Have you noticed your dog has dandruff and hair loss lately? A neat, clean and he althy coat is our dog's letter of introduction. But the coat is not just a matter of aesthetics, since various alterations in our dog's he alth can manifest with the appearance of dandruff, abundant hair loss or, directly, areas of alopecia. Hence the importance of taking care of our dog's hair and paying attention to any alteration. In this article on our site we are going to focus on the causes and solutions of dandruff and hair loss of our dog. Keep reading!
He althy hair and shedding
The first thing we should know is that the quality of the hair is determined by a set of factors, among which the concentration of hormones, nutrition, genetics or the frequency of brushing and washing stand out. A problem in any of these aspects will be reflected in the coat and may be the cause of conditions, as we will see. Thus, the hair can become scarce, break, dry or lose its shine. All these circumstances will be indicative of a he alth problem and, on the contrary, he althy, abundant and shiny hair is a reflection of our friend's good he alth.
In practically all dogs hair loss will occur at the time of shedding, which will take placeat least once a year and usually twice, once in spring and once in autumn. However, in dogs that live indoors, with constant artificial lighting, shedding can occur throughout the year. Therefore, this way of losing hair is completely normal and does not imply any pathology. During moulting, brushing the coat is recommended, even several times a day, to help remove excess hair.
Looking at normal, now why does your dog have dandruff and hair loss?
Food, one of the main causes
As we have mentioned, there are different factors that intervene in the quality of the hair. If our dog presents dandruff or hair loss in an abnormal way and without other symptoms, the first thing we have to think about is food Changing it, the coat It should regain its luster in no time. If we are feeding our dog homemade food or low-quality feed, we should change to a higher-end feed, following the recommendations of our veterinarian. If we are already providing a quality feed, we can look for another variety within the same range. Today there are multiple options on the market and there are many feeds with specially selected ingredients to promote hair care and thus prevent our dog from having dandruff and hair loss.
Dandruff and hair loss in dogs due to skin problems
Sometimes a dog has dandruff and hair loss indicates a disease that can be hormonal, parasitic or allergic In In these cases, we can observe symptoms that, depending on the condition, may include itching, wounds, bald spots, lumps, redness, pustules, symmetrical or asymmetrical hair loss, etc. Faced with this picture we must go to the veterinarian so that, through the relevant tests, identify what is the cause that is causing the aforementioned symptoms. From the diagnosis, the appropriate treatment will be established, which, logically, will depend on the condition. As general guidelines to prevent our dog's dandruff and hair loss, we can point out the following:
- Maintain correct hygiene in terms of brushing and washing, with a frequency that will depend on the type of coat and with the products and accessories suitable for the characteristics of our dog.
- Provide a adequate foodto our dog's condition in a way that covers all its nutritional needs at different stages of its development. life.
- Deworming periodically, since parasites such as fleas can be responsible for skin conditions.
- Go to veterinary check-ups at least once a year and, more frequently, in the case of geriatric animals that, In addition, it is advisable to do at least one blood and urine test per year. Of course, we must go to our reference clinic if our dog shows any signs of illness.
