As the adage goes, “beauty is only skin deep.” But when it comes to your pooch, beauty may go a lot deeper. That’s because the condition of your dog’s coat and skin is also a great indicator of health.
A healthy dog typically has a shiny coat without dandruff or greasiness. Illness or stress can cause a dog’s coat to become brittle or coarse and skin to become flaky and bumpy. So when you ask questions about how to make my dog’s coat shiny, the answers may be more holistic than you would have imagined.
It Begins with Nutrition
How to get a shiny coat on a dog? A great place to start is diet. Veterinary experts agree that maintaining healthy skin and a gleaming coat requires a properly balanced diet that includes quality proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and vitamins. A dull coat is most often due to a lack of proper nutrition.
What diet is the best answer to the question of how to make a dog’s coat shine? A diet based on whole-food ingredients and nutritionally balanced for long-term feeding is an excellent foundation for a shiny coat and overall good health.
Natural Supplements Can Help
Natural supplements can also play a critical role in ensuring a healthy, shiny coat for your favorite pup. Fatty acids, particularly omega-3, promote healthy skin and a gleaming coat. Scientific research has shown that fish, in particular oily fish such as sardines and anchovies, contain vital nutrients that promote healthy skin and a soft, shiny coat. Omega-3 fish oil inhibits the growth of pathogens and controls allergies and skin disease by nurturing the skin barrier.
An often-overlooked natural supplement is olive leaf extract. Called nature’s antibiotic, olive leaf extract is a natural antiviral and antioxidant that has been proven to treat dermatitis and other types of allergies that can affect your dog.
A great example of the power of a whole-food diet combined with natural supplements is Bella. An adopted German shepherd and Rottweiler mix, Bella was plagued with severe skin allergies and chronic ear infections that led to relentless itching and sleepless nights. She would scratch and lick so much that she would get skin wounds that led to infections. After years of antibiotics, shots for environmental allergies, steroids, and medicated baths did little to curtail the problem, Kristen Pollock, Bella’s pet parent, switched her to a whole-food diet combined with fish oil and olive leaf supplements. “I was able to stop all other treatments,” says Kristen. “It wasn’t long before she went from a dog with dry, itchy, wounded skin to a beautiful dog that received compliments about her gorgeous coat.”
Don’t Forget Grooming
Another answer to the question “How to make your dog’s coat shiny?” is grooming. It is not just for best-in-show winners. Whether your award-winning “best in house” pooch sheds or not, regular brushing can stimulate your dog’s circulation while removing hair and dead skin. Try to brush in both directions. This brightens the coat and makes hair shinier.
Don’t forget the occasional bath. Many groomers recommend oatmeal-based shampoo because it can help soothe dry and itchy skin.
Visit the Vet
If after all this, your dog’s coat is not shining, it may be time to consult with your veterinarian. As we said earlier, the appearance of your dog’s coat may be the first indicator of an undetected health problem.
According to vets, these include hormone imbalance or other metabolic issues, digestive disturbances such as chronic diarrhea, or internal and external parasites.
So the answer to the question “How to make a dog’s coat shine?” is multifaceted. It can include a healthy diet, natural supplements, proper grooming, and regular veterinary care. As a result, you get the best of both worlds: better health and a head-turning soft and shiny coat for your precious pooch.
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