A dog's coat says a lot about how it's doing. When it's dull, dry or full of dandruff, the first place to look is the bowl, but it isn't the only one. Here's what the coat really needs, what studies say about eggs, oils and supplements, how long it takes and when a dull coat should be checked by a vet.
In short
A shiny coat starts with a complete diet: good-quality protein (hair is made mostly of keratin, a protein), essential fats such as linoleic acid, zinc and vitamins. With a complete and balanced food, real deficiencies are rare; a dull coat more often comes from unbalanced home-made diets, parasites, skin or thyroid problems, shedding and too much bathing. Fat supplements bring small and sometimes temporary improvements, and any change takes weeks because hair grows slowly.
Protein, essential fats, zinc and vitamins, in the right amounts. A shiny coat has a smooth surface and grows from healthy skin that produces the right amount of sebum. To build it, a dog needs:
A review in the Journal of Nutrition sums it up: diet plays a major role in skin and coat health, but with complete and balanced foods real deficiencies have become rare, and they show up mainly in particular situations, linked to the dog or to the food.
The most common causes aren't only in the bowl.
Yes, as a source of protein, but cooked. Raw egg white contains avidin, a protein that binds biotin and stops it being absorbed; and raw eggs, like all raw foods of animal origin, can carry salmonella, as the US FDA points out. A cooked egg now and then is a perfectly good extra, as long as it stays an extra and doesn't unbalance a complete diet.
Oils bring small improvements, and not always lasting ones.
Before adding oils, remember that every spoonful means extra calories: if your dog tends to put on weight, talk to your vet first.
For now, studies say: a little, not miracles. At the University of Illinois, 20 Beagles were fed for 12 weeks either kibble or a gently cooked food made with human-grade ingredients. On the cooked food the hair surface score improved more, but overall the effects on skin and coat were small; the biggest change was in the gut bacteria.
A second study, published in 2021, followed 31 dogs switching from kibble to a cooked fresh food: after 28 days 48% of owners noticed a better coat and none a worse one. Here too, though, there was no control group, the owners did the judging and the study was run by the company that made the food.
In practice: if your dog already eats a complete, good-quality food, don't expect miracles from a change of food. If instead it eats scraps or an unbalanced home-made diet, moving to a complete food is often what makes the biggest difference.
Weeks, not days. Hair grows slowly and renews in cycles: in studies the first changes were seen after 4-12 weeks. Give a new diet at least two months before judging it, and meanwhile brush your dog often: it removes dead hair, which is the dullest part, and spreads the natural oils.
When it isn't just dull. Book a vet visit if you notice:
Every Pappa Fresh recipe is a complete food: real meat as the first ingredient (52% to 67%, with 10.6-12.9 g of protein per 100 g), the natural fats of the meat and a vitamin and mineral supplement. These are the nutrients skin and coat are made of. For everything else, meaning parasites, brushing, the right baths and check-ups, your vet is your best ally.
Two minutes, portions calculated for your dog, 30% off your first order.
Start with the bowl: a complete food with good-quality protein and essential fats. Then brush often, bathe only when needed with a dog shampoo and keep parasites under control. If the coat is still dull after two months, have the skin and thyroid checked.
Yes, as a source of protein, but cooked: raw egg white contains avidin, which blocks the absorption of biotin, and raw eggs can carry salmonella. It's an extra, not a substitute for a complete diet.
One that provides good-quality animal protein, linoleic acid (found in many vegetable oils and in chicken and pork fat), zinc and vitamins in the right amounts. The simplest way to get them all is a complete and balanced food.
Yes: parasites, skin disease, allergies and hormonal problems such as hypothyroidism often cause a dull or dry coat. If there's also itching, bald patches, weight gain or tiredness, take your dog to the vet.
If it already eats a complete food, usually not. In studies, fat supplements gave small and sometimes only temporary improvements. Omega-3s from fish oil make most sense when the skin is itchy: dose and duration should be set by your vet.
Written by the Pappa Fresh editorial team from published veterinary studies (see sources). Not a substitute for your vet's advice.
Read next: