The winter cold affects us all - we become drier and need to add moisture and other protective products to keep the skin healthy. We give simple tips that will give your dog the best possible conditions to cope with the winter period with skin and fur in good condition.

What can we do to alleviate the impact of the winter cold?

Regular and correct skin and coat care

Prevent your best friend from suffering from itching and cracked skin during the cold winter months. Below are some tips on how to proceed:

The dog's paws are especially vulnerable in winter

If your dog has dry paws, you can lubricate the foot pads with an oily ointment to prevent cracking problems.

• Remember to apply some time before the walk so that the ointment has time to be absorbed by the skin.
• Keep an eye on the dog, or treat it with something good so that the dog does not lick off the ointment.

If you have a dog with a lot of fur between the foot pads

It is good to groom the fur between the foot pads regularly. In this way, the paws dry faster when you come in and the dog avoids lumps of ice between the foot pads.

If you walk a lot on salted roads

Feel free to rinse off the dog's paws after the walk.

• Road salt can dry out the skin on the tread pads if left on.
• If the salt gets into cracks in the paws, it can hurt a lot and burn really badly.
• If your dog suddenly starts limping on the walk, road salt may be the cause.

When the dog gets dirty

If the dog has been playing outside properly and has become dirty, it is fine to bathe it in moderately warm water, because warm water can make the dog's skin fragile and sensitive.

The winter cold can upset the balance of the dog's skin

Maintain the skin's natural balance despite the winter cold

Remember to always use a mild shampoo that is specially developed for dogs' skin and with the right PH value (6-7).

• Shampoos for humans have a different PH value (5.5) and should therefore be avoided.
• Cleaning agents such as soap, which usually have a very high PH value (10), should also be avoided in order not to create an imbalance in the dog's skin.

If you, or your family, are affected by allergies

Or if, more generally, you want a less allergenic dog(!), we recommend bathing the dog every week or two, in order to reduce the presence of allergens in the fur.

Feel free to use Allergenius® special shampoo

The shampoo is very mild so as not to remove the skin's natural fat layer.

• It has moisturizing properties and contains ingredients that build up and strengthen the skin barrier.
• It effectively reduces the occurrence of the allergens that are released from the skin and collect in the coat. This means that the dogs emit less allergen in the environment where they stay and thus become less allergenic. A joy for many!

Time to bathe the dog?

After washing

Feel free to spray with Allergenius®Special balm - spray (or massage in -mousse ). The special balm is a leave-in product and contains skin care ingredients that should not be rinsed out. It can also be used with advantage in sensitive skin areas such as skin folds and between the toes to strengthen and generally help the skin, especially if you notice that the dog has dry skin.

The spray also makes the fur soft and it becomes easier to comb out any tangles if you have a long-haired dog breed.

Always dry the dog thoroughly after bathing

It is not good for the dog's skin to be moist for a long time and do not go out in the cold with a wet doggy, then the dog can start to freeze and catch a cold.

• In order to protect your dog from hypothermia, it is therefore important to dry the fur as much as possible after bathing.
• If your dog has long fur or a lot of undercoat, you can use a powerful hair dryer to get the fur properly dried from root to tip.

Do you want to learn more about the dog's skin?

We can warmly recommend the book "Hundens Hud" by veterinarian and dermatologist Susanne Åhman, who is an expert on animal skin. It is written to increase dog owners' knowledge and awareness of dogs' skin, care, skin conditions and possible treatments. It is available in 350 libraries around the country, and it can be purchased from VetaDerm (new edition is planned for autumn 2018).

The book describes, among other things, that weekly washing is recommended to alleviate and help allergic dogs' problems with itching. Also that regular washing can help prevent several common skin conditions from developing. Interesting reading!

Several useful winter tips

Available to read here .

We at Allergenius® wish you a continued pleasant winter!