The Peppy Pets Daily
April 02, 2003
Skin Problems In Dogs & Cats....What's Normal &
What's Not?
Using the senses of touch, vision and smell you can begin
to recognize the character of a "normal" or "healthy" skin
and coat.
TOUCH
Normal touch: There will be a soft texture to the hairs and
even in wiry coats such as in Airedales the character of the
coat should be pliable and smooth.
Abnormal touch: The coat will be made up of dry, coarse,
brittle hairs, some broken off, some very fine. The coat may
be sparse and thinning or short and underdeveloped.
APPEARANCE
Normal appearing skin/coat: The skin will have a clean look
to it and be free of scales, scabs and crusts. The coat
should appear full, almost lustrous and have a soft look to it.
Abnormal appearing skin/coat: The skin will appear thin, dry
and scaly or greasy. The coat will appear dull, lusterless or
even dusty. It will have no "shine" to it and will have a harsh
appearance.
SMELL
Normal skin/coat: A healthy skin and coat won't have any
smell to it. And even when dirty, will smell like whatever is
making it dirty.
Abnormal skin/coat: An unhealthy skin and coat will have a
rancid, oily odor; the odor is caused by superficial skin
bacteria and their waste products breaking down the oils
on the skin.
All skin surfaces have colonies of bacteria present. But an
unhealthy skin surface harbors too many of the wrong
kinds of bacteria. That is why many veterinarians recommend
weekly shampoos for some dogs...shampooing helps
keep bacteria numbers to a minimum.
The single most important determining factor in the healthy
skin/coat equation is proper NUTRITION.
No matter what else may be adversely affecting the skin/coat,
such as allergies, infections, harsh environment, or parasites,
the problem will be worse in a dog that is only barely
meeting its nutrient requirements.
And skin/coat problems are always less severe and occur
less often in well nourished pets. Dogs and cats are
primarily meat eaters. They will act, feel and look their
best if fed a diet whose first ingredient listed on the pet
food label is MEAT, POULTRY or FISH.
Diets that are based on grains such as corn will NOT
properly nourish dogs and cats.
The entire field of pet health nutrition is now only beginning
to recognize the value and function of meat-based (poultry,
beef, lamb, fish) diets.
Many well known brands of dog and cat foods that have
been around for years and whose foundation (the first listed
ingredient on the label) is a grain such as corn, wheat, barley,
or rice simply do NOT provide the health enhancing nutrients
that meat-based diets provide.
Most veterinarians have had only superficial training in pet
nutrition and often that training has been provided by
representatives of various dog food companies.
The above material has been adapted from an article by:
T. J. Dunn, Jr. DVM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dog & Cat Skin Problems
From Jane Bicks, D.V.M.
Does Your Dog or Cat Suffer From:
* Irritated Skin
* Excessive Itching
* Scratching & Biting
* Flaky Skin
* Dry or Oily Coat
* Excessive shedding
* Odorous skin
* Dull or brittle coat
* Allergies
Then Dr. Bicks recommends her Skin & Coat Formula
for Dogs & Cats. The Skin & Coat Formula has been clinically
tested in over 40 veterinary Clinics and proven effective
based on six years and thousands of satisfied users.
The delicious roast beef and liver flavored chewable
tablets have a taste that dogs and cats love to eat.
Go Here to Find Out More
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