Systemic Malaise & Supportive Grooming

~Researching today on the effects of hormones and related drug therapies on overall canine skin and coat.

I wanted to share this interesting medical study and article with regard to thinning of the skin and coat in a variety of different situations- ranging from thyroid afflictions to Rx prednisone intake.

It is very important to remember always that the body’s internal compass is regulated by hormones and the endocrine system.

Changes to these areas from puppyhood to adulthood are the cause for puppy coat change, spay and neuter coat, whelping coat, and all of the afflictions we see in our elderly or geriatric pets whose internal homeostasis shifts in line with their hormone levels and the overall wear and tear on the immune system and organ function.

As groomers this is important for us to remember because we can steer an ailing pet’s owners in the right direction in terms of specialty care and medical intervention.

But second to that, it is important for us to understand that in these situations if the individual pet does not rebound when those issues are addressed, then therapeutic grooming may be a lifelong program for that pet in order to optimize every bit of skin & haircoat health we can support throughout the course of that dog’s life.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6265575/#:~:text=The%20range%20of%20mean%20skin,HAC%20will%20be%20further%20increased.

Untreated Addison’s and first visit to my salon with a blue merle mini Poodle. Remember that genetic color traits can carry a predisposition for underlying medical condition. ~Sparse, brittle coat, dry & crepey thin skin, puritis and flakes, yeast proliferation and localized areas of staph and bacterial inflammation on the feet, tail & groin.

Same dog after 4 months of Rx meds and biweekly grooming.

Same dog after receiving a revamped diet, having medication dosages in line, and receiving ongoing therapeutic grooming.

This dog received weekly grooming for the first two months consisting of pre-shampoo conditioning, a protein enriched shampoo, clay masks infused with oil locally applied as needed, and a mineral enriched and oil infused cream conditioner, finished with a humectant and silicone enriched coat spray.

We even got rid of her acral lick granuloma on her hind foot.