Skin care and treatment for dogs

A dog's skin tells a lot about how his health is doing. Nice and healthy skin can be seen if the coat of the dog is glossy and lush. Your dog's skin is an indicator of his health and resistance to illnesses and diseases. It is very frustrating though, when we see our pooches suffering from skin problems. Veterinarians say that it is a common problem especially with Pure Breeds. Some of the most sensitive breeds or the ones that need preventative maintenance include: Dobermans, golden retrievers, dachshunds, poodles, Irish setters, fox terriers, beagles, and Scottish terriers. Some of the skin problems dogs have are from dry, itchy, flaky, dull, greasy, matted coats, bad smell, rashes, and hair loss. It is discouraging to see your dog scratching and biting his coat when these things happen since doing this only aggravates the problem.

It's especially important to pay special interest and attention to your dogs skin so that the irritation or rash doesn't become serious or worse yet, chronic. The coat of a dog is one of the biggest organs in his body and it reflects poor nutrition, hormonal imbalances, allergies, stress, as well as parasite infestations.

Taking care of your dog's coat and skin goes a long way in preventing skin problems. This is true not only for the outside coat but for inside as well. There are many things that can be done to keep a dog's skin and coat healthy. If you see that your dog had a skin condition or problem, this should be done right away:

• Don't give your dog any food that has additives or impurities.
• There are a variety of balanced dietary vitamins that you should give your dog. Some of those include: vitamins, A, B, C, and E. Adding brewers yeast to your dogs diet is also recommended.
• If your dog has dry skin, feed him extra corn or safflower oil as these provide extra fatty acids that are essential. Cod liver oil in small amounts is good for the coat too.
• Make sure that your dog stays out of the sun as much as possible.
• Do not let your dog sleep near radiators in winter time.
• Wash the paws of your dog off right away if he has been walking on salted surfaces in winter. You can put Vaseline or petroleum jelly on them to protect them.
• If your dog loves swimming in stagnant or polluted water, make sure to bathe him afterwards with fresh water.
• If your dog has fleas, do what is necessary to get rid of them.

Maintaining your dog clean is one of the most important factors to keeping your dogs skin healthy. Groom you dog every day so that he look his best, this also give you the opportunity to check and see if he has parasites, mats, burrs, or any other irregularities. Dog's that have long hair need daily brushing and grooming so that the oil that accumulates in their skin comes down to the ends of their hair.

Most dogs don't need to take bathes very often. Sometimes bathing them too much can worsen some skin problems and it can make their skin dry and flaky. Make sure to use the right shampoo when bathing your dog. Dog shampoo is the most recommended. There are also special shampoo products for dogs with sensitive skin.

Problems that happen in summer

• Grass pollen allergies, mosquitoes, sunburn, fleas, and ticks.

Problems that happen in winter

• Rough temperature changes, dry heat, chemically treated sidewalks.

Pamper you dog with this routine

• Give him a bath with dog soap
• Give him a paw and elbow rub with lanolin
• Comb his hair with lanolin spray

Some other things to do while bathing a dog

1. Dogs usually shake themselves off when getting bathed or when wet. In order to prevent yourself from getting wet, you should start washing your dog at his rear and then advance forward.
2. First rinse off the dog's body, then, his head
3. Just like with kids, don't get the shampoo inside the dog's eyes. Use a wash towel to clean the dog's face.
4. After rinsing the dog off cover him with a towel immediately so that you don't get soaked with his shaking.