefits all dogs by removing loose hair and dead skin cells, keeping the coat free of dirt, debris, and external parasites, and distributing natural skin oils throughout the hair shafts. Dogs with long, silky, or curly coats should be brushed on a daily basis. Short-haired dogs may require less regular brushing. Llera, Hunter, and Yuill said that every few days, you should check your dog’s coat to make sure there are no tangles or clumps behind the armpits, in the groin, or behind the ears. Look for burrs or twigs that may have been stuck in the coat and caused discomfort during a romp through the grass or in the woods.
Most dogs require bathing on a regular basis, generally when their coat becomes soiled or they develop a “dog odor.” Non-shedding breeds with no health problems often require a wash every six to eight weeks as part of their routine upkeep, according to Llera, Hunter, and Yuill. Bathing dogs with thick undercoats in the spring and fall, when they shed, is beneficial. Dogs should only be showered with shampoo designed specifically for them since their skin is thicker and has a higher pH (acidity) than human skin, said Llera, Hunter, and Yuill.
About the Author: Mariana Burgos is a freelance artist. She has been a solo parent for 16 years now because she is wife to a desaparecido. She and her daughter are animal lovers and are active in advocating not only human rights but the rights of animals as well.