6 Dog Skin Care Tips Every Pet Parent Should Know
by mylifewithpets | Last updated on October 26, 2021
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When thinking of dog care and thinks to watch out for, their skin is probably not the first thing on our minds.
But dog’s skin is very important, not only because it covers their whole bodies but also because they can be very sensitive and hard to balance.
Ideally, you’ll want to make sure your dog’s skin remains healthy to prevent issues that can take long to solve.
And we’re here to tell you how to do it!
How to Know if Your Dog’s Skin Need Help
The first thing to notice is itchiness.
Which can be easy to notice because, if a dog is feeling itchy, he’ll scratch. A lot.
Yes, dog’s scratch themselves often, but in this case they’ll do so too much.
Another symptom to watch out for is redness or sores.
Noticing red patches or swelling on your dog’s skin, which can lead to sores and scabs, will require you to do something about it, as quickly as possible.
Also, another sigh that your dog probably has a skin problem is having his coat in bad shape or suffering from hair loss.
6 Dog Skin Care Tips You Should Know About
Like we’ve mentioned, the goal here is to make sure to keep your dog’s skin healthy and balanced at all times.
It’s the real only way to avoid skin problems and illness.
These tips are simple and easy enough to follow.
And the difference it makes to your dog’s skin is crucial.
1 – Proper Grooming
Grooming is the number one tip we can give you as far as dog skin care.
It’s what maintains your dog’s hair and skin clean and healthy.
Neglecting your dog’s grooming makes him much more prone to allergies, parasites and overall skin problems due to dirt and lack of hygiene
So do it frequently and thoroughly.
We brush our dogs at least once a week, more if we notice they need it.
Not all brushes were created equal and this is the one we use and love.
They’re easy to clean, our dogs love it and we appreciate the lack of hair all over our home!
2 – Vet Appointments
No matter how careful we are, we are not experts or vets.
Making sure your dog goes to his annual vet checkup allows your vet to check his skin and make sure everything is okay.
Vets can spot conditions we haven’t even heard about and decide on the course of action immediately, preventing the situation from escalating.
3 – No Parasites Allowed
There are several ways how ticks or fleas cause damage to a dog’s skin.
The bite itself causes an eruption, itchiness and sometimes pain.
If the dog happens to be allergic to it, it becomes even worse.
This will cause your dog to lick, bite or scratch himself incessantly.
Also, an infected parasite can endanger your dog’s life, causing anemia and other very serious diseases.
It’s hard to remove all parasites once they get to your dog so, again, the best way to deal with it is to keep them from getting near him in the first place.
While parasites are much worse in hot weather, parasite protection should be in place all year long.
Also, be making sure your dog carries no parasites you’re making sure you and the rest of your family don’t get them either.
There are many options you can choose from, we prefer the anti-parasite collars.
Collars remain active for almost a year and prevent parasites from even approaching your dog, less alone bite him.
4 – Baths
Your dog’s skin needs the natural oils that exist on his skin to keep healthy.
Much like humans, baths will remove those oils from their skin and make it dry.
If you bathe your dog too often, the natural oils won’t have a chance to rebuild and he will develop skin issues.
How often your dog requires a bath depends on his breed and type of hair.
Also, choose your dog’s Shampoo wisely. Make sure is as organic as possible, without any aggressive chemicals that can damage his skin and hair.
This is the shampoo we use and we love it. It’s organic and perfect for dogs with sensitive skins, as is our dog Dobby.
Also, the scent is wonderful.
5 – Healthy Diet
It should come as no surprise to learn that a dog’s skin is only as healthy as what he eats.
Make sure you’re providing your dog with the best possible food. One that is rich in protein with high-quality meat.
Also, fatty acids and Omega 3 are known to boost skin health, so keep that in mind when choosing your dog’s food.
Our dog Dobby has always had very poor skin. We’ve tried a lot of things until we found this amazing supplement our vet suggested.
We have since added it to all our dogs’ diets.
The taste is great (at least our dogs seem to think so) and the change to our dogs’ skin has been amazing and fast.
6 – Sun Protection
If it were up to our dogs, they would spend all day sleeping in the sun.
And many people are unaware that, much like for humans, dogs can get sunburned and damage their skins.
And yes, dogs get skin cancer too.
So always make sure to provide shade for your dog and make sure he uses it if the sun becomes too strong.
If it’s too hot for you, it’s to hot for him.
So, get your dog some sunscreen, particularly for his nose, ears and belly.
This is our number one sunscreen.
It smells wonderfully and it’s human-grade
It’s also water resistant, non-greasy and easy to apply.
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