Cocker Spaniels are beautiful dogs but people often struggle to keep their dogs coat looking healthy and shiny. I have had a Spaniel almost all my life and I’m always looking at ways to keep my dogs coat shiny.
How to keep a Cocker spaniel’s coat shiny. Diet is the most important thing that will have an effect on your dogs coat and the amount of Omega 3 your dog has is the biggest positive aspect. Obvious grooming such as brushing and using a natural shampoo and conditioner come secondary to diet.
As my Cocker Spaniel grew older, he developed various skin allergies as well as his coat not seeming it’s usual shiny self. Apart from visiting my vets, I did a lot of research into why my Cockers coat and skin weren’t in their usual condition. I was quite surprised by what I found.
How Can I Keep My Cocker Spaniel’s Coat Shiny And Healthy?
Now I may be biased here but there is nothing more beautiful than a gorgeous looking Cocker Spaniel with a glowing, shiny coat in perfect condition.
However, just like us humans, Cocker Spaniels can be prone to hair and skin conditions that cause them irritation and their hair to look generally dull and unhealthy looking.
I’m going to talk about what I have discovered over the years after my Cocker, Guinness, started to suffer from various skin irritants and allergies as well as his coat becoming very tired and thin looking.
Just what exactly was causing his problems and how did we go about resolving them so Guinness could go back to his usual fun loving happy self.
Poor Diet / Poor Coat Condition
Poor diet is usually the number one reason why a Cocker Spaniel’s coat isn’t always in the best condition and is usually the underlying reason behind skin conditions and allergies.
Now I bet you’re reading this and saying to yourself or maybe out loud “but I give my dog Pedigree Chum” or “I give my dog the best selling made by qualified veterinary’s food” etc etc……well believe me, this was exactly how I reacted too when my dog started to have a few issues.
During a check up, my Cockers vet asked if I had changed his diet because he noticed how irritated my dogs skin appeared as well as the deterioration in the condition of his coat.
When I said I hadn’t changed anything at all or introduced any new treats, hes started to question exactly what sort of food I was giving him. I told him I was still giving him Royal Canine which was what he had recommended. My vet had recommended the Royal Canine Gastrointestinal because Guinness had been suffering from a poor stomach for a few years.
He said while he still recommended that for food my dog, it was missing one vital ingredient that has the biggest effect on a healthy coat. In fact, he said that all dog foods are generally missing this one key ingredient.
OMEGA 3
You will no doubt of heard of Omega 3 fatty acids. You will have no doubt read, probably on the packet of food you are giving your dog, that it contains Omega 3 fatty acids.
Well my vet told me that by the time dog food is processed and packed up, just about any benefit your dog would get from these Omega 3 fatty acids is just about gone. Apparently it has something to do with the manufacturing process.
I read a great post on the subject on a website called iheartdogs.com
He then went on to talk about what he recommended to be the very best Omega 3 fatty acid supplement and explained how it’s natural and all the benefits that the supplement brings.
Now I did the obvious thing and hopped online and bought some to test out. He did warn me that the results wouldn’t be overnight but an improvement should be pretty quick and boy was he right.
I noticed a considerable decrease in my Cocker Spaniel chewing and itching. The change in his coat took a bit longer, weeks maybe but he seemed so much happier that he wasn’t itching and scratching. I will be honest and say that even if the condition of his coat didn’t improve, getting the Project Paws supplement would still have been worth it just to see the improvement in his skin.
[the_ad id=”472″]
What Are The Effects Of A Bad Diet
It’s not necessarily a bad diet that can have a detrimental effect on your dogs skins and coat. According to my vet we were giving our Cocker Spaniel a good balanced healthy diet, apart from the one thing I mentioned about the Omega 3 supplement.
So what are the common effects on a dogs skin and coat with a diet deficiency?
- More susceptible to allergies and reactions
- Hair loss or thinning of hair
- Decreased immune system
- Joint problems at an earlier age
Does Grooming Help A Cocker Spaniels Coat?
There’s no doubting that a Cocker Spaniel that is well groomed will have a coat that looks better than if it was keft untreated. However, grooming can only do so much when it comes to helping the condition of your Cockers coat.
The same can be said if you gave a Cocker Spaniel the best diet in the world but never groomed at once, it’s coat is hardly going to look in the best condition is it?
So make sure you sort your dogs diet out first and you will definitely see the benefits of both diet and grooming combined.
Which Shampoo And Conditioner Is Best For A Shiny Coat?
Whenever I’m asked which shampoo and conditioned I use, I never fail to recommend the Pro Pet Works natural oatmeal shampoo and conditioner.
Seriously, this stuff is amazing, especially for the price. Feel free to check out some of the reviews. There’s plenty of other ones available online for pretty much the same price and if you read about on forums you will see people recommending them all the time but my Cocker Spaniel seems to get on with this brand so I don’t see the need to change.
Related Questions:
Do Cocker Spaniels Shed?
I have a full post covered on this subject, you can check out my post about how much Cocker Spaniels Shed here.
How To Keep A Cocker Spaniels Fur Fluffy?
A good diet, Omega 3 supplement and grooming will do the trick. Are you seeing a pattern here? If you are after a great grooming brush then this is the one I use.
How Long Does It Take For A Cocker Spaniel To Grow A Full Coat
The answer to this question depends on the age of your Cocker Spaniel as well as how long you are wanting to grow your Cockers Coat.
If you are planing on growing your cockers coat to its full length with skirt, as in the type of coat that A Cocker would have if it was entering dog competitions then you are looking at about 2 years growing time from the puppy being born.
As your Cocker gets older, it will take less time to grow a full coat if you have had it clipped short than what it does from the puppy years.
Conclusion:
So there you have it. I have pretty much covered what my veterinary told me with regards to improving my Cocker spaniels diet coat and skin condition. I hope if you try any of these tips and methods that you see the same great results that Guinness did.
CockerSpanielWorld.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
