“The first impression is the last impression”, and in the context of your pet, a fluffy and shiny coat is their first imprint of being healthy. Prioritising skin health for pets is quite pivotal, and it’s a matter of appreciation for every pet owner to have a keen eye on improving it. If you are a dog owner, you must be following grooming standards, and several skin treatments to keep them clean and disease-free – which most owners do. But did you know that approximately 60-70% of skin problems occur due to inefficient and poor dog gut health?Â
A dog’s healthy gut plays a vital role in skin conditioning through proper digestion of food and improving the immune system. However, it is one of the most overlooked factors that may lead to dog skin diseases like:
- Atopic dermatitis
- Dry and flaky skin
- Lumps
- Skin lesions
- Yeast Infection
Break the Myth
Several people think “Hotspots in dogs are not a bigger concern and can heal on their own”
Truth
Hotspots are inflamed and infected skin which can cause serious skin infections. Take your pet to a veterinarian ASAP!!
What is the impact of the Gut on Skin health – A Gut-Skin relation?
A healthy gut is the key to maintaining optimal skin health. The gut microbiome has a direct connection to skin enhancement as it helps regulate the immune system through the proper absorption of nutrients.
Therefore, even a slight disorder in the gut system may lead to canine skin diseases like:
- Causes allergies: The gut contains numerous beneficial bacteria that help in the proper breakdown of food and absorption of nutrients. An imbalanced digestive system can lead to food allergies, red patches and even continuous itching and scratching. However, a prebiotic (pumpkin, beans, flax seeds) and probiotic (yoghurt, kefir, goat milk) diet can enhance digestion and reduce the risk of skin infection in dogs.
- Gut inflammation leads to flaky and dry skin: Undervaluing a balanced diet may result in a lack of antioxidants, omega fatty acids, and even gut-healing nutrients, which may raise severe gut inflammation. This can result in excessive dandruff and dull skin.
- Inadequate nutrient absorption affects skin and coat quality: To nurture a healthy coat and skin in dogs, there should be proper absorption of vitamin A, Zinc, Omega 3 and Biotin in their body. Hence, a poor gut system is inefficient in the proper absorption of minerals, which increases the chances of hair loss, excessive shedding and bald patches.
Never overlook skin disease signs due to poor gut health
Compromising a dog’s gut health can increase the risk of degrading their fur and skin quality. Here are some signs to recognize before it’s too late:
- Dull coat
- Excessive dandruff with dry and flaky skin
- Continuous itching and scratching
- Bald spots due to frequent hair loss
- Skin infection with swellings
- Hotspot and inflamed patches
If you ever find the aforementioned symptoms in your dogs, then it is high time to address and resolve their gut problem.
What are the reasons for a Dog’s gut imbalance?
There are several reasons for the degradation of gut health in dogs, such as:
- Unsuitable diet: Feeding your dog with low-quality protein and food containing high preservatives and even fillers can disrupt the intestinal lining. Hence, probiotics for dogs play a major role in health improvement and the absence of them may lead to gut and skin problems.
- High usage of antibiotics: Antibiotics are often used for better gut health, but excessive usage of them may exterminate beneficial bacteria too. It raises the risk of infection and skin problems.
- Allergic food items: Your dog may be allergic and sensitive to different dog food items like dairy products, grains, and even chicken and beef. It can quickly trigger gut inflammation and result in skin reactions.
Break the Myth
 Taking frequent baths reduces the risk of skin diseases in pets.
Truth
60-70% of Skin problems in pets occur due to poor gut health. So, rather than bathing them, it’s better to feed them with a balanced diet and keep them hydrated!
Managing Dogs' gut health in different phases of age
In every stage of a dog’s life, maintaining gut health is necessary to improve skin health, too. Following a balanced diet with proper consumption of every nutrient is quite pivotal.
For Puppies:
- Always select a quality wet food loaded with protein to help them better digest and develop.
- Introduce probiotics like curd and goat milk powder for the gut microbiome.
- Keep frequent meals for better absorption of nutrients in puppies.
- Keep them hydrated for a better digestion process and healthy skin.
For Adult Dogs
- Introduce calcium (spinach, beans, camel milk for dogs) and appropriate content of fibre for healthy digestion.
- Monitor your dog’s food cycle and be aware of food allergies and sensitivity to avoid diseases like diarrhoea and vomiting.
- Add protein and healthy fats to your diet.
- Always stick to a regular and consistent diet.
For Senior Dogs
- Always opt for easy-to-digest wet food items.
- Add probiotics in small amounts and digestive enzymes for a smooth intestinal process.
