Dandruff and mats in dogs and cats
The appearance of a pet can tell a lot not only about the quality of care for him, but also about his state of health. An unbalanced diet, a sedentary lifestyle, stress, the use of unsuitable grooming products, adverse environmental factors – all this is immediately imprinted on the appearance of a dog or cat. For example, in the form of dandruff and tangles, which are especially often formed in pets in the autumn. Let’s see what this is about.
All summer the pet had a beautiful, shiny coat. But September came, and it became dull, began to electrify and get confused, and in addition, dandruff appeared. Familiar situation?
Most often, dry skin, dandruff and tangles in dogs and cats occur in the autumn and spring. This is due to the change of the season: the body adjusts to a new light regime, experiences stress, immunity decreases, with an insufficiently balanced diet or poor appetite, there is a lack of vitamins, etc. While walking, dogs experience all the delights of climate change in the form of sudden changes in temperature and bad weather. In autumn, the heating starts to work in the houses, and the air becomes dry. All these factors affect the well-being of the pet and its appearance: the skin dries out, dandruff forms, and the coat becomes weaker.
Add to this the shortcomings in the care of a cat or dog, which the owners allow due to inexperience or inattention, and the list of causes of dandruff and tangles will increase several times. It is enough to wash your pet with the wrong shampoo to cause an allergic reaction, dandruff and dermatitis. And irregular combing of animals with medium and long hair leads to the formation of tangles, which significantly spoil the appearance of the animal and are difficult to deal with.
Another common cause of dry skin and dandruff is insufficient fluid intake. This is often the case with cats: by nature, they consume less water than dogs. But if a cat drinks little water and eats only dry food, the water balance in her body is disturbed. Hence the dryness and dandruff.
In some cases, diseases of the internal organs lead to problems with the skin and coat. Through dandruff, dermatitis, dullness and hair loss, gastrointestinal disorders or endocrine diseases can manifest themselves. In any case, a consultation with a veterinarian would be useful. It is better to play it safe and take the pet for examination.
In our next article “” we will tell you how to keep your pet in perfect condition.
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