Factors contributing to Dog Skin Ailments
There are a wide and varied number of reasons for your dog to be suffering with dog skin ailments. Environmental factors play a big role on the health of your furry friend’s skin and coat. Allergic reactions brought on by excessive dust, pollen and or mould could be the cause. Parasites such as ticks, fleas and dust mites could be to blame. Another factor to consider is hormonal imbalances in your best friend. Lastly, dog skin ailments can be as a result of infection caused by bacteria.
Tell tale signs of Dog Skin Ailments
•Scratching, itching and constant licking is observed in your dogs behavior
•Your furry friend has red spots or pimples on his skin
•Your best friend’s body odor is unpleasant
•There are areas of his skin that are crusty and scabby
•Loss of hair and poor coat condition is noticed
•Your furry friend is shedding flaky skin and displays scaly patches
If any or all of these are noticed then you should possibly be on your way to see a certified vet.
Your dog’s skin should be a pleasure to touch as it should be smooth and soft. Constant scratching is a sure sign that your furry friend is not content. Your dog’s coat should be full and excessive hair loss should not occur. There should be no bald spots. The skin should neither be too dry or too greasy. You should not have to hold your nose every time your dog comes close.
Preventative steps for Dog Skin Ailments
Clearing up these particular dog ailments is usually pretty simple. Well that is, in most cases. However, there are the exceptions to the rule where a well regimented routine would need to be followed. This could be due to breed or just some inherited problem. Too a large degree, providing a well balanced and healthy diet too your furry friend will ensure good skin health.
There are a huge variety of dog foods out there. Some dog foods are well over priced for what they are delivering, so do yourself a favor and read the labels. Always remember, high price does not always mean high quality. It would be best to equip yourself with enough knowledge to know what that dog food label is actually saying. Really, it is not that difficult. Here are few key ingredients that should be in any quality dog food.
Essential Fatty Acids are highly desirable to feed and nourish your dog’s skin and coat. So look out for theses two ingredients in all quality dog foods, they are omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids (EFA).
Good quality protein is highly desirable as well. If your furry friend is an allergy prone dog then you may need to source quality protein. Duck or venison meats are good alternative protein sources.
Antioxidants are quite important as well. These will delay the excessive production of free radicals which inevitably affect his immune system. Vitamin E comes to mind here as a good source of anti oxidants. The more anti oxidants ingested the better. A healthy immune system means a healthy dog.
So go ahead, read the labels and if these basic ingredients are not mentioned then look for a label that shows them. Also, it would be wise to seek a certified vet’s advice should you suspect that your dog skin ailment may be as a result of something more than just a poor diet.
It will not hurt to spend a few dollars on a really good dog health guide, there are many out there. Many severe dog ailments which you have the knowledge to diagnose can possibly be averted.