- Feeding senior dogs with fresh water in sufficient amounts is crucial.
- Check your dog’s gastrointestinal issues and easily detect any IBS.
Most effective ways to improve gut health for healthier skin
As a pet owner, it’s your prime responsibility to prioritize the health of your furry friend. No matter how busy your schedule is, always feed your dog a balanced diet for better gut health and reduce the risk of dog skin disease.
Check out some effective ways to improve your dog’s gut health:
- Prebiotics and probiotics for dogs: The introduction of probiotics (beneficial bacteria) and prebiotics (fibres) helps dogs tackle various intestinal diseases. Feeding probiotics packed with Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains assists in improving microbiota and reducing microbial infection. Supplements like Goat milk for dogs are the best option to fulfil your dog’s probiotic needs.
- A Nutritive balanced diet: Never compromise on nutritional values, as a high-quality diet promotes dog gut health and skin development. Ensure that your dog intakes all crucial nutrients like:
- Vitamin A
- Omega 3
- Zinc
- Aware of common allergens: Eliminate the food sensitive and allergic to your dog and switch to a limited ingredient diet.
- Fulfil hydration: Ensure your dog takes enough water and liquid items to keep them hydrated throughout the day. It helps to keep the skin hydrated and reduces the risk of dry and flaky skin.
- Limited use of antibiotics: Try to reduce the overuse of antibiotics. Use only when it is highly required or else you can add probiotics to replenish good bacteria.
Food ingredients beneficial for the gut to enhance skin health
Before feeding your dog with different food items, it is necessary to know their usage and outcomes. Here is the list of essential dog food ingredients to overcome skin infections in dogs.
- Probiotics and fermented food items
- Goat milk powder for dogs (highly recommended for better digestion)
- Plain yoghurt (no artificial flavour added)
- Fermented vegetables
Benefits: Probiotics have always been beneficial for balancing gut bacteria and reducing skin allergies.
- Prebiotics (increases the growth of good gut bacteria)
- Sweet Potatoes (Rich in fibers)
- Pumpkin
- Bananas (contains insulin)
Benefits: Regular intake of prebiotics helps in growing good bacteria improves the overall digestive system, and reduces inflammation too.
- Omega 3 and omega 6 (Keeps your dog’s skin shiny and healthy)
- Fish oil (reduces the risk of dry skin)
- Salmon and sardines (Highly rich in omega-3 fatty acids)
- Coconut oil
Benefits: Feeding Omega fatty acids reduces the risk of itchy skin and enhances the coat of your dog.
- High-quality protein (boosts cell and skin regeneration)
- Eggs: (Loaded with biotin, which improves skin health)
- Chicken and turkey (rich in amino acids)
- Beef liver (contains a good amount of vitamin A and Zinc for skin repair)
Benefits: Adding a high-quality protein diet to your dog’s food cycle prevents hair loss and maintains healthy skin.
- Hydrating foods (for better skin moisture and smooth digestion)
- Watermelon (rich in water content and vitamins)
- Cucumber (best for hydration)
- Bone broth
Benefits: It keeps your dog’s skin hydrated and prevents it from getting dry. It even promotes a better digestion process.
Common things to avoid skin infection in dogs
It is good to add a balanced diet and quality food ingredients to nurture your dog’s gut health and skin. However, it is also necessary to understand your dog’s eating habits and gut efficiency. Try to avoid some basic things like:
- Overuse of Dairy products: Your dog may be sensitive to some basic dairy food items which may create an imbalance in the digestive system and skin allergies.
- Rapid Switch to different diets: Never try to change the diet frequently, as your dog might be unable to adapt to it. Also, have some patience and monitor your dog’s behaviour after changing their diet.
- Neglecting allergies: If your dog is sensitive and allergic to specific items, you need to consult with a veterinarian first and then feed them in small amounts to reduce the risk of skin infection.
Conclusion
Keeping your dog’s gut health at an optimum level will surely result in healthy skin, too. Most of the dog skin illnesses are directly associated with their gut. So it is necessary to keep the gut micro-biome healthy, which plays a major role in strengthening the immune system and reducing inflammation overall, resulting in promoting shiny coat and skin health.
Adding healthy diets like probiotics, protein and highly nutritive food items can minimize the skin deterioration risk. Even supplements like camel milk and goat milk for dogs can be useful options for the improvement of skin and gut health. However, before the addition of supplements or change in diet, consult with your veterinarian for better and positive outcomes.
So, it’s high time to keep your furry friends healthy and help them achieve superior gut and skin health.