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June Issue - 2004
Inside
This Issue:
Click Here to go to the
Online Newsletter
Skin &
Coat 1-4
Pet Product
List 5
Pet Food
Comparison 6
Story of the
Month 7
Home
Cleaning Product 8
(Pet Friendly)
General
Information 9
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The Skinny on
Skin
The last issue
of the HealthyPetNet News focused mainly on our pets' coats: how
the skin and coat function and how to take care of these functions
to encourage optimal health. Though many people talk about our
pets' skin and coats interchangeably as if they are one entity,
they really should be considered two separate concerns despite the
fact that they are dependent on each other for good health. This
month, we're going to focus on our pets' skin.
Skin Deep
The skin is the
largest and one of the most intricate organs of the body. An
average square inch of human skin contains 19 million cells, 19
feet of blood vessels, 65 hairs, 90 oil glands and almost 630
sweat glands. Of course, the numbers are different for various
types of animals and breeds. All of these components help the skin
do its number one job, which is protection.
The skin is made up of three layers: the epidermis, dermis and the
subcutaneous layer.
The epidermis is the outermost layer, the layer that we can see
and touch. However, the epidermis itself consists of four layers.
In the innermost layer, live skin cells are produced, then
flattened and hardened. These cells get pushed up through the
layers of skin to the top layer of the epidermis. |
Our animals shed these
dead skin cells regularly about every 21 days, making way for
newer cells to form. When you see dandruff on your dog or cat, you
are looking at an abnormal amount of dead skin cells. The
epidermis, the layer of skin that we see under our pet's coat is
made out of those flattened cells and a combination of four fats.
One can think of the epidermis as a brick wall with mortar.
The middle layer of the skin is the dermis, the foundation of the
skin. It is very important because it contains the blood and
lymphatic vessels, hair follicles, sweat glands and nerve endings.
Perhaps its biggest claim to fame is its collagen elastin fibers,
which provides the skin with elasticity. While you may cringe when
the veterinarian vaccinates your pet, chances are that your pet
doesn't feel a thing because the dermis is so elastic in nature.
Blood and lymphatic vessels not only bring nutrients to the skin
cells and carry away waste, but they also act as heat regulators.
Sweat glands also regulate temperature, as they produce sweat to
cool down the body. The hair follicles, of course, produce hair.
The dermis is a very busy layer of the skce!
The subcutaneous layer, which means "foelow the skin" is a fatty
region that is not widely considered part of the skin. However,
its health has a direct bearing on the health of the dermis and
epidermis, so it is definitely worth mentioning.
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