How to take care of your pet's coat

City dogs and cats need special care. Human-made stresses affect not only their health but also their appearance, including their fur. The fur protects and insulates animals. Changes in its look or feel can indicate health problems. These changes might not be linked to a specific disease. Your pet's coat can become dull or brittle due to a poor diet or issues with the digestive system, kidneys, thyroid, liver, immune system, or parasites. These changes usually appear later in the disease process, as fur grows back slowly. It can take at least four weeks for changes in fur color and texture to show after a disease starts or a new food is introduced.

How to take care of your pet's coat? A healthy dog’s shiny coat depends on the sebaceous glands in the skin, which produce fats that act as a natural conditioner. Unlike humans, animals have very few sweat glands.

Animal fur has three main types:

1. Guard hairs: These form the outer layer and protect from sunlight and moisture.

2. Down (undercoat): This forms the inner layer and provides insulation.

3. Tactile hair (vibrissae): These are sensory hairs.

Adult dogs have longer guard hairs and shorter secondary hairs, with the ratio depending on age and breed. Some breeds have almost no undercoat and short, thin main hair, like boxers, Great Danes, and greyhounds. Yorkshire Terriers have long, silky guard hairs but a thin undercoat.

Breeds with a “double coat” have a thick undercoat and guard hairs. Labradors have a short but thick coat with coarse guard hairs and a soft undercoat for insulation. Bearded collies have a soft, thick undercoat and a shaggy outer coat.

Puppies are born with short, soft secondary hair. Their coat color can change as they grow. For example, Dalmatian puppies are born with white fur, and black spots appear over time. Pet grooming products can hide some health problems and genetic issues in a dog’s fur, but they don’t replace the need for regular health checks.

One common issue for pet owners is cleaning dirt from their pet’s paws and fur. Pet shampoos help with this by removing dirt and keeping the skin’s natural balance. Unlike human shampoos, pet shampoos can clean both water-based and oil-based dirt, like car oil and gasoline. For oily dirt, a coat conditioner is also needed.

Experienced pet owners brush their pets regularly to stimulate the skin’s oil glands, which naturally protect the fur. It’s important to get pets used to baths from a young age. When bathing, apply pet shampoo to the combed fur twice, rinse well with warm water, and avoid the eyes and ears. The main job of shampoo is to clean dirt and excess oil from the fur and skin. Shampoos have cleaning agents, scents, preservatives, and conditioners that coat and thicken the hair. After shampooing, use a conditioner to protect the fur and skin from the shampoo’s effects. Conditioners smooth the hair, making it less tangled and reducing static electricity during drying.

The pet shampoo market is growing, with buyers wanting shampoos that not only clean but also nourish the fur, smell good, and have a natural color. Shampoos should be easy to spread, rinse off, make the fur shiny, and be hypoallergenic.

Modern shampoos contain cleaning agents, additional surfactants for extra properties like foaming, conditioning ingredients, functional additives like pH regulators and preservatives, and aesthetic additives like fragrances and colors.

For some breeds like Shih Tzus and Yorkshire Terriers, coat oils are necessary. Suitable oils include jojoba, palm, grape seed, wheatgrass, burdock, peach, coconut, and almond. Use coat oil sparingly, applying it once a week to dry fur, and avoid getting it on the skin to prevent issues with temperature regulation and air exchange.

References Taking care of the coat - ZooMedVet.