How to Make a Dog’s Fur Soft and Shiny

As a dog owner, one of your major responsibilities is ensuring your dog stays healthy and is well cared for. Pet grooming is one of the practices that will help keep your dog clean and discourage pests from attacking it. 

Having a regular grooming routine for your dog will help promote soft and shiny fur. In addition, a healthy diet, natural supplements, and regular pamper sessions will contribute to your dog’s shiny look.

In this post, we’ll explore why paying attention to your dog’s fur is important and tips on how to make your dog’s fur soft and shiny.

What Your Dog’s Fur Will Tell You

Soft and shiny dog fur is not all about aesthetics and how lovely your dog looks. Yes, that plays a part, but more importantly, it’s an indication of your dog’s health. Most times, you’ll find that unhealthy dogs do not have smooth fur. 

A lot of the diseases that attack dogs may show on their fur to alert dog owners to their dog’s condition. The dog’s fur may become brittle and coarse while the skin may suffer from dandruff, dryness, or greasiness.

Other dogs may experience severe coat issues like balding and thinning due to specific health conditions. Common health conditions that may affect your dog’s fur include;

• Cushing’s disease, caused by hormonal imbalances
• Underactive thyroid gland
• Chronic diarrhea
• Allergies and skin infections
• Internal and external parasite attacks
• Cancer

Stress can also cause your dog’s fur to change its texture and shiny look. Bonding more with your dog and ensuring its needs for play and more are met regularly. The stress reactions might slow down allowing its coat to recover. 

However, it is also important to note that when your dog’s fur needs more attention it will not appear soft or shiny. So, in other cases, your dog might be very healthy. Regular efforts to keep its fur soft and shiny will do the trick.

Tips on How to Make a Dog’s Fur Soft and Shiny

Different things contribute to your dog’s look including its diet, level of activity, grooming e.t.c. Therefore, addressing the different aspects will give you a better chance of keeping your dog’s fur smooth and shiny.

Here’s a list of 10 tips to start implementing today to improve your dog’s coat and boost its appearance.

Maintain a Healthy Diet

Dogs should enjoy a protein-rich and healthy diet to ensure they meet all their nutrient needs. Your dog’s nutrition reflects on its fur, showing a good-quality diet promotes smooth fur while a low-quality diet results in coarse fur.

A balanced diet for your pup is a great way to achieve shiny fur and keep it healthy and free from deficiencies. Protein is an important food group that you should always include in your dog’s meals.

Protein helps promote hair and skin health. Your dog’s fur is made of 95% protein, making it an essential aspect when keeping your dog’s fur soft.

In addition, food options like beef and salmon contain zinc which helps prevent bacterial infections and itchy skin. 

Fats are another important food group to consider when choosing the right food option for your dogs. Low-fat diets may lead to brittle hair and skin irritations due to lesions. 

So, get quality food for your dog, and ensure to check the ingredients for essentials like proteins and fats.

Keep Your Dog Active

Physical activity is essential for your pup’s health and well-being. Taking regular walks and making your dog your fitness partner is a great step.

It will help keep your dog fit and prevent health conditions like obesity that can have a negative effect on its coat.

In addition, exercise will help promote your dog’s blood circulation, promoting a healthier fur that is soft and shiny. It will also provide a great bonding opportunity allowing you to grow closer to your dog.

However, it is important to note that some dogs require more physical activity than others. So, ensure that you can easily accommodate your dog’s needs to help promote its health and well-being.

If it’s your first time getting a dog, taking a dog breed quiz will help you choose the right pup that fits your lifestyle. Having the right dog means you’ll easily meet all its needs. 

Implement Regular Grooming Sessions

Grooming sessions provide an excellent opportunity for you to spend time and bond with your dog. Brushing your dog’s fur regularly also helps promote hair growth and distribute the oil from the skin to the hair strands.

Regular brushing promotes shiny fur since the oil is not only concentrated on the skin. In addition, grooming helps detangle your dog’s hair to remove knots, dirt, and dust.

