There is more to dog’s coats than meets the eye. After all, soft and smooth hair doesn’t just look good ? it can also indicate health and positive well-being. In contrast, dry and brittle hair can indicate poor health and negative well-being. While different dogs have different needs, a generally good grooming practice can keep your dog’s coats in good health, and keep your pup happy.
Dog’s Coats: How to Keep Them Soft, Smooth, and Shiny
1.?Talk to the Experts
Whether it be your local pet store, a vet, or a pet groomer, talk to an expert and ask them about the specific needs of your furry friend. While you could choose to groom your dog on your own, these experts are well trained and familiar with cleaning dog’s ears, cutting their nails, and any other tasks. They can always give you additional tips too.
2. Brush the Coat With the Appropriate Tools
How often you should brush your dog’s coat depends on their breed. While dogs should be brushed at least twice a week, breeds with longer hair may require more care. Other exceptions to these rules include hypoallergenic dogs, which should be brushed at least once a week. Brushing is overall very important because it makes a dog’s hair soft, smooth, and less likely to shed.
Owners need to understand too that the type of brush you should use depends on the breed of your dog. Additionally, consider that you’ll need a wide-tooth comb for the coat’s outer layer while you’ll need a fine-tooth comb for the face.
3. Feed With Nutritious Food
A healthy diet leads to a healthy coat, which means you should feed your furry friend foods rich in fatty acids. These fatty acids are also present in flaxseed oil and fish oil supplements. Though you can safely give your dog fish oil made for humans, we recommend finding all-natural supplements formulated just for dogs. This ensures optimal nutrition specifically created with canine health in mind.
Note:?Fatty acids are prone to oxidation so make sure you seal your dog food properly to keep it fresh.
4. Bathe Your Dog
Any odor coming from your dog is probably due to bacteria and oil buildup. This can be addressed with a bath. While some dogs need to be bathed just once a month, some dogs may need it weekly. Regardless of the frequency, make sure you use a?shampoo specifically formulated for dogs.
There are many dog shampoos available on the market today. For example, if your dog has dry skin, there are shampoos made with aloe vera or oatmeal to address this dryness. While oatmeal may help soothe and moisturize your dog’s skin, aloe vera is known to reduce inflammation and may help stop allergic reactions.
Love Meg shares how she keeps her dog’s hair shiny and healthy:
Remember, every dog is different. Make sure to research your dog’s needs according to their breeds. If you have more questions, you can always enlist the help of a vet or a pet store.
Do you take your furry friend to a pet groomer or do you groom them yourself? Let us know in the comments below.
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