Paula Kephart - Grooming your dog: a natural and herbal approach

Paula Kephart

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Edited by Jeane Ledoux and Nancy Ringer

Cover illustration by Jeffrey Domm

Cover design by Carol J. Jessop (Black Trout Design)

Text illustrations by Rick Daskam, except those on pages 20 and 22 by Jeffrey Domm

Text production by Leslie Noyes

Copyright 2000 by Storey Publishing, LLC

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Printed in the United States

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kephart, Paula.

Grooming your dog: a natural and herbal approach / Paula Kephart.

p. cm. (A Storey country wisdom bulletin; A-240)

ISBN 1-58017-340-3 (pbk.: alk. paper)

1. DogsGrooming. 2. DogsHealth. 3. HerbsTherapeutic use. I. Title. II. Series.

SF427.5 K46 2000

636.70833dc21

00-059525

An all-natural approach to grooming your dog encompasses much more than bathing and brushing. Just as with humans, a dogs outside his or her hair and skin reflects the inner state of her health. A dog with a luxurious, thick, velvety, glossy coat is not only beautiful but also pretty healthy. She is brushed regularly, gets plenty of exercise, lives in a clean environment, eats nutritionally balanced meals that include fresh food, and is showered with love and attention. Shes a happy, healthy dog, and it shows!

Of course, symptoms of an unhealthy coat, such as dandruff, excessive shedding, and a patchy or dull coat, dont mean that a dog is neglected. These unsightly conditions can be caused by many factors, including:

Allergies

Chronic or undiagnosed health conditions

Fleas

Lack of exercise

Poor hygiene

Poor nutrition

Stress and anxiety

An all-natural approach to grooming means devoting proper attention to each of these issues. With this holistic approach to grooming, your dog will look better and feel great. Read on to learn more!

A holistic approach to grooming encourages a stronger connection between you and your dog.

Because it is usually well covered by fur, you may not often think about the condition of your dogs skin. Is it healthy? Is it getting what it needs? Just what does it need to function properly? And what are its functions? If you want your dog to have a glossy, healthy coat, these are questions you need to be able to answer.

A dogs skin like human skin is much more than just a container for her body parts. The skin is a very important organ with specific functions that are crucial to the animals health. Skin acts as a barrier, serving as the first line of defense against pollutants and parasites. The skin also excretes wastes that build up inside the dogs body.

A buildup of toxins can overwhelm and even damage the organs that process and eliminate wastes. While mild skin problems can result from ordinary waste processing, excessive wastes or highly toxic wastes can cause serious trouble. Severe, persistent, or chronic skin problems often indicate that high levels of toxic wastes caused by poor health, poor diet, or environmental pollutants are overwhelming your dogs skin.

Unfortunately, many dog owners treat only the symptoms of skin problems. Drugs such as antihistamines, cortisone, and prednisone are often the treatments of choice. The pharmaceutical approach suppresses the dogs symptoms for a time, and the owner assumes that the problem is cured. In reality, the underlying cause may be getting worse but goes unnoticed.

An undetected, undiagnosed, and untreated skin condition can lead to serious health problems, including gastric upset; inflammations of the eyes, ears, and joints; kidney damage; and cancer. Skin conditions also frequently contribute to behavioral problems in dogs.

A skin disorder often indicates that a dogs immune system is fighting a disease or system imbalance. Sometimes the symptoms themselves get out of control and become a secondary problem, but the main problem is the underlying cause. Many conditions are mild and easy to correct. Perhaps your dog has a sensitivity to something in his environment, such as his shampoo or the detergent used to wash his bedding. Other conditions, such as a weakened immune system, allergies, or a buildup of toxicity from food additives or pollutants, are more serious.

Common Symptoms of Skin Problems

Most dogs experience at least one of the symptoms below at some point in their lives.

Dandruff

Dry, flaky, or scaly skin (you may see white or brownish red flakes)

Excessive shedding

Greasy hair

Irritated or inflamed areas

Persistent itching (the dog will often scratch or lick himself)

These are common problems that can be easily resolved with proper diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care.

Should your dog ever exhibit more serious symptoms of ill health, including sores that bleed or ooze, unexplainable loss of hair, and a fetid skin odor, consult a veterinarian immediately.