Brushing, bathing and clipping certainly contribute to your precious’ silky and smooth skin and coat, but it’s a little bit more than just pampering that is needed for your furry friend to sport a healthy and vibrant appearance.

The Five Dog Skin Care Basics:

1. Diet: It is not just we humans who are what we eat – so are our dogs.     A good nutritious diet is the best way to ensure that your dog stays strong and healthy.  Select foods that mimic as closely as possible how a dog would eat in the wild: protein, carbs, vegetable and some fat.  Fat is essential for a healthy skin and promotes a shiny coat.

2. Exercise:   Take your dog for a daily walk – twice if you can squeeze in the time.  Ideally a good, brisk walk in the morning and another in the evening, each of a half hour in length or more.  Your dog will be happy and it will do wonders for your own figure.  If your work schedule makes this difficult arrange for a dog walker to pop in and take doggie out for a good lengthy stroll during the day.  Activity is good for circulation which in turn is good for the skin.

3. Daily Brushing:  Even five minutes of gentle brushing stimulates the oil glands in the skin and nourishes the coat.  A good brushing also detangles long haired coats and loosens dead hair, it is also an effective way to rid the coat of brambles, dirt and unwelcome insects and bugs that doggie may have picked up on his romp in the woods.

4. Shampoo:  Use a good quality shampoo with natural ingredients such as oatmeal, papaya or aloe.  If your dog has dry, itchy skin select a shampoo that has a moisturizing ingredient.  Pet shampoos with a smidgin of tea tree oil are also effective in keeping mites at bay.

5. Take action at first sign of a skin problem: At certain times of the year our pets are more susceptible to picking up parasites such as fleas, ticks and other nasty bugs.  A dog that is flea ridden itches and scratches a lot and can develop sores which worsen as the condition continues.  Take appropriate steps to rid your dog of these pests.

If you notice that your dog has developed a skin problem and is not responding to the above basic principles of good dog skin care, you may want to apply a natural pet balm to the affected area.  Look for a balm with ingredients that have healing properties such as tepezcohuite and aloe.  If all fails -  schedule a visit to the vet

Technorati Tags: dog skin care, Dog Skin Problems, natural pet balm