• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Dog's Best Life

Dog's Best Life

The information you need to keep your dog happy, healthy, playful and loyal.

  • Top Stories
  • Blog
  • What We Do
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

4 natural ways to keep your dog’s coat strong and healthy

Posted July 11, 2019

 
Rough collie with beautiful, long hair. Keep your dog's coat healthy by feeding a high-protein diet, bathing as needed, and daily brushing.
Keep your dog’s coat healthy by feeding a high-protein diet, bathing as needed, and daily brushing.

Your dog’s coat is distinctive. It illustrates your dog’s breed and shows how well you care for your pup. A matted, overgrown coat is a visible sign of neglect, while a well-maintained, shiny, healthy coat identifies an attentive and proud owner.

Sometimes despite your best efforts, shampoo, and lots of money, your dog’s coat won’t shine. Go beyond grooming and look at other causes. Diet and exercise can influence your dog’s coat more than you could imagine.

Use these tips to keep your dog’s coat shiny and strong without the need for expensive shampoos and excessive time commitments.

Buy Dog Food Today – Shop over 1,000 Brands at Chewy!*

Feed your dog Omega fatty acids

Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are critical parts of any mammals’ diet, humans, and dogs alike. They are responsible for creating cell membrane walls and helping the heart function more efficiently. They also get nutrients to your dog’s coat, which makes it healthy and thus shiny and strong

Add foods high in Omega fatty acids, like fish, into your dog’s. Adding two tablespoons of cooked tuna or salmon once a week can help prevent hair loss. You also could add a blend of vegetable oil and flax seeds, or you could add a product like Ultra Oil, a blend of omega-3, 7 and 9 fatty acids from hemp oil, flaxseed oil, and fish oil from sardines and anchovies, to your dog’s food.

For a more integrated approach, feed your pup food that already includes added Omega fatty acids. Be sure to read the label to make sure the food doesn’t contain any unnecessary additives.

Feed your dog protein

puppy eats out of metal bowl. Beware dog food dangers
Choose high-protein food that also includes Omega fatty acids.

Surprisingly, protein is a significant component for healthy hair. The strands are 90 percent protein content, so a protein-rich diet is essential for a glossy coat. Many dog foods are chicken- or meat-rich, but ensuring that the food isn’t high in grains, corn, and wheat instead is imperative.

The FDA recently released a report listing dog food brands linked to heart disease, and most of them are grain-free. The foods flagged by the FDA contained legumes such as peas or lentils, other legume seeds, potatoes or sweet potatoes as primary ingredients.

When in doubt about what to feed your dog, consult your veterinarian.

Buy Dog Grooming Supplies Today – Shop over 1,000 Brands at Chewy!*

Brush it out

Dog hygiene: Woman brushes her golden doodle.
Get the right brush for your dog’s coat.

Brushing your dog’s hair removes tangles and improves the health of the skin and coat. Removing excess dog hair reduces shedding and ensure that nutrients arrive correctly to the follicle. While it might seem like a pain to clean up every day, quickly vacuuming the area eliminates the problem.

Brushing stimulates hair strands, which strengthens them and makes your dog’s look thick and full. It also helps create oil, which keeps the skin moisturized. Additionally, brushing pulls the oil from the skin to the strands, which makes them glossy. Brushing daily might seem like overkill, but it should be an essential part of your dog’s grooming routine.

Selecting the right brush for your dog’s coat is as important as brushing it. Some dogs with shorter hair that rarely shed, like poodles, need a metal brush that removes dander and kinks. Longer-haired pooches, like Golden Retrievers, need a gentle brush, so you don’t tear the ends of the strands or cause pain. A rubber friction brush is perfect for this.

Choose the right products

Labrador gets a bath using a hand-held sprayer. Dog bathing tips: Start by getting all your supplies together.
Dog bathing tips: Start by getting all your supplies together.

What you put on your dog’s coat also affects how it looks. Just like with human hair, low-quality shampoos will take a toll over time, and finding the right one for your dog’s hair type is a key to health.
Bathing your dog might seem like a daunting task, but maintaining control of the situation and staying calm will help your pet enjoy it.

Longer-haired dogs need a shampoo with conditioner in it, while dogs with dry skin or other conditions can benefit from natural topical oils, like CBD oil. While CBD is growing in popularity for many canine uses, such as anxiety and pain, it can also be used topically. The Omegas in it help moisturize the skin and strengthen the hair follicle. It also stimulates oil generation naturally, which helps keep your dog’s coat shiny.

