Keeping Your Dog’s Skin and Fur Healthy

Knowing how to take good care of your dog’s skin and fur should be something that you as a dog owner learn about.

Different dogs have different fur and coat types so care will vary from dog to dog.

Dogs require special grooming, fur care and prevention against any bacterial infections that could possible result from exposure to dirt and grime. The Country Feed Store would like to share some helpful tips to make sure your dog’s skin and fur are the best they can be!

Unlike human hair, dog hair has a more coarse texture to it. They also shed a lot, so dog owners need to clean up after them. Depending on the dog breed, some might require a higher level of maintenance then others. Here are some basic tips on how to take good care of your dog’s skin and fur.

Diet: Making sure that your dog is getting a balanced diet will help ensure that their skin and fur stays healthy and shiny. A dog’s skin and fur does not only need care from the outside, but also from the inside. If you are planning to give your dog chicken meat, slowly introduce this to their meals and check if it’s causing any problems with its skin and fur. Some dogs are actually allergic to chicken. You can also give them food supplements.

Brushing: Regularly brush your dog’s fur to help take out dander and dead hair. It also helps spread natural oils found on the dog’s pelt and enhances circulation.

Bathing: The issue on how many times a dog gets bath varies from one vet to another. Some say once a week, while others would go for once a month. Too much bathing will cause the dog’s skin to dry out and cause hot spots. But not bathing it frequently will make it dirty and smelly. Dirt and bacteria could also become trapped on their skin. In certain cases, especially with DM in dogs, owners will have a hard time cleaning and bathing their dog. Although DM in dogs will cause them to lose their ability to walk and go out, you will still need to make sure they stay clean. Medicated soap and shampoo helps kills and prevents pests like ticks and fleas.

Vet Visits: By going to the vet regularly, the vet can inform you of any problems with their skin while it’s still early. If the dog is already developing skin and fur problems, the vet can prescribe or administer medication. You can also have a little talk with the vet and ask them about what you can do to keep your dog generally healthy and happy.

How To Comfort Your Dog While You Are At Work

Leaving your dog at home while you are at work.

Here are some good tips to keep in mind to help ease your dogs’ anxiety while they are alone at home and you are out work.

For lots of us who work there is a painful moment every morning when we leave the house. You’re in the car, ready to back out of the driveway, when you look back at the house and you see your dog staring mournfully at you from the window. He looks at you like you’re abandoning him forever. At that moment you feel enough guilt to sink into the earth and die. You’re leaving your poor dog home alone all day. You’re his best friend and all you can imagine is how sad and lonely he’s going to be without you.

Wherever you live, or however many pets you have, you probably experience some version of this guilt when you leave your home. In actuality, many pets are well-adjusted and cope very well to their owners’ daily absences. However, they all seem to have the sad, guilt-inducing look down pat. And, quite a few pets do seem to become lonely and bored during the day. Some even suffer from separation anxiety .

Your pet can show his loneliness and boredom in a lot of different ways.  Pets can chew on your things, claw and scratch at doors, or potty in the house from anxiety. Dogs are very social animals and it’s not usually part of their nature to be alone. Whether they are fearful for themselves when left alone or fearful for you out in the big, bad world, they can become nervous if they are alone with nothing to do.

Fortunately, there are some good ways to combat loneliness and boredom.

Herbal Remedies – There are many herbal remedies that are helpful at soothing and calming dogs who are stressed at being left alone. Various types of herbal remedies work well for dogs with all kinds of anxiety — whether it’s separation anxiety, nervousness from fireworks, or anxiety about traveling.

Training- You can work on desensitizing your dog to your absences. Go through all the motions for leaving the house — take your keys, your purse, your briefcase — whatever. Leave the house for just a couple of minutes and come back. Let your dog see that you don’t always leave the house for long periods of time. Start the car and come back inside. Let your dog get used to seeing you come and go for these brief periods until they start to feel better about seeing you leave. When you leave the house keep things very low-key. Don’t have emotional scenes with your dog or your dog will think there is something to worry about. Likewise, when you come home, keep things quiet and calm. Let your dog know that coming and going are not a big deal. Don’t act like leaving your dog is the end of the world.

Activities – Make sure that your dog has lots of things to do while you’re away at work. There are plenty of great interactive toys on the market these days. There are toys that:

• challenge your dog to find the treat and test his IQ
• toys within toys
• talking toys
• toys that let you record a message for your dog.
• light up and flash laser lights

There’s even an ice lick toy that your dog has to lick to get to the toys and treats inside (probably best as an outside toy). One fun toy has bacon, chicken and peanut butter-scented bubbles!

These great interactive toys can entertain even the sulkiest dogs. Check around and you may find something that will interest your dog. You don’t have to limit yourself to bones and chew toys.  Don’t forget the old favorite Kongs — they’re still great for keeping a dog busy trying to get the treat out!

Clean Water – You can also look into self-dispensing water and food bowls. Maybe your dog hates to drink old water? Maybe he would be happier if he had some fresh food to eat while you’re away from home? There are some good self-dispensers on the market that could keep your dog happy while you’re away.

Catch some zzzzzs in style – Don’t forget to provide your dog with a nice bed while you’re away from home. There are plenty available. Your dog may prefer your expensive sofa or even your bed, but it’s nice if he has his own bed available, too.

I know that it sounds like you’re providing your dog with food and provisions for weeks instead of eight hours, but if you can make him happy while you’re at work you’ll both be a lot happier.