How to Keep a Dog's Coat Healthy and Shiny

I'd be lying if I said dogs like to have pretty coats. I don't think they really care. However, it's important to the two-legged-and a shiny coat is a healthy coat. Here are some ways to keep your canine's coat looking its loveliest.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Feed your dog a nutritious diet with the proper balance of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, including omega fatty acids and Vitamin E. About 20-25 percent of the diet should be protein.

2. Add one teaspoon of olive, sunflower, safflower, canola, flaxseed or fish oil to your dog's daily food. This will add shine to the coat and help to reduce shedding.

3. Brush your dog at least once a week. If your dog is of the more shedding variety, do it more often. This distributes the natural oils, prevents matting and helps minimize dust and dirt. Besides, most dogs love it.

4. Try different dog shampoos. There are moisturizing shampoos for a dry or brittle coat, oatmeal shampoo for itchy, irritated skin and dandruff and botanical or herbal shampoos for an overall healthier coat. Biotin helps with dry skin and panthenol adds shine to the coat (see Resources below).

5. Take your dog to a veterinarian for regular checkups, which should include inspection of the entire coat, including the tail and paws. Sometimes skin problems and hair loss may be caused by a medical condition.

Tips & Warnings

• Certain dog foods and treats contain flaxseed, which is comprised of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that are essential for healthy skin and coat.
• Biotin supplemental powder added to your dog's daily diet can help control dry skin and allergies.
• The Missing Link is a powder supplement that can be added to your dog's regular food. It contains vitamins and minerals that may be missing from commercial dog foods, as well as omega fatty acids.
• Apple cider vinegar can help relieve and prevent certain skin conditions and repel fleas when it is added to your dog's food or water. One daily teaspoon is good for a smaller dog, two teaspoons for a medium dog and a tablespoon for a larger dog.
• Professional groomers have the expertise and tools for getting your dog's coat in optimum condition. A visit to the groomer can range from once a month to every four to six months, depending on the dog's coat.
• Too frequent bathing will strip the coat of natural oils and dry it out.
• Hot spots or other skin conditions/allergies can cause hair loss.

Resources

• How to Choose the Right Dog Shampoo

[diggitydogg]

on 1/2/2009 YOU BETTER CONTACT AVODERM!!! I'm not irresponsible and love dogs too believe it or not, that's why I removed it, so relax and don't make accusations.

[sbarclay]

on 1/1/2009 Pretty irresponsible of you to have written and recommended suach a thing ! Avocado does not usually kill a dog outright it builds up toxins in their body. To recommend it is truly unnessary.Their are dozens of other ways to a snihy coat ! Without using possible dangerous ingredients ... I called my vet to double check and it is an absolute NO ! I panicked and wrote 3 emails cause I was so afraid someone would accidetally make their dog sick ! I have a friend whom almost last her maltese ! and the cause was Advocado ! Not the skin nor pit ! but the fruit ! I was alarmed and I realise one email might have done the trick . I apologise , still , I strongly feel that this was a dangerous method to recommend and I stand by my opinion. Just to make sure I called a few breeders and 2 more vets and they all concur with my opinion. I am a Dog Lover ! and all my dogs have Beautiful Shiny coats ! f

[diggitydogg]

on 1/1/2009 Avoderm dog food contains avocado and millions of dogs have consumed it without incident. The pit and skin are not edible and can be toxic, but as far as the fruit itself, there is still controversy, as so many dogs consume avocados without any bad effects. The ASPCA, however, includes it on their list of toxic fruits because it contains the element persin, which can cause gastrointestinal problems and tissue damage, so I will remove it from the article. HARDLY CAUSE FOR THREE SEPARATE POSTS AND ALL CAPS!!! (And ordering me to do it!)

[sbarclay]

on 12/31/2008 STEP 1. INSTRUCTIONS TO A DOGS SHINY COAT . You should not have it posted ! The Avocado fruit, pit and plant are all toxic to dogs . They can cause difficulty breathing and fluid accumulation in the LUNGS, abdomen and heart .LET ME REPEAT : Avocado fruit, pits, leaves and the actual plant are all potentially poisonous to dogs, along with other pets like cats, mice, rats, birds, rabbits, horses, cattle and goats, among others. Avocados will trigger fluid accumulation in the lungs and chest, leading to difficulty breathing and death due to oxygen deprivation. Fluid accumulation can also occur in the heart, pancreas and abdomen. S.Barclay

[sbarclay]

on 12/31/2008 AVOCADOS ARE TOXIC TO DOGS !!!! ALL PARTS OF THE AVOCADO ! PLEASE REMOVE THIS AS A WAY OF KEEPING A DOG'S COAT SHINY