Skin & Coat Conditions

Bernie’s Perfect Poop helps improve your dog’s skin & coat

Your dog’s first line of defense against infection, virus and general comfortability is their skin and coat. A poor coat or skin can be a sign of poor nutrition and a weak microbiome. How can Bernie’s Perfect Poop help improve your dog’s skin coat?
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Good dog gut health is the most important way to keep your dog healthy. If your dog’s outsides are looking pretty shabby, it’s a good indication that their gut may need some help. When a dog’s microbiome is healthy, food can efficiently move through his body, allowing all the nutrients to be absorbed adequately so that their skin is free of irritation and their coat nice and full.
High-quality fiber helps improve your dog’s skin and coat because it moves the food you feed your dog through their intestines at just the right speed for optimal absorption. Not all fiber supplements are the same, though. The perfect combination of Miscanthus grass, pumpkin and flaxseed in Bernie’s gives your dog the fiber they need to move things quickly and efficiently through their digestive tract. It also allows absorption and the creation of short-chain fatty acids that boost their colon health.
Bernie’s Perfect Poop also combines prebiotics and probiotics to balance your dog’s gut microbiome. Research shows that pre and probiotic supplements can help your dog’s skin be less irritated from canine atopic dermatitis as well as itchy skin from allergens. When your dog has good dog gut health, good bacteria (probiotics) prevent harmful bacteria from overgrowing. The prebiotics and probiotics in Bernie’s encourage optimal dog gut health to keep your dog’s gut in shape and digestive health strong, and that helps keep their skin and coat strong and healthy too.
Bernie’s Perfect Poop creates the perfectly balanced gut microbiome in your dog, by including a combination of prebiotics and probiotics in every bag. As research continues to explore the connection between a dog’s brain and his gut (the gut-brain axis), we find it to be pivotal to behavior and mental health. With good dog gut health, your dog doesn’t have to worry about harmful bacteria destroying the communication between the gut and the brain. This combination of prebiotics and probiotics stimulates a balanced gut, and better mental health for your dog.
Your dog’s skin is its largest organ. To keep that organ healthy, your dog has to have a balanced diet that allows for the maximum absorption of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and minerals. The enzymes in Bernie’s Perfect Poop help break the food you feed your dog down more efficiently, and that allows the nutrients to supply your dog’s skin with all it needs to be healthy and happy.
Bernie’s Perfect Poop is a 4-in-1 combination of fiber, prebiotics, probiotics, and enzymes. Good dog gut health is the key to a happier, healthier life for your dog. When your dog’s skin and coat are dry, dull, itchy and scratchy, it means their gut health is most likely not balanced. Better dog gut health means your dog’s skin will be free of irritation and their coat shiny and lustrous.

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What other pet parents say

Charlie, my Brittany, is almost 10 months old and we have been dealing with soft poop and excessive scratching since he came to live with me in late December. Nothing too bad but not normal. At one point we switched to human grade dog food which led to some improvement but he still continued to have soft poop at least once a day. We then switched to a dog food for sensitive skin and stomach with similar results. Because he did not have diarrhea, I had come to the conclusion that this was his normal. I found Bernie’s Perfect Poop on Chewy and decided to try it. Less than a week later, the change has been amazing. Bernie’s Perfect Poop had resulted in Charlie having perfect poop and he is scratching less too. Thank you, thank you, thank you. – Sue W.

What is a poor skin & coat in a dog and what are the symptoms/signs?

When your dog’s skin or coat is having problems, it’s pretty evident. They’ll constantly scratch (nothing sounds like that collar rattling all through the night as they scratch, does it?) and their hair/fur is dull and dry. Poor skin may mean pimples and scabs on your dog, and a poor coat may leave your dog with patches of thinning or balding.

When your dog is suffering internally, one of the most noticeable signs will be in the appearance of their coat and their skin condition. A healthy coat should be soft and shiny, and your dog shouldn’t constantly be itching and scratching every time they get a chance.

The symptoms of a dog’s poor skin & coat include:

Itching
Scratching
Irritated skin/skin sores
Excessive licking
Excessive shedding
Dry or dull hair
Thinning/balding patches

Causes of poor skin & coat in dogs

The telltale sign of poor nutrition in dogs is in their skin & coat. When your dog isn’t getting proper nutrition, you see it in their itchy skin and lackluster coat. We are what we eat, and that goes for dogs too. If your dog cannot absorb the vitamins, minerals, proteins and fatty acids from the foods you’re giving, their skin and coat suffer. If they cannot maintain good dog gut health, their skin is unable to do its job (protecting the body) because it’s fighting an internal battle in your dog’s intestines.

If your dog suffers from dry, flaky skin, it may lead to dandruff and skin sores that can become smelly and infected. Making sure your dog gets good fiber is important because it regulates his digestive tract so that all the nutrients from food can be absorbed as it goes through. It’s important to keep your dog well-hydrated too.

