Autumn and winter are tough on dogs’ paws, skin and coat

When the summer is over, and autumn rains and cold weather arrive, the occurrence of dogs’ skin problems increase. Dogs often get wet and muddy outdoors. They come in and spend the rest of the day in the house where the air is too dry.

The combination of these extreme conditions is hard for the dog’s skin, no matter what type of a dog or what breed. These conditions may lead to skin and coat problems that have a significant impact on the quality of life both for you and your dog. The following list of skin problems is all too familiar for many:

01

Dry and flaky or greasy skin

02

Irritated and itchy skin

03

Dry and dull coat and increased shedding.

04

Increased susceptibility to infections in the ears and between the toes

05

Increased occurrence of bacterial and yeast infections of the skin

06

Thickening of the skin (hyperkeratinization) of paw pads and nose leading in extreme cases to cracked skin

Linoleic acid is an essential nutrient for the skin

Classic research showed as early as in the 1930s that linoleic acid was essential to animals. Diet deficient in linoleic acid produced a condition characterised by dry, flaky skin and dull hair coat in experimental animals. Fifty years later, scientists provided further evidence on the significance of linoleic acid in the diet. They discovered a link between linoleic acid deficiency and defects in the skin barrier function. The skin barrier is the outermost layer of skin, consisting of materials which the skin itself produces. Skin cells need linoleic acid to create these materials. The proper function of the skin barrier is vital to all mammals’ life. The skin barrier also protects the body against infectious agents, chemicals, and allergens.

The skin barrier consists of a layer of inactive cells that pack tightly on the surface of the skin, forming a structure called the cornified layer (stratum corneum). The specific mixture of oily compounds called lamellar lipids produced deep in the skin fill the spaces between the cells making the skin barrier practically impermeable to water. Lamellar lipids are essential elements for a healthy barrier function. And linoleic acid is the essential fatty acid in the production of these lipids.

Frequent scratching is often a sign of dry skin.

Deficiency of linoleic acid impairs the formation of skin barrier resulting in excessive dryness of the skin. Dry skin is at the root of many skin problems. Atopic dermatitis, for example, is considered to be a disease of dry skin. Impaired barrier function leaves the skin vulnerable to allergens, and the cells of dry skin are more likely to react to the allergens with an exaggerated immune response.

One can also see symptoms of dry skin when the diet does not appear to be deficient in linoleic acid. In a case like this, the skin barrier impairment arises from the deficiencies in the cellular mechanisms or imbalance in dietary supply of fatty acids. You can treat both of these conditions by nutritional means.

Australian kelpie Lysti’s paw pads and nails were dry. Her coat had also not returned to normal since having puppies the previous summer. After a month using Nutrolin® SKIN & COAT, her paw pads and coat started to show signs of improvement. There is a gap of approximately one month between the upper and lower paw photos. In many cases, it takes longer than this. Paw pads often start to improve after 2 to 3 months of using the oil supplement.

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Nutrolin® Skin & Coat meets the needs of all dogs, as it supports the characteristic properties of different coat types. You will enjoy the easier grooming and the fresh, healthy coat

Nutrolin® SKIN & COAT is a patented oil supplement for dogs

Acute symptoms of skin problems, such as inflammation, should be treated as soon as the symptoms arise. The long-term goal of the treatment, however, is to remove or reduce the underlying factors that caused the problem in the first place. Skin problems are not related to a lack of fats in dogs’ nutrition as dog foods are generally rich in fats. Many dogs have a genetic disposition that increases the likelihood of skin problems. Genetic disposition, in this case, may translate into deficiencies in the metabolic machinery producing critical components of the skin barrier. Imbalance of dietary fatty acids may further exacerbate metabolic deficiency.

Nutrolin® SKIN & COAT is a patented fatty acid supplement developed specifically to meet the needs of your dog’s skin. It is an oil blend that contains 480 mg/ml of essential fatty acids. The critical element of the Nutrolin® SKIN & COAT oil is the specific balance of fatty acids; omega-6 linoleic acid and gamma-linolenic acid as well as omega-3 alpha-linoleic acid and stearidonic acid.

« The old saying about prevention being the best cure also applies to many skin problems, » says Dr Mikko Griinari, a Finnish researcher and dog owner with a PhD in animal nutrition from Cornell University, U.S.A. He developed the Nutrolin® SKIN & COAT oil formula in 2007. Mikko has specialised in the metabolism of fatty acids, and he is also the chief scientist behind the Nutrolin® products.

The Nutrolin® product family comprises five targeted fatty acid supplements for dogs, two for cats and three for horses.