Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

How To Restore Lackluster Dog Coat

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The dog fur says a lot about your dog. Lifeless lackluster fur can be a sign of some underlying health problems or skin problems, like skin allergy or infection. So if your dogs fur all of a sudden gets worse, take your dog to the veterinarian.

However, usually dull fur is a sign of normal wear and tear or our neglect in caring properly for it. Let’s face it, most of us don’t spend the needed time on caring for our dogs coat. The type of dog you have determines how much grooming is needed. Dog owners should consider this prior to choosing their dog breed.

Fatty acids are vital for healthy and shiny canine coat. So the first thing to ask yourself… is your dog getting enough fatty acids from his diet? If the answer is no, then you need to either alter his diet, or start giving him canine fatty acid supplement.

To ensure the right balance of fatty acids, you should give him Omega 3, 6 and 9. This not only benefits his coat and skin, it also benefits your dogs overall health.

You should also start brushing your dog more frequently, as it increases the natural production of skin oils that make the fur shiny. Regular bathing is also recommended, though take care not to overdo it. As before, it depends on your dog how often you should to bath him.

The video Tips For Shiny Dog Coat offers some more practical tips that help you to revive your dogs coat.

Glucosamine For Dogs Can Improve Your Dog`s Health

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Treat your dog as he deserves to be treated and offer him whatever he needs to keep him healthy. Your dog not only needs food, he also needs your love together with supplements for dogs, to keep him healthy. Fatty acids are the most widely used pet supplements to treat both dogs and cats. Fatty acids such as omega 3 and omega 6 can be found on the market. It’s been proven that fatty acids can be a substitute for medicine in the treatment of inflammation.

Fish oil is a supplement that has fatty acids in it and that is why it is used for its positive effects in helping people and pets with certain ailments. Fish oil supplements have only one minor inconvenience; a slight fish scent on the breath and/or the skin. If you give your dog the recommended dosage, your dog will not bleed. If you smell a fish odor after you have given fish oil to your dog, you should lower the dosage so that the odor disappears. There are some dog owners who wander if fish oil supplements are likely to create problems for already overweight dogs but the answer is no.

If your dog is suffering from allergies, arthritis, kidney disease, heart disease or cancer, you should think about using fish oil for dogs. You can also use it in case of depression. It is also recommended if your dog has allergic skin disease. You can find it packaged as gel caps or liquid for easy digestion.A fish oil for dogs supplement contains a special combination of natural nutrients, known for their positive health effects on a dog’s skin and coat.Being the largest organ of a dog’s body, the skin deserves special attention. Its role is to protect a dog’s body and to regulate a dog’s body temperature. That’s why fish oil for dogs is regarded as an important daily nutritional pet supplement.

As your dog ages, he will most likely develop a problem with his joints, ligaments and tendons. This problem can really affect its livelihood. Some dogs develop arthritic conditions because their owners feed them red meat and forget to feed them vital nutrients such as Glucosamine for dogs to improve their health. Glucosamine is very important, because it can be found in the cartilage and synovial fluid and having a glucosamine deficit can cause your dog to have serious pain.

Veterinarians agree that oral glucosamine is absorbed directly into the joint tissues because it has anti-inflammatory properties, which means that is also good for osteo-arthritic conditions. Pet owners should definitely consider introducing Glucosamine supplements to their dogs alimentation if they see their dog having problems moving and/or if they have joint pain. Your dog will not be harmed when taking Glucosamine for dogs. Rather, your dog will enjoy the healthy life he deserves in his old age.Experts agree that natural remedies have been used for hundreds years to support both human and animal health.

Dog Health – Avocados: A Surprisingly Healthy Fruit

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When dealing with dog health, feeding your pet dog a diet consisting of only cuts of lean meat, chances are he would have severe nutritional problems.

While a dog is a carnivore – meat eater – he cannot live on protein alone. Just like his owner, a dog needs a balanced diet including fats, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.

Few of us could afford a predominantly steak diet for our pets, but even if we could, our dogs would be a lot healthier with a cheaper cut of meat. Less expensive meats are better for dog health because they have a higher fat content.

Fats provide dogs with energy and heat and help keep his skin healthy. Not enough fat in a dog’s diet can cause scaly, dry skin. His coat may become coarse and lifeless. A diet low in fat may also cause a dog to become highly nervous and more susceptible to many types of illness.

There are three fatty acids in fats which a dog needs. These are: linolenic, linoleic, and arachidonic. Linoleic acid can be found in meat products, suet, butter, and corn oil. It can also be found in avocados.

The Avocado

Avocados are one of the few fruits that most dogs love. One reason for this is that these fruits add palatability and texture to food, especially dry meal. It is also a nutritious supplement of fats to the canine diet. This pear-shaped fruit contains sixteen percent of rare oil seldom found in fruits as well as an unusual amount of protein for fruits.

One medium avocado contains about 35 grams of fat, mostly monounsaturated. This fruit also has more potassium than bananas. Avocados are also rich in vitamin E, vitamin K, and the B vitamins.

When the nutritional requirements of adult dogs were compared with the composition of avocados, particularly California avocados, this fruit also proved to be a good source of vitamins and minerals. One half of a medium avocado provides a mature dog with all his daily requirements for magnesium, potassium, and niacin. About half of his requirements for thiamin, manganese, and vitamin A, are also provided with this awesome fruit.

Compare what the avocado offers a dog nutritionally to some of the other foods often added to a dog’s diet to improve his skin tone and coat. A half of avocado supplies thirteen grams of fat. There is one gram of linoleic acid in half of the fruit.

An egg has half the amount of fat grams and only a trace of linoleic acid. One half cup of cottage cheese only offers five grams of fat and a trace of linoleic acid, while one tablespoon of corn oil has fourteen grams of fat and seven grams of linoleic acid but none of the vitamins and minerals that the avocado offers.

So, avocados are an important source in dog health.

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