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What a dog eats has a lot to do with how healthy its skin is VIDEO CNN's Ann Kellan looks at dermatology for dogs Windows Media 28K 80K Dr. White explains food allergies Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K

July 30, 1999
Web posted at: 8:55 a.m. EDT (1255 GMT)

(CNN) -- While many humans have allergies that peak in the spring and summer, dog allergies can last year round and canine companions have only to look in the dog dish to pinpoint the problem.

A dog's coat can tell you a lot about his health. If he's got hay fever, he won't sneeze or blow his nose like humans do. He'll just scratch.

Cats are not as prone to so-called itchy skin disease as dogs because their outer layer of skin is thicker.

Like humans, pinpointing the allergy, whether its fleas or weeds, and then following through with the appropriate shots can help.

But a bigger problem is food allergies.

A dog named Highland was almost put to sleep when mites tunneled holes into his paws.

Every time he took a step, he was hemorrhaging. It turns out Highland was allergic to his dog food. His owner started giving him hypoallergenic dog food and the infection cleared up.

Mona, another dog, had chronic ear problems that finally got better thanks to a new diet.

To maintain a healthy coat, veterinarians say to follow a regime of routine shampooing and brushing.

Cats aren't as likely to get itchy skin disease

"Sometimes people use human shampoos on pets' skin and hair, and other than baby shampoo, none is appropriate," says veterinary dermatologist Patricia White.

In pursuit of the perfect coat, one dog food company scrutinizes dogs, hair by hair.

"I felt Tuffy was greasier -- soft on the sides, quite bad along the back and the shoulders his head area," says Kate Marsh of the Waltham Center for Pet Nutrition as she examines a dog.

One dog food company is adding zinc and linoleic acid to some of its dog foods. It claims adding two nutrients to dog foods will make for a glossy coat.

"If we elevate the levels of zinc and linoleic acid in combination, we can improve coat condition so the coat becomes more shiny and there is less scale visible," Marsh says.

Regular washing helps maintain a healthy coat

For dogs with itchy skin disease and no allergies, White offers this prescription:

"A teaspoon of omega 3 fish oil and a teaspoon of vegetable oil a day will actually help the immune system and help the condition of their skin and hair coat," she says.

She also says to make sure the food you feed Fido is nutritionally balanced, as indicated on the label.

And remember, some problems may be more than skin deep. Your pup's scratching may be a reaction to stresses in his life and yours

CNN Correspondent Ann Kellan contributed to this report.

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