We’ve all seen those commercials on T.V starring dogs with beautiful skin and healthy coats running around playing with their toys and just being dogs. Their coat radiates in the camera lenses and through to your T.V. Healthy coats are very important for dogs and often reflect their internal health. Maintaining a dogs coat is essential to improving their health.
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Diet:
Fatty acids are important for a healthy coat in dogs. The essential fatty acids that a dog requires are those their body cannot produce. Therefore, those fatty acids are obtained through maintaining a proper diet. Fatty acids aid in decreasing the risk of your dog obtaining arthritis, allergies, autoimmune conditions, yeast conditions and atopy. Every dog has a different nutritional need which is why it’s important to ask your veterinarian what is perfect for your dog. The vet might suggest that you implement Omega-3 and Omega-6 into their diet or add brewer’ yeast however, by feeding your dog with high quality pet food, it won’t be necessary to feed them these nutritional supplements.
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Grooming:
Brushing helps distribute natural oils throughout their fur and also removes the dead hair. Regular brushing is dependent on the type of coat your dog has. By brushing your dog’s fur, it stimulates the blood vessels into improving circulation which causes more nutrients to reach the hair follicles. Regular bathing also aids however, try not to bathe your dog too often as this can cause a depletion of natural oils. For great results use a high quality shampoo that contains Vitamin E and aloe and consider combining dog shampoo with a natural dog conditioner for a silky, and luxurious coat.
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Fleas:
Fleas could lead to a flea infestation and cause excessive itching, irritation, shredding, lesions and hot spots on the skin which can decrease the health of your dog’s coat. A great way to counteract flea infestation is to use a spot on flea remedy.
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Get Active:
Exercise is the best way to improve your dog’s blood circulation and improve their coat health; more nutrients are reaching their hair follicles which improve their coat health. Stress in dogs will lead to a dull coat.