Shiny, beautiful, healthy

Caring for your dog’s coat may seem daunting because it’s so different from human hair. But if you follow these easy-to-incorporate tips, it’ll become a part of your routine in no time.

Madison Adams is a beauty and lifestyle blogger who is just as focused on her next lavender latte as she is on writing. Using her psychology degree, she likes to draw on human insights to make her writing (and life) more impactful. When she’s not writing, Madison can be found being walked by her giant labradoodle, Grover.

*DogsBestLife.com participates in the Chewy Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to let our site earn fees by linking to Chewy.com. 
 

Related Posts

  • clean up dog hair: chihuahua with crazy hair
    5 simple tips to clean up dog hair

    Clean up dog hair with ease using these simple tools:…

  • whimsical image of dog in washing machine. remove pet odor by regularly washing pet beds
    7 hacks to remove pet odor and hair

    Remove pet odor: Wash dog beds, groom dogs, use air…

  • dog grooming guide
    Control dog hair in your home

    Grooming and healthy diets can can reduce dog hair shedding…

  • Bulldog puppy sits on vacuum cleaner. To control dog fur, use a pet hair vacuum cleaner.
    Your guide to pet hair vacuum cleaners

    A pet hair vacuum cleaner is handheld and portable. So…

  • Labrador gets a bath using a hand-held sprayer. Dog bathing tips: Start by getting all your supplies together.
    Tips for bathing your dog

    Dog bathing tips: Get all your supplies together before you…

  • Small wet dog wrapped in a towel. Learn to avoid dog grooming mistakes.
    Dog grooming guide: Care for your pup from the top of his head to the soles of his paws

    Go beyond brushing and bathing. Use this dog grooming guide…

Share this post:

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Share on Email Share on Reddit

Filed Under: Dog Grooming, Dog Health, Home Page Tagged With: Dog bath, Dog brushing, Dog food, Dog hair

« Previous Post
Next Post »

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us

Categories

  • Adoption
  • Dog Breeds
  • Dog Facts
  • Dog Fun
  • Dog Grooming
  • Dog Health
  • Dog Inspirations
  • Dog Training
  • Dog Travel
  • Holidays
  • Home Page
  • Puppies
  • Top Stories

Featured Posts

  • puppy 101

    Puppy training 101: 7 tips to start your dog off right

  • Small brown and white dog wears a mask. Dogs and coronavirus: Canines unlikely to catch or transmit the virus to people or other animals, World Small Animal Veterinary Association says.

    Coronavirus and dogs: Can canines get COVID-19?

  • Dogs and other pets on a video conference call. Dog home alone again? If you're preparing to go back to work, get your dog ready. To prevent separation anxiety, use training, treats, and a safe space.

    Ready to go back to work? Prepare your dog to be home alone

Tags

Small dogs stairs Easter dog age dog quotes dog stress Healthy weight Dog nails Valentine's Day Puppy-proof Socialization pekingese Dog temperament Dog hair Petfinder.com Dog tail Dog manners Potty training Cats Rescue dog Canine fitness Dog food Dog brushing Thanksgiving Adopt a dog after a breakup Chihuahua snap Arthritis Dog apps Border collie

Footer

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Blog
  • What We Do
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Recent Posts

  • Is a Pekingese the right dog for you?
    The Pekingese has a long, silky coat that forms a lion-like mane. These tiny dogs need a high-protein diet and short daily walks. […]
  • What you need to know about the benefits of dog kennels
    Using dog kennels helps boost your dog's physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Boarding your dog helps improve socialization skills. […]
  • Is a Japanese Chin the right dog for you?
    The Japanese Chin is a perfect dog for apartment dwellers. The breed needs minimal exercise and loves to cuddle with its owners. […]
  • Understand and work with your dog’s temperament
    A dog’s temperament is indicative of its attitude towards people and other animals and plays a major role in training. […]

Get Our Newsletter

Get more news to help keep your dog healthy delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for DogsBestLife.com's monthly newsletter.

© Copyright 2021 Dog's Best Life online magazine · All Rights Reserved · Privacy
Get Our Free Monthly Newsletter

Get more news to help keep your dog healthy delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for DogsBestLife.com's monthly newsletter.