Skin science is no rocket science!
Skin is the largest organ of your pooch’s body, yet sometimes its health and wellness tends to get overlooked. You invest so much in your skincare and give your skincare sessions a lot of time and patience. Your pet also deserves the same. Skincare needs time and patience.
A lush shiny coat is a result of various factors like – nutritious balanced diet, regular grooming with the right products, and giving your pet supplements to maintain their skin and coat health. A chronic illness or a skin infection can alter the way the skin and coat looks. Stress and anxiety can also be a problem. Also if you use human products like shampoo, talc, or conditioner for your pet, it can alter their skin pH and lead to skin irritation.
Skin defense and how you can improve it?
With certain simple steps and practices you can take care of your pet’s skincare routine
– Say yes to regular grooming
Cannot stress enough on how important it is to take out 15 – 20 minutes every day to groom your pet. Start at an early age so that your pet gets used to it. Know your pet’s breed, coat type, and skin type to ensure you are grooming him/ her in the right way and with the right tools. You also need to understand that home grooming will not match professional groomers. So it is advisable to take your pet for a complete grooming and cleaning session every 2 months.
– Get the right tools
There are so many types of tools like combs, brushes, de-shedding tools etc. available that it may get daunting for a new pet-parent to choose the correct one. Ask a professional groomer or your vet to suggest the best tools based on your pet’s breed and coat hair.
– Look out for ticks and fleas
When you groom your pet regularly you can look out for ticks, fleas, and cuts or wounds if any. Treating ticks and fleas at the right time is really important; otherwise they will become a menace. Since they grow and multiply so fast you need to be vigilant, especially if you have a multiple dog household. Your vet would recommend a proper treatment and might also give anti-tick collar or shampoo.
– Mange menace
A lot of times pet-parents confuse mange with redness and rashes. Mange is a parasitic skin disease that’s caused by microscopic mites. It may cause severe itching, skin crusting, bleeding, bald patches, and excessive licking by your pets. If noticed early mange can be treated. If you notice any of these signs, take your pet to the vet for the right treatment.
– Good food is always a mood
What you feed your pet will have a direct impact on their skin and immunity. Ask your vet for a healthy meal plan for your pet. This should include all essential nutrients – vitamins, minerals, and other trace elements. To keep your pet’s skin health in check your vet might also recommend omega-3 fatty acid supplements. Whenever you are choosing a dog food, make sure to read the nutritional information. Include premium quality treats made with best raw ingredients that you can give as rewards throughout the day to add to the nutrition.
Grooming is specific to breeds. Long-haired breeds need a lot more maintenance as compared to short-haired breeds. And remember that you need to be consistent with the grooming to see best results.