Dog Talk: What can your dog's fur tell you about its health?

No matter what breed of dog, healthy coats all look attractive and feel good when you run your hands over them. — 123rf.com

One of my favourite things is petting Pica, the dog pal who lives down the road from me. As my hand sinks into her coat, she sits on her back legs and gives me a loving Husky greeting. Apart from the big wet kiss, I notice how good she smells.

It gets me thinking, how much can you tell from looking at a dog’s fur?

Dog fur works just like human hair, in that it’s made up mainly of a fibrous protein called keratin, the stuff that also makes up our nails, and also claws, horns, hooves, feathers and more.