Does your dog’s coat lose its lustre in winter? Or, does your pooch seem to continually itch throughout the winter months? Winter’s cold, dry weather and the increased air circulation, forced heat, and lowered humidity of your home all take a toll on your dog’s skin and coat. In fact, winter skin and coat problems are common concerns of most dog owners. We’ve put together a list of the most common winter complaints and provided some simply solutions to help soothe and protect against these.
Dull coat
Loss of coat lustre can be due to a variety of factors. These can include some health concerns, such as hormonal imbalances, parasites, and allergies. Poor nutrition, including low levels of protein and essential fatty acids, can also cause a dull haircoat.
Solution: Therefore, it is important that your dog is fed a diet rich in proteins, essential fatty acids, and more. Ensuring that your dog eats a healthy, balanced diet is vital not just for their skin but for their all-round health. Non Stinky is a 100% natural food supplement which can be added to your dogs feed to provide the all-important omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, plus biotin and Vitamin E, to maintain skin moisture, a soft, shiny coat, and your dog’s overall wellness. Using Non Stinky as a shampoo can also help to boost the overall shine and radiance of your dog’s coat.
Flea allergies
Solution: Fleas thrive, unfortunately, in almost all conditions which makes them a definite year-round threat. Although they prefer warmer conditions they can sneak into your home and survive the winter. In fact, mid-winter indoor flea infestations can be the worst. By the time you spot the first signs of fleas they have had ample time to establish a stronghold throughout your home.
The best protection against fleas requires you to maintain your flea and tick control regimen year-round. Both Stinky Stuff and Non Stinky make excellent repellents, and Stinky Stuff can even be used to combat flea infestations.
Dry, flaky skin
Central heating emits dry heat. This low humidity environment can rob your dog’s skin of necessary moisture, which results in dry, flaky, sensitive, and irritated skin. If left unmanaged this can cause damage to your dog’s skin and your dog’s incessant scratching to relieve the itch opens the door for more serious skin problems.
Solution – Minimising the use of central heating will help to reduce problems, as will increasing the humidity in the home. Daily grooming promotes circulation and stimulates and distributes natural oils to help moisturize your dog’s skin. In the winter, reduce bathing frequency, which can also rob your dog’s body of essential moisture. When baths are necessary, use a very mild, sulphate free, nourishing shampoo. The Non Stinky Shampoo method is an excellent option here as the shampoo base is completely sulphate free and will not dry out your dog’s skin and the Non Stinky will work to nourish and moisturise. If you notice any patches which seem to be particularly bothering your dogs apply a nourishing moisturiser, emollient or oil to provide relief. The Non Stinky rub method is ideal here.
Indoor allergies
Irritants can wreak havoc on your dog’s skin and coat health throughout the year. However, during the winter months, your dog spends the majority of her time inside your home and indoor allergens thrive during the winter months as the forced air heat keeps them circulating. As a result, your dog cannot escape from the dust, insects, and other allergens that are trapped inside your home.
Solution – Regular dusting and vacuuming can help to reduce problems but even in the cleanest of home dogs struggle with indoor allergens. Regular grooming can help to keep allergens out of your dog’s coat and there are many products and sprays available to help dogs struggling with allergies. Non Stinky is very effective at soothing irritated skin. It can be applied topically to help relieve the irritation from the outside and you can even add it to your dog’s feed to provide relief from the inside too!