Dirt and dust have a tendency of making a dog’s fur dull and can encourage an attack from parasites like ticks.

When choosing your dog brush, invest in the right option for your dog breed. In addition, if your dog is prone to shedding a lot of hair, a de-shedding brush is a great option. It will help you ensure your dog’s fur looks neat and well-kept.

Give Your Dog Omega Fatty Acids

Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids help reduce hair loss and promote healthy oil production, reducing dryness. Adding these fatty acids to your dog’s diet is a great way to achieve soft and shiny fur.

You can add fish oil or flaxseed oil to your dog’s food to introduce these fatty acids to its meals. Also, introducing fresh fish to your dog’s diet is a good idea.

You can try to add some salmon or sardines while raw or cooked to observe your dog’s reception.

If your dog seems to enjoy having fish, go ahead and add its quantity and observe it over time. Going slow and observing your dog will ensure you spot any allergic reactions, allowing you to discontinue adding fish to its diet.

Also, be careful when using fish oil or flaxseedo flaxseed oil and ensure that you use the right amount to avoid causing stomach upsets. One tablespoon is good for a large dog while one teaspoon will suffice for small dogs. 

Use Coconut Oil

Treat your dog to a nice pamper session using coconut oil on its body after giving it a lukewarm bath. Coconut oil is a great moisturizer that will help reduce dryness and seal in moisture while leaving your dog’s coat shiny.

Take your time to massage your dog with some coconut oil for a few minutes to boost softness and shine. 

In addition, you can also add a teaspoon of coconut oil to your dog’s food once a day or give it coconut treats. Doing this will help improve your dog’s digestion and boost oil production. 

Introduce Natural Supplements

Some natural supplements and herbs can help boost your dog’s skin health, improving its fur and appearance.

Options like horsetail and spirulina are great herbal supplements that can boost softness and leave your dog’s fur looking healthy.

In addition, supplements with biotin, and vitamin E & A will play a great role to boost shine and softness. Companies continue to formulate natural dog coat supplements that help provide important nutrients to aid in softer and healthier dog fur. 

Protect Against Parasites

Pests like fleas and ticks feed off dogs and can be a real menace. They make it uncomfortable for the dog resulting in constant scratching and biting. The dogs do this in an attempt to get rid of these parasites.

The presence of pests and constant scratching can harm your dog’s fur affecting its health and appearance. So, protect your dog against such parasites and keep it healthy. 

Bathe Your Dog Regularly

Bathing your dog helps remove dirt, dust, and excess oils on its skin. Giving regular baths will help improve your dog’s fur significantly. Sticking to a once or twice-a-month schedule is good enough to keep your dog clean.

Remember that dogs also clean themselves, removing the need to do it daily, which could strip your dog’s natural oils. 

Pay Attention to Your Dog’s Mental Health

We’ve already seen that stress can cause your dog’s hair to turn brittle and coarse. In addition, anxiety can lead to regular licking that may cause balding and skin infections affecting your dog’s health.

All this stems from your dog’s mental health. Addressing it on time will ensure you resolve the root problem. Your dog might be bored, anxious, or craving a change of environment.

So, try your best to find ways to help your dog cheer up to improve its mental health. If spending time with your dog and other interventions fail, consult a canine behaviorist who can guide you on the way forward. 

Consult a Qualified Vet

If you implement all these tips to help achieve soft and shiny fur on your dog and can’t see changes, consider going to a qualified vet. They will examine your dog to determine whether your dog may be suffering from a certain illness.

In addition, if you notice skin issues, consult with your vet to get clear guidance on remedies and what you can do to improve your dog’s health. 

Written By

Laura Nassoura

Laura is the founder of Furs'n'Paws. She is a also a pet writer and expert with more than 20 years of experience of working with dogs and cats. She developed a very strong love for animals at a young age. Her passion led her to establish a thriving pet sitting and dog walking business in Dubai. As an expert in pet training, behavior, and nutrition, Laura is committed to helping pet owners and pet lovers by offering high-quality information on a wide range of topics.