Most dog owners rely on dry or canned food as the mainstay of their dog's diet. However, in spite of commercial claims to the contrary, most dogs on the traditional dog food diet are nutritionally deprived.

Most dogs normally have a bowel movement at least once a day, if not two or three times due to their systems ability to process food and nutrients much faster than ours can. Many dog owners are surprised to learn that their pets suffer from similar health problems or ailments much like we do.  Although dogs can become constipated, a premium diet, daily exercise and plenty of fresh water will usually keep bowel movements regular and healthy.

Whether you've noticed your puppy scratching more often than usual, or you have a dog that's always had skin problems, it is important to take a good look the issue and treat not only the symptoms, but the root cause. Dog skin problems have a variety of different causes, and when you figure out which one is causing your pet's itches and irritations, you'll be well on your way towards solving the problem for good.

Dogs often suffer from a variety of skin problems and sadly it's not unusual to see a dog scratching and chewing excessively. Many times these skin conditions are even worse than we imagine, but the wagging tail and bright eyes often disguise the severity of the actual problem.

Itchy skin, hair loss, constant scratching, ear and anal gland problems are the most common indicators of a dog skin problem. Although there are many canine skin disorders, the 5 following tips will help to identify some of the more common dog skin problems.