Protecting Your Dog’s Skin This Winter
Winter often brings dry skin for people and their pets. Let’s look at the top ways to protect your dog’s skin this winter:
Brush your dog’s coat every day. Start at the front of their body and work your way to the back. Brush the driest areas for several minutes after the skin flakes have been removed. The more you brush these areas the more it will stimulate the oil glands to produce oil. Give your dog some treats for being patient during these long brushing sessions.
Use a shampoo containing colloidal oatmeal and an antihistamine to improve the moisturizing effects of the oatmeal. As an alternative you can use coal tar shampoos to soothe the itchiness that leads to scratching and flaky skin.
Follow up with a conditioner or moisturizer.
Towel dry your dog, as the heat from blow drying can cause additional drying of the skin.
Consider adding fish oil to your dog’s diet to relieve dry and flaking skin from the inside out. Check for supplements with eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoicz. Follow the dosing instructions for your pet carefully and check with your veterinarian before using these or any other supplements.
Zinc supplements can be used to regulate the immune system to relieve allergies that can cause itching and dry skin.
Try adding olive oil to your dog’s food. Olive oil is rich in vitamin E and phytonutrients that can moisturize the skin. If your dog weighs 30 to 40 pounds you can add a teaspoon of olive oil to their food every day. If your dog weighs 90 pounds, you can add up to 1 tablespoon.
Instead of olive oil, coconut oil can be added to the food. Coconut oil provides medium chain fatty acids including lauric acid that can kill yeast, bacteria and viruses and enhance the metabolism and support thyroid function. Add 1/2 teaspoon daily to a small dog’s food, 1 teaspoon to a medium dog’s food and 2 teaspoons to a large dog’s food.
We hope that this information has been helpful as we strive to provide education on all aspects of pet care.
Claws N Paws Day Spa offers quality dog and cat grooming in Orange County, California. For more information, or to schedule a grooming appointment, please call 714-962-1005.
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