Dog dander comes on suddenly and is always accompanied by visible symptoms such as hair loss, itching and redness, and in severe cases can cause wounds, causing a lot of worry for many fur parents. In fact, the causes of dog dander, in addition to the environment, food or seasonal problems caused by, must be clear about the source of dog dander symptoms, let us further understand.
What should I do if my dog has dandruff?
Repeated itchiness, red spots, rashes, flakiness and dandruff in dogs can be very worrying for parents. Because dogs have more hair than humans, their skin metabolizes faster and produces more dandruff, especially in puppies, young dogs, and poodles. Why does dandruff occur in puppies? How to treat it effectively, let Fur Kids Time teach you to find out the root cause of dander in dogs from these 2 tips!
External causes of dog dander
1. Bacterial infection
Common bacteria or dog dandruff spores, etc., may cause external skin infections, long-term in the humid environment and skin state, are prone to cause dandruff symptoms in dogs.
2、Over-cleaning
There is no absolute standard value for dog cleaning, the body odor is not heavy, the skin is dry about one to two weeks to clean once; oil secretion is more, often go out for a walk in the dog, can be shortened to about 1 week to clean. Because the dog’s skin structure is more fragile, excessive cleaning is likely to cause a lack of protective oils, skin defenses down, increasing the chance of dog skin redness or dandruff.
3. Climatic factors
Due to the change of season, the immunity of the fur child’s body will be lower than usual, coupled with the rapid change of temperature and humidity, it is easy to induce the fur child’s skin to appear high humidity or dandruff, common small dogs such as poodles will also produce dandruff. During the change of season, you can try to maintain a balance between temperature and humidity in your home to avoid skin problems in your dog.
Internal causes of dandruff in dogs
1. Nutritional deficiencies
To determine whether your dog has enough nutrition, you can start by checking your dog’s skin and hair. When nutrition is insufficient, the skin and hair will become dry and rough and lose its luster, and even begin to shed. You can supplement complete nutrients (Omega-3, collagen, etc.) and protein and other nutrients, and add more nutrients to the food to help skin health.
2. Endocrine disorders
If your dog has endocrine problems, it can also cause flaky skin. For example, “seborrhea” is a common symptom caused by excessive or insufficient sebum secretion in dogs. “Hyperadrenaline” and “hypothyroidism” can also make dandruff worse.
3. Allergic reactions
These include food allergies, environmental allergies and skin allergies. Every dog has different food allergens. Studies have shown that protein is the most important allergen for dogs, followed by beef, dairy products, chicken and wheat. Additives in artificial foods, such as preservatives, are also potential allergens.
All of the above external and internal causes may be the cause of dandruff in dogs. It is recommended that parents understand the situation and instead of dealing with the skin problem in a chaotic manner, they can carefully review and record their dog’s recent skin condition and seek professional treatment and follow-up skin care.
How to take care of your dog after dandruff appeared?
1、Care for the environment
An environment with too much temperature and humidity is prone to mold and other bacteria, which are also killers of furry children’s skin! If you have an air purifier and dehumidifier at home, please remember to turn them on and keep your home a comfortable environment!
2. Proper Cleaning
Bathe your furry child regularly every 1 to 2 weeks (not more than once a week). Choose a special anti-dandruff shampoo for your furry friend, or comb the fur regularly to remove accumulated dander.
3. Nutritional supplements
In addition to supplementing with dog hair-specific feed or fresh food, or supplementing with nutrients that your dog lacks, such as Omega-3, zinc, or protein, you can also choose Fur Kids Skin Specialist Probiotics, which uses a diverse range of 6 probiotics for dogs and cats, to effectively protect your furry child’s skin, and not only replenish the required amount of good bacteria, but also to help your furry child to have a healthy skin. Fur Kids’ Skin Specialty Probiotics can also be eaten with dry feed, canned food and water, as long as you pay attention to the matching food not to exceed 40 degrees, so as not to affect the activity of the Skin Specialty Probiotics can be!
4. Early treatment
Although dandruff is very common in dogs, as an owner, you still need to pay more attention to the skin condition of your child. If the dandruff problem does not get better, or if the problem cannot be cured over and over again, and other symptoms such as redness, swelling and inflammation start to appear on the body, it is recommended that you should bring it to the hospital for professional checkups and treatments as early as possible!
Judging from the external and internal causes of dandruff, it is absolutely crucial to check all aspects of your dog’s skin and find out the source of the problem and treat it as soon as possible, so that your furry child’s skin can be restored to health. Parents of fur babies can follow the above mentioned care methods, so that the fur babies at home can be healthy and free from skin troubles.