Dog Skin Problems: Nutritional Dermatitis

Dog Skin Problems: Nutritional Dermatitis

Many dogs are experiencing skin problems because of a poor diet. What is worse, many well-meaning dog owners are unknowingly providing their dogs with food that will not contribute to their optimal health. This is because most owners just feed their dogs commercial dog food. Commercial dog food touts itself as being "complete and balanced," but often times, this is far from the truth. Many dog foods include "meat by-products". Meat by-products are what is left after most of the real meat has been stripped from the bone.

These types of meat by-products include chicken by products, such as the head, feet, stomach, bones, and brains. Meat by-products can also include road kill or dead, disabled, diseased or dying livestock. Even other cats and dogs. That's right. A company in Canada, Sanimal Inc.,was using nealry 20 tons of deceased dogs and cats into their dog and cat food weekly, up until the year 2001. The vice president of the company claimed that it was healthy. So you see your dog, may not be able to live at his/her optimal health with commercial dog food and it may even lead to various dog skin problems.

Most dogs would be much healthier with a natural, meat-based diet. Supplements (omega fatty acids:Dermcaps) and vitamins are also good. If you must buy commercial dog food, look for dog food where the first ingredient listed is meat. Or if you are feeding your dog generic, dry food add a supplement, a good vitamin and table scraps. When a dog does not have proper nourishment, their coat and skin will be under continued stress and this will lead to dog skin problems.

For more information about what is in your pet food, read this article written by the Animal Protection Institute:http://www.api4animals.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1



dog skin problems