Learning to assess changes in your own dog is invaluable, even if you don't know what those changes might mean. The body gives us subtle information that can help us understand when to make changes to our dog's care at home or seek professional help.
We all stroke and ruffle our dog's fur daily, but you may be overlooking what that fur can tell you about your dog's health, or simply not noticing slow changes over time. A holistic view of health takes in all aspects of the body and energetics, and assessing a dog's coat is always part of my hands-on sessions.
The very first thing you can learn to do is to see your dog's fur coat. You should observe daily and watch for changes. Does the light glint off your dog's fur? Is the hair lying differently? This is easy to see on most dogs,whether your dog has long or short hair. Poodle-type coats are definitely the hardest, so if that's your dog you may need to rely more on other indications.
Even hard-coated terriers should have some glint to their coat, though this can he more difficult if their wiry fur is clipped because that is taking down the outer coat where you'd see the shine vs. leaving it rough or stripping it, the traditional grooming method where much of the undercoat is removed.
A healthy soft-coated dog should be very shiny! If your golden retriever or greyhound doesn't shine like satin you should look deeper into their health. It may be as simple as a need for omega-3 oils, or it may be a sign of a constitutional imbalance or energetic blockage.
Hair that is sticking out in certain areas may indicate muscle tightness, structural misalignment, growths, injuries, or energetic imbalances. Observing your dog's coat before and after chiropractic adjustments or an acupressure treatment, for example, is a good way to begin to learn what to look for on your dog.
Smell is another indicator, though one you may not always find distinctive. A healthy dog shouldn't smell like much of anything. Dogs shouldn't stink. If you bathe your dog and they smell bad a few days later that is an indication of a deeper problem, an imbalance that needs to be addressed, not covered up with scented grooming products. A rare smell is burnt. Yes, I have smelled a dog's fur and it smelled burnt, and was of course dry to the touch too (it felt crispy, which led me to see what it smelled like). This dog clearly had a dry condition in the body which I needed to investigate further to find the root of the problem.
The most common indicator I notice that goes unnoticed by owners is stickiness. Your dog's coat shouldn't leave a residue on your hand. If after stroking your dog for a few minutes your palms feel sticky and dirty and you can't wait to wash them, that is a sticky coat. A sticky coat will also be unable to return to it's natural resting position after being ruffled backward, or will do so very slowly. Sticky coats may have some shine, but because the dirt is sticking to the fur there is often an underlying dullness.
Sticky coats are overlooked as problematic because they often seem thick and luxurious (like having too much "volumizing product" in it), and because we've been told that dogs are dirty. American cocker spaniels usually have this kind of coat, and often have health issues to go with it. Sticky fur is an indication of stagnation in the body, an imbalance that is associated with a number of health issues that can become serious if not addressed.
It's wonderful to see this kind of coat improve with acupressure, energetics, herbs, and diet, and to see owners begin to appreciate what their dog's fur can tell them about their progress toward health.
Healthy dogs aren't dirty. In their natural state they are self-cleaning organisms. It's not to say they'll never need a bath. Dogs who are in the process of detoxifying from medications, anesthesia, or other health imbalances will definitely appreciate the help of a nice natural bath or herb rinse to clean their skin. One of my favorite grooming tools is the Zoom Groom by Kong. Dogs love it, and it's marvelous for improving blood flow to the skin and extremities.
We are all trying to achieve a balance of Yin & Yang. When Yin and Yang are in balance we are able to adapt to our environment. Noticing imbalances early is an important step to preventing serious health problems.
Assessing your dog's fur on a daily basis is the first step to seeing the whole animal. We all love to watch and touch our dogs, it's up to us as their caretakers to develop a discerning eye by seeing them as new every day.
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| Even with her brindle pattern you can see the shine in Vida's coat |
