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Your
Pet's Winter Skin
Dry skin, it seems, is running rampant in
both dogs and cats across North America this winter.
"Winter is a common time for pets to
have dry skin and more dander," says Dr. Merry Crimi, hospital
director of an AAHA-accredited hospital in Milwaukie, Oregon. "As
soon as we turn the heat on in the fall, our skin and theirs takes a
little more care."
Help for
dogs with dry skin
Take these steps
to take care of your dogs hair and skin:
- Bathe your dog as little as needed to
keep its coat clean.
- Brush your dog often to remove dead
hair and dander.
- If bathing is necessary, use a
moisturizing shampoo made for dogs. Their pH is different from ours,
so don't be tempted to use a human shampoo- it is much to harsh for
their skin.
- Follow a bath when necessary with a
moisturizing rinse made for dogs and their special needs.
- Don't forget that healthy hair and
skin comes from within. Use a good quality, name brand food and
consult with a veterinarian about the addition of fatty acid
supplements which can make for healthier, glossier hair.
Help for cats
with dry skin
Dr. Crimi offers
these suggestions for taking care of your cat's hair in the winter:
- Comb your cat's hair often to remove
dander and loose hair.
- Don't bathe your cat unless you need
to clean the hair coat of grease, oil, or dirt. Remember cats give
themselves baths everyday.
- Use a conditioning rinse after your
cat's bath. Don't use oils and lotions that are designed for people.
"You'll find they will just gum up the cat's hair and attract a
lot of dirt," says Dr. Crimi.
- Feed quality, name brand foods to
provide adequate nutrition for glossy, healthy hair.
- Consult with your veterinarian about
increasing fatty acids and vitamins in your cats diet.
Warning signs
that your pet has more than dry skin
Pets scratch for many reasons, including
allergies, parasites, or infection. All of these conditions may appear to
be "dry skin" to the pet owner, but they actually require
treatment by a veterinarian. Attempting home remedies may only complicate
the problem or delay treatment. According to Dr. Crimi, you can't
"assume that chewing and licking to the point of hair loss is from
nerves. It usually isn't."
Plus, Dr. Crimi warns that often skin
problems and poor hair quality in pets are merely symptoms of something
else such as kidney, liver, adrenal or thyroid gland problems.
If notice any of these
conditions or if the initial skin problem persists for more than a week,
consult with your veterinarian for treatment.
- Skin irritation, including redness,
bumps, and rashes
- Open sores of any kind
- Excessive hair loss, either in
concentrated patches or all over
- Dull, dry hair that pulls out easily
- Constant foot licking or face rubbing
(with or without runny eyes or itchy ears)
Article
Courtesy of AAHA Additional
Reading: Getting
Under our Pet's Skin
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