Pet Food Can Improve Your Pet's Coat

Written by Doris Donnerman (last updated February 17, 2009)

We love to use shampoo that makes our own hair shiny, so why shouldn't we want our pet's coat to be shiny as well? The trick for a shiny pet coat, however, isn't in the shampoo used, but rather in its diet. There are a few key things to remember when picking out a pet food, that if adhered to, will yield the shiny results you want!

When buying dog food, look for quality ingredients. Vegetable oils are important because they contain fatty acids that dogs need. Corn oil, wheat germ oil, and linseed oil are good choices. There should also be some animal fat in your dog's diet, such as chicken or turkey fat. The combination of fats will keep your dog's skin soft and his coat shiny.

You also need to choose a dog food with more meat content than cereal content. Cereals are used as filler in dog food; dogs don't naturally need cereals and dogs cannot digest them either. Also, more and more dogs are showing signs of allergy to cereals—itching, smelly skin, sore paws, smelly breath—these are all signs that the diet is not good. And an unhealthy diet certainly won't produce a shiny coat! Also keep in mind that dog food companies use cereals to produce their food cheaply, read the label carefully, some brands are only four percent meat—the rest is filler!

Getting your pet to have a shiny coat definitely isn't hard and certainly doesn't take any intense exertion on your part—all you need to do is read the pet food labels and choose foods that have the mentioned points! Good luck!

Author Bio

Doris Donnerman

Doris is a jack of all trades, writing on a variety of topics. Her articles have helped enlighten and entertain thousands over the years. ...

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