Friday, October 12, 2007

Treating Dog Skin Problems 100% Naturally And Effectively

Article Title: Treating Dog Skin Problems 100% Naturally And
Effectively
Author: Janie Knetzer

Whether you've noticed your puppy scratching more often than
usual, or you have a dog that's always had skin problems, it is
important to take a good look the issue and treat not only the
symptoms, but the root cause.

Dog skin problems have a variety of different causes, and when
you figure out which one is causing your pet's itches and
irritations, you'll be well on your way towards solving the
problem for good.

Probably the most common dog skin condition is irritation
caused by fleas or other parasites. Despite being completely
treatable, far more dogs have fleas than you might believe.
Fleas and other similar parasites can definitely get out of hand
when they are treated incorrectly. When you are spot treating
your pooch, give yourself a reminder stating when the next dose
needs to be.

A single round of flea removal will certainly lessen the
intensity of the problem, but remember that you can only be sure
that they are gone after a full run of treatment. Don't risk
them coming back by only giving your dog one round of treatment.

Fleas and other parasites are a situational issue when it comes
to dog skin problems. What happens if the condition is chronic,
or worse, even permanent? While a vet can run a few tests and
let you know what might be going on with your dog, you can often
tell what is going just be watching closely.

First think about what kind of dog skin condition your dog
might have. If your dog is chewing her skin excessively and you
find a thick, odorous brown film on the skin or inside the ears,
"yeast" is most likely the problem. If your dog has small red
raised bumps on her skin, it could also be a bacterial
infection.

Some examples of the most common causes of dog skin conditions
are environmental and/or poor diet. It can be difficult to
pinpoint where allergies stem from. However with a little
observation as well as fine tuning the diet, most skin
conditions can be corrected.

Dog skin problems can be evidenced by chewing or
overly-vigorous scratching at the skin. Allergies are the most
severe when the immune system is low. Scratching, chewing and
rubbing of the face are often allergy symptoms that also
indicate that a dog is not receiving everything he needs
nutritionally.

A dog's digestive tract has a very important role in keeping
the dog healthy, and it could be that the digestive tract isn't
serving her as well as it should. Do you solely keep your dog
on a diet of kibble? If so, her digestive tract can be working
overtime to provide her body with the digestive enzymes that her
body lacks. Because the pancreas can only make so many enzymes,
it will be weakened and thus weaken her entire immune system.

Dogs are omnivorous and part of the enzymes they use should
come from their food. Unfortunately the enzymes they would get
from eating things like meat or vegetables are destroyed if the
food is heated, something that happens when kibble is processed.
One easy solution to this problem is to make sure that your dog
gets the enzymes she needs. While some people do this by
switching over to a raw diet of meats and vegetables, you can
just as easily do this by placing your dog on a premium dog food
and adding a "live" enzyme to his daily diet.

A purely kibble diet can actually reduce your pet's ability to
bounce back quickly from things like surgery and illness, while
a premium dog food will get her back into shape in no time at
all. Many people have seen their pet's health improve
exponentially when they start paying more attention to what they
are feeding them. Check to see if the food that feed your dog
is a premium food. Meat (not meat byproducts) should be the
first ingredient. Although all kibbles pretty much look the
same, they are not. For a dog to function at high efficiency,
diet is critical.

Dogs that are fed "Live" digestive enzymes regularly are
healthy and full of life. A healthy diet slows the aging
process and allows owners quality time with their best friend.
Enzymes for dogs can be purchased in tablet or powder form.
Most dogs eat these amazing proteins willingly when sprinkled on
top of their food or given in the form of a treat.

Adding digestive enzymes to your dog's diet can go a long way
towards making sure that she has a healthy happy life.

About The Author: Janie is an avid dog lover with over twenty
five years of dog care and handling experience. She has written
numerous articles on dog skin, nutrition and care. Visit
http://www.old-dog-treats-and-rawhide.com/dog-skin-problems.html

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