Skin and Coat Appearance in Healthy Dogs

Updated: July 14, 2022

Skin and Coat appearance in your fur-baby is important as it serves as one of the windows to what your dog is going through within. The skin and coat appearance of your fur-baby is a health indicator.

Here, we've come up with the different types of hair coat, the influence of nutrition to a dog's skin and coat, and signs to know that your fur-baby has healthy skin and coat.

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Different types of dog hair coat

Not all dogs have the same kind of coat. Dog breeds like Poodles, Shih Tzus, Retrievers, and German Shepherds usually have long, thick coats that go through heavy seasonal shedding. Huskies, Malamutes, and Retrievers have outer coats and undercoats that serve as an insulating layer. The dog breeds mentioned above are dog breeds that require high coat maintenance.

While other dog breeds who have short coats like French Bulldogs, Basset Hounds, and Dalmatians have low coat maintenance and shedding wouldn't be seasonal. These breeds do not have a notable undercoat, and they usually shed hair at low levels all year round. Note: to help control the dog hair in your laundry, you can use FurBall® in your washer and dryer. This pet hair remover knocks fur loose and prevents static to keep your laundry fur-free without chemicals!

Health, nutrition and your dog's skin & coat

The skin is known to be the body's largest organ (both to us and our dogs) and skin cells regenerate and turn over swiftly. Your fur-baby's body is covered in hair and it keeps on growing.

But did you know that your dog's nutrition plays a great role in keeping your fur-baby's coat and skin in a healthy state?

Your dog needs high-quality digestible nutrients like essential fatty acids, Biotin, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc not only to meet energy requirements but also to provide and support healthy skin and coat.

"Your dog needs high-quality digestible nutrients like essential fatty acids, Biotin, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc not only to meet energy requirements but also to provide and support healthy skin and coat."

If these nutrients mentioned above are not met, not properly digested or are of poor quality, it will result in an unhealthy dog with dry skin and dull coat.

Of course, health also has an important role in your fur-baby's skin and coat. Health includes factors like stress, internal parasites like intestinal worms, external parasites like ticks and mites, and obesity. These can cause skin problems in dogs and can even worsen if not given attention immediately.

  • Stress can lead your fur-baby's coat to fall out. It can also make your fur-baby excessively lick or bite himself that will lead to rashes if his anxiety is triggered
  • Internal parasites like worms can penetrate any part of your dog’s skin
  • External parasites bite and suck blood from your fur-baby's skin that causes itchiness, irritation and worse, infections. Overweight dogs have extra skin folds, which can prompt irritation and infection by bacteria. This can lead to scratching, body odor, and skin redness. Obese dogs often have an unhealthy looking coat because it's harder to groom them effectively.

Coat and skin appearance in healthy dogs

A coat and skin appearance in healthy dogs:

  • glossy, shiny coat
  • smooth, elastic & healthy-looking skin (no dryness, not flaky)
  • no parasites
  • no hotspots, bald patches, rashes, scabs, etc.
  • your fur-baby is not extensively biting, licking or scratching areas of his skin

Skin and Coat appearance in healthy dogs are easy to spot but difficult to maintain. But as pet parents, there is nothing we won't do for our fur-babies.

Pet Parents® Omega 3 for dogs supplement will give your fur-baby healthy nutrients that can better your dog's skincare & an overall healthy skin & coat, such as essential fatty acids and DHA for dogs, fish oil for dogs, & salmon oil for dogs.

This supplement helps keep your dog's skin and coat healthy and shiny! It will reduce shedding, will help prevent itching & irritation and can even aid in hair regrowth in bald areas! If your dog has skin allergies, these supplements may help reduce itchiness and skin inflammation.

"External parasites bite and suck blood from your fur-baby's skin that causes itchiness, irritation and worse, infections."