A dog's diet can have a significant effect on the quality of their skin and coat. In today's article, our Central Illinois vets discuss the link between your dog's nutrition and the health of their coat and skin.
How does nutrition impact my dog's skin and coat?
Your dog's skin is the largest organ on their body. Combined with their coat, it makes up 12% of the average dog's body weight. This is why a dog's skin and coat require so many nutrients to maintain their health.
Therefore, we can logically conclude that the quality of your dog's skin and coat depends on the contents of their daily diet. If your dog's body doesn't receive enough nutrients, it won't be able to supply the skin with the essential elements needed to maintain its own health. In these cases, your pup's coat may look dull or patchy, and they may have dry or irritated skin.
A nutritional deficiency often occurs when a dog is fed a homemade diet over a long period of time, or if they are given poor quality commercial dry food, a commercial dry food with too many nutrients, or if a commercial diet is inappropriately supplemented.
How does poor nutrition affect my dog's skin?
If your dog's diet is nutrient-deficient, this may lead to the degradation or destruction of the sebum, the biofilm that naturally sits on the outside of your dog's skin.
Like people, a healthy dog's skin naturally secretes this substance, which forms a protective layer on top of the skin to protect it from debris and bacteria, and maintain its moisture.
IF your dog's skin doesn't receive the nutritional ingredients needed to maintain the sebum, the skin can trap bacteria and become infected, irritated, and uncomfortable. Left untreated, this can affect your dog's overall health.
Pugs, bulldogs, and some other breeds are more susceptible to skin infections due to folds in their skin that aren't as exposed to air. These folds can harbor more bacteria. Maintaining a proper diet to help these dogs naturally defend themselves against parasites is even more important than in other breeds.
What are symptoms of skin and coat conditions that may be caused by my dog's diet?
Poor skin condition can manifest in many ways. The most common signs and symptoms are:
- Change in or loss of hair color
- Dry, dull hair with split ends
- Dandruff
- Greasy skin
- Slow growth or no growth of hair from spots that have been shaved or clipped
- Accumulation of dry skin scales
- Pressure sores
- Inelastic or hyperpigmented skin
What other skin problems may be associated with my dog's diet?
While nutritional deficiencies are the most direct way that a dog's diet may negatively impact their skin and coat, your dog may also display symptoms of skin issues if they have a dermatological allergy. In cases like this, rather than being caused by what isn't in your dog's food, their body's response is caused by what is in your dog's food (due to the dietary allergen).
Some dogs have dietary allergies to specific ingredients in foods and, if this is the case, they may begin to display quite similar symptoms to those listed above. If you suspect that your dog is not getting all of the nutritional value they need from their daily diet, contact your vet as soon as possible.
They will be able to examine your pup, test them for allergies and walk you through the steps of narrowing down ingredients until you find a food that works best for your dog's health and well-being.
If required, we can also refer you to a board-certified veterinary dermatologist for further diagnostics and treatment.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.