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A Healthy Skin and Coat for Your Dog:
Is your dog blessed with always having a lush, soft coat and skin underneath which never suffers from rashes or itches of any description? If you said yes, yours is a very fortunate dog.
More likely, like me, you said "No", or "Not always".
Most of our dogs suffer from a dull coat and skin irritation from time to time.
And if your dog is anything like my Rottweiler, Kara, your dog's fur is often dusty and not so great to stroke. Kara loves rolling in the dirt outside. When the dirt she rolls in is dry, I can brush out the dust and dirt relatively easily. But when it's damp she really needs to be washed to really get her coat clean again. And I won't mention what she looks and feels like when she rolls in the mud in the pouring rain. Uggh!
Kara also has pretty sensitive skin - she gets a rash from coming into contact with the pollen from certain plants, and a major rash if she gets bitten by even one flea. She's allergic to fleas.
My Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Jet, is more hardy in the coat and skin department. Her fur of course is naturally very short, so she keeps pretty clean. (She's not into rolling around in the mud like Kara is!) And she doesn't get incessant itches very often at all.
There are a number of steps which you can take to improve the comfort of your dog (some of which add to your own enjoyment of your dog at the same time - always a "plus"):
First of all, a good dog shampoo is really important. When my dogs were younger I sometimes used cheap shampoos from discount stores. I came to the conclusion that this was really false economy. They cleaned the coat reasonably well, but weren't particularly beneficial to the skin.
Now I use an all-natural, herbal enriched shampoo for dogs and their coats comes out really silky and with a lovely shine. And it's good for keeping fleas at bay, as well. If you'd like to check it out, you'll find the details by clicking here. For optimal results, you must use both the herbal dog shampoo and the herbal dog conditioner that you'll see when you click here.
Or if your dog has particular skin problems, there's also a wonderful oatmeal shampoo for dogs that helps relieve itching and dry, flaky skin, including dandruff and some forms of dermatitis. It's also all-natural and contains no chemicals. Click here:
Or if you really like the smell of oranges, there's a particularly good dog shampoo and conditioner formulation. It's called the Herbal Orange Cream Shampoo and Conditioner, and it's a favorite with dog groomers and vets, and has been for 20 years. Again, it's all-natural without any chemicals, and it also has a great aromatherapy soothing effect on your dog! Click here.
Secondly, to keep your dog's skin and coat really healthy from the inside, you absolutely can't go past the best fatty acids complex for dogs (and cats) - Dermatrix for Dogs and Cats. It contains Omegas 3, 6 and 9, plus OptiMSM and other Vitamins for a healthy coat.
You'll love the results of Dermatrix on your dog's skin and coat! (Just click on the bottles of Dermatrix above, or click here). And thirdly, it's really important to keep fleas completely under control. For several years I'd wait until I actually saw a flea before treating my dogs, because I had in my mind that flea treatments were poisonous and therefore bad for my dogs. (For a natural chemical-free alternative, see below, or click here now).
I'm not a scientific expert, but my own vet was involved in the trialling of Frontline when it was in the testing stage before it was marketed, and he assured me that no ill effects were found to dogs at all.
This surprised, and reassured me at the time, and for several years I didn't give it another thought. But then I got to thinking again. How could a chemical, applied to a dog's skin, which poisons fleas, not be detrimental to the dog? It just stands to reason, to my way of thinking, that putting poisons on my dogs' skin has got to be bad for my dogs. No question. It might not be a large enough dose to make them sick there and then, but it must be causing damage. But either way, and particularly if your dog has any allergy or sensitivity to fleas or flea bites, it's prudent to treat your dog as soon as your dog shows any telltale signs such as scratching a little more than usual, and especially if your dog starts chewing the area above his/her tail.I prefer the natural alternatives for flea prevention and treatment. Didn't think there was one? Neither did I. Your vet didn't tell you about it? Neither did mine. But it IS available, it DOES work, and it IS chemical-free. For all the details, click here. The great thing about the natural flea treatments is that you can use them all the time as a preventative, without risking your dog's health! In summary, if you're a Frontline fan, it is available from your vet, but it's actually more cost effective to buy it online. Click here to purchase Frontline online. I don't recommend it, but it's up to you.
But you'll be amazed at what else these natural, chemical-free alternative do - with one of them you won't need worming tablets of any kind, including Heartworm tablets which are very toxic for your dog. You think I'm kidding, don't you? I'm not. See for yourself by clicking right here.
And fourthly - grooming. Some dog breeds need more grooming than others, and a good brush may be all your dog needs. But if you have shedding problems with your dog, there's a wonderful tool on the market that guarantees to reduce shedding better than any brush or comb, and help to bring out your dog's natural oils, leaving a healthy, shiny topcoat. It's great!
(C) 2007, Brigitte Smith, Healthy Happy Dogs
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