How to Keep Your Pet’s Fur Soft, Shiny, and Healthy

When your dog or cat’s fur is gleaming and soft, it’s a good indicator that their overall health and happiness are at optimum levels. But how best to achieve this, and what are the solutions if your pet’s coat has started to dull? Have a look below for some tips on how to ensure your pet has the sleekest coat and healthiest skin possible!

Getting Diet Right

Let’s start with the basics: healthy skin and fur are largely the results of a good diet. So choose a high-quality food for your pet that gives them all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that they need. Getting an adequate supply of protein is essential to prevent skin problems and fur loss, so make sure that your dog or cat is getting what they need; check with your vet if you’re unsure. Fatty acids are a vital component of a diet, too: consumption of these can protect against skin inflammation and a dulling of the coat. 

Nutritionally balanced pet food that uses premium, fresh ingredients are now increasingly available, with some companies offering delivery plans of healthy pet food that contains both vegetables and human-grade meat, with no added hormones or other nasties. Read more to explore Ollie’s review, including how this option can benefit your pet, the prices, and how the plan works.

Incorporate Vitamins

A pet multivitamin could be a great way to help promote excellent overall health and encourage a gleaming coat. Supplements that include salmon or hemp seed oil are particularly effective at restoring shine to fur and helping uphold skincare. Vitamins D and E are also helpful to improve the condition of your companion’s skin and coat, and boost the immune system, too! Speak with your vet before starting giving a supplement or vitamin of any kind to your pet.

The Importance of Exercise

For dogs, not getting a sufficient amount of exercise can negatively impact all elements of their health, and they can suffer from problems with their skin and fur if they are regularly not getting the required amount.

Lack of exercise can lead to stress and depression in your pet too, which can also exacerbate any existing skin conditions they suffer from.

Check the Products You’re Using

It’s really important to make sure that the shampoos and conditioners that you use to clean your furry friend don’t contain any harsh chemicals, which can result in damage to the fur and irritation to the skin. Ideally, look for products that contain natural oils to deliver shine to the coat, and be sure to avoid artificial fragrances.

If you can, select cleaning products that are designed specifically for your breed of dog: different animals will have different types of fur (some breeds’ fur is coarser than others, for example) and therefore different requirements. Take into account, too, if your pet has any allergies or sensitivities, and be extra careful selecting products should they suffer from these.

Get Gorgeous By Grooming

Proper grooming can be a lovely activity for you and your pet to enjoy together and, done with care, can promote a glowing coat that’s gleaming with health! Start by making sure you have a good quality hairbrush: this is essential to reduce shedding fur matting and can also help to distribute the natural oils released from your pet’s skin throughout its coat, promoting shine.

Although bathing your pooch now and again is a good idea, this shouldn’t be done regularly, as it can strip away these natural oils and cause irritation. Even once a week is probably too much. In between baths, you could use special pet wipes to gently spot clean any dirt or gunk.

As well as regular brushing at home, you may wish to consider booking your dog in for a professional groom occasionally for a thorough pampering!

Enjoy Regular Snuggle Sessions!

Like brushing, petting helps to disperse the natural oils on your pet’s skin through his fur, moisturizing his hair and making his coat gleam with good health. Regular snuggling also means that you become very familiar with the feel of your pet’s skin, fur, and body so that you’re more likely to notice promptly if there’s been a change or if a lump or swelling occurs and can subsequently see a vet promptly.

Plus, of course, relaxing with and petting your dog or cat releases stress-busting hormones in both of your bodies, which are beneficial for many aspects of health and overall wellness.

Speak with Your Vet

If your pet has developed problems with its fur or skin, it’s important to schedule a visit to the vet as soon as possible to check what’s going on and whether there is an underlying condition causing the issue: there are a number of diseases and deficiencies for which irritated skin or fur loss is a symptom.

It’s also a good idea to check with your vet before making any significant changes to your pet’s diet, or changing cleaning and grooming products, to make sure that the new regime will be suitable for your furry friend.

• Also, Read: Everything To Know If You Are Sharing Your Bed With Your Pet