Coat and Skin: What Food Does, and What Shampoo Cannot Fix

When a coat turns dull or sheds heavily, the first instinct is a new shampoo or a grooming salon. That helps with some things and wastes time on others, because much of coat health is decided from the inside. Here is how to tell the two apart.

Why the coat mirrors nutrition

The coat is largely protein, and renewing it consumes a significant share of the protein an animal eats each day.

Protein is the foundation

A protein shortfall shows in the coat before anywhere else: dullness, dryness and shedding beyond the normal.

Essential fats

Omega 3 and omega 6 govern shine and skin flexibility. A shortage gives a coarse coat and dandruff.

Zinc

A small mineral with a large effect. Deficiency causes flaking and sores around the mouth and paws.

Vitamin A and biotin

Both play a role in renewing skin cells. A shortage slows the healing of any scratch.

Normal shedding versus a problem

Not every lost hair is a problem.

Normal

Seasonal shedding with the changing weather, spread evenly over the body, with healthy skin of normal colour underneath.

A problem

Bald patches, red or flaking skin, persistent itching, or an unusual smell.

Timing matters

Shedding that increases sharply within weeks of a food change is usually related to the food.

What cleaning and brushing do fix

Not everything is nutrition.

Regular brushing

Removes dead hair before it mats and distributes the skin's natural oils. More useful than any shampoo.

Balanced bathing

Frequent bathing strips natural oils and dries the skin; too little leaves grease and dirt. Once every one to two months suits a dog in ordinary conditions.

External parasites

Fleas are the single most common cause of itching. If the itching concentrates at the tail base and neck, look for fleas before changing the food.

Summer clipping

Not always helpful. Fur insulates and shields the skin from the sun. Brushing beats clipping to the skin.

A practical plan for a poor coat

Follow this order instead of changing everything at once.

Rule out parasites first

The fastest and cheapest thing to eliminate.

Check the protein level

Below 22% for a dog or 30% for a cat is your starting point.

Make sure the amount is sufficient

An animal eating below requirement will divert protein to vital organs before the coat. Work out the requirement: petzybites.com/pets-calculator

Review how the food is stored

Essential fats oxidise with heat, so a bag kept on the balcony has lost exactly what the coat needs.

Wait four to six weeks

The hair growth cycle is slow. Judging sooner is not fair.

If nothing improves, see a vet

Allergy, thyroid disease and fungal infection all need diagnosis, not a different bag.

Things that harm the coat unnoticed

Small details.

Household oils

Olive oil or fish oil in random amounts unbalances fat intake and can cause diarrhoea.

Human shampoo

The skin pH of cats and dogs differs from ours, and our shampoo dries their skin.

Food left open in humidity

Essential fats lose their value while you believe you are feeding well.

Our brands, made in Egypt

Petzy Bites is an Egyptian factory in the industrial zone of Banha. We formulate to international standards for protein, fats and minerals, and every batch carries a lot number.

Where to buy

In our store at 101bite.com/store, priced in Egyptian pounds with delivery inside Egypt, or through the retail points we serve in Cairo, Giza and other governorates.

Thinking of manufacturing your own brand

We manufacture for third parties with a minimum order of three tons. Request a quote at petzybites.com/private-label