Dog Skin Care: The Best Tips

You’re a dog-lover through and through. Your canine companion is spoiled (but obviously not rotten), and you dote on your fur-baby shamelessly. But do you know proper dog skin care? Well, we’re here to help you out with the top 5 dog skin care tips.

1. Wash Fido at Least Once a Month

While “bath” might not be your canine companion’s favorite word, it’s essential to their overall wellbeing. Thankfully, they don’t need a bath every day.

The standard is once a week to once a month. Variables such as their coat type, activity level, and medical conditions help determine how often you need to bathe your pooch. Dogs with longer coats need baths more frequently than short-haired ones, and canines that are more active need more baths than inactive dogs. If your fur-baby has a medical condition, please consult your vet for a recommended bathing schedule.

An important part to every bath is choosing the right shampoo and conditioner. Human shampoos might have harsh chemicals that are harmful to your pet, so make sure you get a dog-specific shampoo and conditioner that contain ingredients such as Aloe Vera, vitamin E, and shea butter that are great for your puppy’s skin and coat health.

Once you’re done, make sure to brush through their coat to avoid any tangling and if you need additional help, check out our 9 Tips for bathing. Don't forget it’s acceptable to let your pet have a victory lap or two around the house first to celebrate their freedom from the washtub!

2. Distribute Natural Oils Through Proper Brushing

Proper brushing is an essential part of canine care. Not only will regular brushing help work through knots and tangles, but it also helps distribute your mutt’s natural oils, which help keep his or her coat and skin healthy and clean.

Ideally, you should brush your fur baby every other day. While this is more essential for dogs with longer fur, even short haired pooches will benefit from the oil distribution.

Make sure you use a softer bristle that won’t aggravate their skin and brush in the same direction of your pet’s hair to avoid irritation.

3. Excessive Itching? Hair Loss? Hot Spots? Check for Parasites and Allergies

Is Fido itching or scratching excessively or suffering from hair loss? They might be suffering from parasites, hot spots, or allergies.

First, try to determine if your little tail-wagger is suffering from parasites or hot spots. Dogs regularly pick up bugs like ticks and fleas. You can look for them by running your fingers over their coat in multiple places like behind their ears, in their paws, and near their tail and belly.

If you feel any weird lumps and/or bumps or see tiny black spots, take your pet to the vet to get them checked for fleas, ticks, and other parasites. In addition, you should check for hotspots, which can occur anywhere on the body. If you see a red, raw spot on your pet, then you might’ve found a hot spot. Look for excessive licking and biting around a particular area and, if the hotspot is severe enough, sores. Visit the vet to find out why they have them and apply coconut oil or an allergy supplement to help soothe the irritated area.

4. A Poor Diet and Low Fatty Acids Intake Can Lead to Poor Skin Health

Healthy skin and coat starts with a healthy diet. It sounds like a cliché, but it’s true. If your doggo is not getting enough proper nutrients in his or her food, then coat health will suffer too.

Your puppy’s fur is mostly made of protein, so dogs need a protein-rich diet. The omega-3s in fatty acids are especially important for skin and coat health. Omega-3 helps protect against allergies and other skin conditions. They also keep skin from drying out. Adding salmon oil and coconut oil to your pup’s bowl is a great way to supplement your dog’s pre-existing food.

5. Schedule Regular Vet Check-Ups

A vet can also recommend diet changes and give supplement advice to help your pooch stay as happy and healthy as he or she can possibly be. Wagging tails are what we live to see.

Ideally, you should schedule these checkups once a year, even if everything looks like smooth sailing, because there’s no better offense against future issues than a good defense.

If you have any additional questions or comments, please reach out to us at (800)-940-1972 or bark@zestypaws.com and we’ll gladly help.