While grooming is a great way to bond with your dog, paying attention to his skin and coat can give you insights into your dog’s health. Regular grooming will also help his skin and coat shine, remove excess hair that ends up everywhere, and give your dog some much welcome scratches in all of his favorite spots.

Be on the lookout for the following skin issues that your dog may have:

• Fleas, ticks, mites. You may find what looks like salt and pepper on your dog’s belly area, chances are that fleas are around. Ticks will often head high on your dog to find a spot to take a meal. You can easily find ticks with your fingertips. Mites can cause rashes, itching, and even bald spots. There are lots of different mites out there, your Vet can help you with any and all bugs on your dog.
• Dry skin. This might just be your dog’s genetics coming through, or it could be caused by something else. A dog’s shine and waterproofing comes from natural skin oils, and repeated shampooing with harsh detergents can strip this protection away causing dry skin. It could also be a weather related, or diet related. An unbalanced diet for dogs often shows itself with dry skin and a dull coat.
• A dull coat without shine. This usually means something is going on – and it’s very similar to the causes of dry skin. Loop in your Vet with any questions or if your dog’s skin is all of a sudden dry and his coat is flat or dull looking.
• Your dog is itchy! This giant can of worms may be caused by so many things – from diet, to an allergy, to a food reaction, to bugs like fleas, or even a skin infection. Itchy skin can also be seasonal, so recording the circumstances of an itchy breakout is helpful for you and your Vet to figure out the root causes.
• Take a big sniff of your dog. Of course he’s going to have a smell, you want to be aware of any different or unusual smells that come up. It could be that there was something quite tempting to roll in, or there’s a bacterial or fungal skin infection.
• Excessive shedding. Sure, your dog may have one or two big sheds a year, but ongoing and excessive shedding is a sign that diet, exercise, or grooming care needs to be adjusted. This is also a sign of some medical issues, so your vet can help you figure this out, too.

These common skin issues are easy to spot when you are grooming! Gloves also provide a safe way to groom your dog, as they mimic your hand and a natural petting motion. The amount of pressure you use is up to you and your dog – part of the fun is figuring out what he likes! Happy Grooming!