A shiny coat on a dog is a sign of good health and improves his appearance. Each breed will have different coat appearance because of the thickness, length and type of fur. But regardless of breed, proper diet and grooming will create a shiny coat.
High-Quality Food
As with humans, a dog's diet directly affects his skin and coat health. Transition your dog to a high-quality food with few fillers. Check the label for the AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement to make sure your dog is receiving a balanced diet.
Essential Fatty Acids
Deficiencies in essential fatty acids including omega-3 and omega-6 are common in dogs who are on a low-fat diet, resulting in a dull coat and flaky skin. Fortunately, adding a small amount of oil to your dog's diet will effectively supplement these deficiencies. According to WebMD, you can supplement omega-6 with sunflower oil or safflower oil and flaxseed oil and fish oil give plenty of omega-3 in the diet.
Coconut Oil
Adding coconut oil to your dog's diet will help make his coat shinier. It helps to clear up skin conditions including eczema, allergies, yeast and fungal infections and itchy skin. You can also apply coconut oil topically to his skin to help heal skin infections and moisturize dry skin and fur.
Grooming
Regular brushing will improve the condition and shininess of your dog's coat by removing dead hair and skin. Bathing your dog regularly with a shampoo formulated for dogs will help keep his skin and coat clean. Don't over-bathe your dog as this may dry out his coat and make sure you rinse all the shampoo out of his coat before drying your dog. Also, consider using conditioner or a finishing spray formulated for dogs.
Check with a groomer or veterinarian to determine how often you should brush and bathe your dog. Some dogs, especially those with thicker and longer coats, need grooming more often than short-hair dogs.
Considerations
Some breeds will naturally have a shinier coat than others. For example, the wire coated Jack Russell terrier is not as shiny as a breed with softer fur.
Speak with your veterinarian to clear up any conditions that are affecting your dogs coat such as allergies, parasites or fleas. Also, check with your veterinarian when giving your dog supplements and watch for any signs of allergic reactions when you change his diet.
References
Writer Bio
Maureen Malone started writing in 2008. She writes articles for business promotion and informational articles on various websites. Malone has a Bachelor of Science in technical management with an emphasis in biology from DeVry University.