Your appearance is a reflection of your inner well-being. When you feel good on the inside, it shows on the outside. This also applies to your dog. A dull coat can indicate an underlying problem, such as a vitamin deficiency or a disease.
In this article, we’ll discuss what you can do to make your dog’s coat shine. ✨
1. It all starts with good nutrition
A well-balanced diet where your dog gets all the important nutrients comes first when it comes to a healthy coat. A dull coat can indicate a deficiency or might be a sign that your dog isn’t tolerating a certain type of food.
If your dog has a food allergy, his coat will become dull. Because the intestine is inflamed, it can’t absorb all the necessary nutrients.
Your dog’s coat consists mainly of protein. If you feed your dog a diet that contains a lot of high-quality protein, his fur will get better. Our dogs look so much better since we feed them freshly prepared meals with lots of fish or meat in combination with some vegetables, sweet potatoes and quinoa! 😋
2. Add healthy oils to his diet
Essential fatty acids such as Omega 3 & 6 can be found in fish oil, rapeseed oil and sunflower oil. 🌻 Omega 3 is great for your dog’s skin and coat. On top of that, it has an anti-inflammatory effect. You can easily find fish oil for dogs in your local pet store. 🐟
3. Brush your dog regularly
Every day some hairs get loose. If you don’t brush your dog regularly, all dead hair and dead skin cells will remain in the coat. This makes your dog itchy. Brushing stimulates the hair follicles and the skin’s natural production of sebum. Sebum provides a protective layer on the skin and makes the hair supple and smooth. ☺️
Another benefit of brushing: you get the chance to check your dog for ticks, fleas and other parasites. There are several ways to protect your dog against these little culprits. We like to use a tick collar with ceramic beads. The beads contain micro-organisms that increase the natural resistance. They vibrate and have a certain resonance, which is not audible to us or our dogs, but repels unwanted bugs. It hasn’t been scientifically proven yet, but at least we’ve never had nasty bugs again! 🪳
4. Give your dog a bath
Washing your dog with shampoo every single day isn’t good for his coat. This way you mess with the skin’s natural oil production. Depending on the breed and coat type, it’s adviseable to give your dog a monthly bath or even less often. 🛁
NEVER use human shampoo!! It will cause irritation because your dog’s skin has a different acidity. There are different types of shampoo available for different types of fur. If you don’t know which one to buy, you can ask your groomer or vet for advice. Dogs with very sensitive, itchy skin should be washed with a special dermatological shampoo that reduces irritation.
Did you know that there are breeds with two layers of fur? They have what is called an undercoat. Dogs with a very thick coat and a lot of undercoat, such as polar dogs, should be brushed more often instead of being washed. You’ll notice that it’s rather difficult to get them fully wet. Their coat protects them so well that the undercoat remains dry! Their natural oils repel water. Breeds such as Golden Retrievers, which are bred to retrieve shot game from the water, also have a water-resistant coat that shouldn’t be washed too often.
5. Take a trip to the groomer
One dog benefits from being clipped, the other shaved and yet another dog is being plucked. A good dog groomer knows what needs to be done with which coat type.
For example, you should never shave Huskies, because their thick undercoat insulates them from the heat. If you shave your Husky, you will unbalance its coat and your dog will suffer from it. Don’t just get started with your dog’s coat yourself, always ask for advice from a professional. Once the coat is damaged, it can take a long time for it to fully recover.
What do you do to keep your dog’s coat healthy? Do you have any tips for us? Please share in the comments!