Possible poor skin & coat causes	Can Perfect Poop help?
Poor nutrient absorption	Yes
Lack of dietary fiber	Yes
Poor digestion	Yes
Skin allergies	Yes
Auto-immune diseases	Yes
Cancer
Metabolic disease (Cushing’s/Hypothyroidism)

Illustration of Bernie sitting and smiling.

A dry, lackluster coat on your dog may be an indication of a more significant condition than poor nutrition absorption. Dogs suffering from Cushing’s disease or hypothyroidism may also have dry skin and brittle hair as initial outward symptoms. They may also develop patches of hair loss and skin infection, and you should talk with your veterinarian to be sure that dry skin and a dull coat are not signs of metabolic disease.

More information about skin & coat conditions in dogs

If your dog’s skin and coat aren’t healthy, it’s a good indicator of what’s going on inside your dog’s gut. Good dog gut health is important because if your dog’s gut is healthy, that means their digestive tract is healthy too. A healthy digestive tract allows proper nutrient absorption throughout your dog’s body, and that keeps their skin and coat happy and healthy. Dogs with clean, shiny, healthy skins and coats are also at less risk for other diseases or illnesses.

Fiber may help with your dog’s skin & coat

Fiber is helpful in ensuring your dog’s skin and coat are in tip-top shape because it keeps food moving through the digestive tract appropriately and efficiently. This means your dog can absorb all the nutrients he’s supposed to get from the food you feed, and that creates healthy skin and fur.

High-quality fiber will also fuel probiotics that form in your dog’s gut. A balanced microbiome is one that is rich in healthy probiotic flora and quality-fiber is what those bacteria love to eat. Fiber will help prevent the overgrowth of harmful bacteria that will weaken your dog’s skin and coat.

High-quality fiber supplementation also aids in your dog’s ability to have more short-chain fatty acids in their bodies. Fatty acids are often what’s missing when your dog’s coat seems dry and dull, and Bernie’s fiber produces fatty acids as it ferments in your dog’s gut.

Not all fiber supplements for dogs are created equal, though. Bernie’s Perfect Poop uses flax Seeds to help produce the short-chain fatty acid ALA. This Omega 3 helps prevent dry and rough skin, as well as helps prevent patchy hair growth.
Bernie’s also uses Miscanthus grass. It’s a healthier alternative to other cheap fiber fillers some supplements use, and is an all-natural, non-GMO, grain-free, gluten-free fiber that is sustainably grown. It’s grown without herbicides or pesticides and is good for the planet and for our dogs.

Prebiotics and probiotics may help with dog dandruff and itchy skin

Prebiotics and probiotics are key supplements to helping your dog’s gut health be at its best. Prebiotics and probiotics balance out your dog’s digestive tract bacteria and microbiome. When your dog’s gut is in its optimal condition, that’s when they best absorb all the nutrition needed to fuel and energize their skin and coat cells. A healthy gut is the base of a healthy skin and coat.

The prebiotic in Bernie’s is Inulin. Inulin acts as a fertilizer to feed the good bacteria in your dog’s lower digestive tract. If the good bacteria in your dog’s digestive tract can get the right nutrition, their gut will thrive. When their gut thrives, the rest of their body will too.

Probiotics are the good bacteria in your dog’s gut. Adding that good bacteria through supplementation helps achieve good dog gut health by limiting harmful bacteria that will weaken your dog’s skin and coat. As good bacteria get the proper nutrition, they multiply and create a healthy gut environment. Your dog’s gut becomes more balanced and functions properly. Adding Bernie’ to your dog’s food means you’re helping add good bacteria in their gut, and that will show in their skin and coat.

Enzymes may help with your dog’s skin and coat issues

Enzymes in Bernie’s Perfect Poop will help your dog’s digestive tract break food down better. This is essential to your dog’s healthy skin and coat. If your dog is not able to break down their food well, their body won’t be able to absorb nutrition as well either. Your dog’s digestive system actually involves several organs through the process of breaking down and excreting food—including their body’s largest—the skin. Your dog won’t be able to have healthy skin or hair unless they’re able to digest and absorb the proper amounts of digestible proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins and carbohydrates. The enzymes in Bernie’s Perfect Poop will help your dog’s digestion and absorption, and that will mean an overall healthier skin and coat for them.

Other ways to help

Make sure your dog is hydrated
Feed quality foods that include good fiber
Ensure diet has enough omegas
Groom and bathe appropriately with sensitive products
Keep your dog parasite-free

Additional reading

Related terms

Canine depression
Seborrhea
Dog dandruff
Atopic canine dermatitis
Canine eczema
Canine allergies
Brittle coat
Hot spots
Canine alopecia