| How Diet affects Your Dog's Coat |
| While the eyes may be the windows to the soul, a dog's hair coat is often a good view into his his general health. Typically, a healthy dog on a well-balanced diet will have a good-looking coat. But if a nutrient's missing or the body is compromised by a disease or disorder in which it can't absorb a particular nutrient--or the animal is allergic to a food--the coat may turn shabby. The most common signs of such problems are dryness of the hair coat, dandruff (scurf), hair loss, itchiness, and skin inflammation (dermatitis). Important nutrients and ingredients: A dog's coat is comprised of millions of hairs that are mostly made up of proteins. In fact, about one quarter of a dog's daily protein intake goes to support the hair coat. So if any amino acids are missing, which can happen, for example, with dogs on homemade, low animal protein diets, the dog's coat might lose its luster and appear dull and rough. The lack of certain amino acids can even trigger hair loss. In adult dogs, a protein deficiency could take months to show up inthe hair coat; in puppies, the deficiency would become obvious much sooner. Low-fat diets that aren't adequately supplemented with vegetable oils also might compromise the coat because they lack nutrients called essential fatty acids. The result; dry and brittle hairs. Deficiencies that affect the absorption of fat, such as certain pancreatic, liver, and small intestine problems, also cause EFA deficiencies. If the coat turns greasy, coarse, and dull while the skin becomes dry and flaky, the dog may be missing high quality fats, such as linoleic acid (Omega 6) in his diet. This can happen on cheap, low-quality reducing diets. Such diets might also trigger a Vitamin A deficiency, especially when the diet's based on low fat, lean muscle meat, Vitamin A deficiencies also can occur when dry commercial foods are not stored properly. Vitamin A deficits typically result in a dried out, scruffy looking hair coat. Mineral deficiencies can also compromise dog's coat for various reasons. For example, skin disease due to zinc deficiency has also been reported in dogs fed generic diets. Other causes: When healthy dogs on good quality commercial foods begin to look ratty, a digestive disorder or a sudden allergic reaction to a component in the food is quite likely. Food allergies can develop at any time, even after several years eating a particular product with no reactions. Common culprits are beef or dairy, but pork, chicken, fish, corn, soy, wheat, and preservatives can also cause problems. Lamb has long been thought to be a very low-risk food for sensitive dogs, but now such dogs are increasingly sensitive to lamb. A dog with a food allergy may scratch ferouciously, biting spots raw that can damage the skin or coat. Needless to say, if your dog starts looking scraggly or scruffy, be sure you veterinarian checks him out. He may have you change his diet, or may suggest additional tests to rule out any allergy underlying disease. |