How to keep your Dog’s Coat
Shiny and Healthy
Many thanks to Tara Edwards for this guest article on making sure your dog has a healthy shiny coat.
Having a dog guarantees loads of fun and joy. But it’s also a big responsibility and that’s a fact. You need to properly care for your four legged friend and you should provide them with a pleasant and enjoyable life.
A big sign that tells you whether an owner takes adequate care of his pet dog is the dog’s coat. If it’s in a bad condition there’s no way that the owner loves his dog, no matter what they say. But if it’s shiny and pretty, you know they spend a lot of time on their trusty companion.
You don’t want to be the person who neglects their dog, no responsible owner wants that. In order to avoid that, you should follow a few tips and tricks which will ensure that your dog has a beautiful and healthy, shiny coat. Having said that, here are some of the most essential methods for achieving that goal.
Tip 1: Wash Your Dog Regularly
All dogs like to play around in grass or dirt so they all get dirty every now and then. Which is why they require regular bathing.
If you neglect this, their coat will eventually get matted and the hairs will get entangled which might cause some unwanted health problems later on if they aren’t dealt with adequately by hiring a professional groomer.
But why wait for that to happen when you can just wash your dog when it gets dirty. Use a shampoo that fits the dog’s breed and your dog will end up with a lovely, clean coat after each bath.
Don’t overdo it though, because excessive bathing can strip the hair of its natural oils, which will allow them to get entangled more easily.
Tip 2: Eggs Make the Coat Shiny
If you add eggs to your dog’s diet, they will make his or her coat very shiny. This is particularly noticeable with black dogs like Rottweilers or smooth coated black Dachshunds.
But be careful so that they don’t contract salmonella. Your best bet is to cook or fry the eggs before feeding them to the dog because raw egg whites may cause some complications.
Tip 3: Give Regular Trims to Your Dog
Long haired dog breeds must have their hairs clipped regularly. Otherwise, fungal or bacterial infections get the chance to make their appearance. Keeping the hair short also lets it shed detached strands more easily, thus improving the visual appearance of the hair, making it more fluffy and neat.
If you can’t afford regular visits to the dog salon, you may prefer to groom your dog at home. Apart from saving you money, this will also make the bond between you and your furry friend stronger. Be it poodle, cocker spaniel, maltese or Shih tzu grooming, with the right grooming tools and techniques, you can spare the expensive visits to the groomer.
Tip 4: For a Healthy Shiny Coat – Don’t Forget to Brush your Dog’s Hair
This is especially important if your dog has a double coat. Such breeds have shorter, thicker hairs as a lower layer and longer, more delicate hairs as the upper layer. Both have to be brushed appropriately in order to avoid them getting tangled as well as to get rid of all loose, dead strands that just stick to the coat due to static electricity.
As mentioned before, matting is a bothersome problem so you definitely want to avoid it. Brushing entirely prevents that scenario which is why you shouldn’t neglect it.
As a rule of the thumb longer coated dogs need more frequent grooming than shorter coated dogs. If shorter coats need brushing once per week, longer coats need grooming two or three times per week to help keep their fur shiny and tangle-free.
Tip 5: Keep Your Dog’s Hair Dry
If your dog gets wet be sure to dry their hair properly and quickly. Leaving it wet for a longer time period could cause some infections. That’s why it’s important to keep it dry at all times because even though dogs usually shake off most of the droplets, the coat remains moist and damp, making it an ideal environment for bacteria growth.
Tip 6: For a Healthy Shiny Coat, Room Heaters aren’t your Dog’s Friends
Even though most dogs enjoy sitting or laying next to a room heater during those cold winter days, their coat doesn’t enjoy that at all. The hot air which heaters produce makes the hairs very dry, stripping it of minerals and vitamins.
To avoid this, feed your dog Omega 3 supplements which will enrich and nourish the coat and wash their coat with a shampoo that has emollient and provides the hair with enough necessary moisture.
Tip 7: Use this Home Recipe to your Advantage
The following recipe will help you make your coat very shiny so don’t forget to try it out. It’s very simple, as you’ll see for yourself.
You will need two tablespoons of chopped rosemary and lavender leaves each, one or two tablespoons of unfiltered apple cider vinegar and about six cups of water. You’ll be making tea basically so first let the water boil. After that add the ingredients to the pot and let them sit in there for a couple of hours. Then just strain the mixture and put it in a spray bottle.
Spray your dog’s hair with this solution after bath and it will do its magic to ensure a healthy shiny coat.
In Conclusion
That’s it, with these tips you’ll surely make your dog’s coat shiny, beautiful and most importantly healthy. Now go and have fun with your four legged pal.
Many thanks to Tara Edwards for this guest article on making sure your dog has a healthy shiny coat.
