While there isn’t any question that being a dog mom or dad is one of the most rewarding experiences on earth, there is one particular matter that everyone could agree is not so pleasant: dog shedding. As the weather warms up, you’ll find plenty of dog fur littered throughout your home on your furniture, clothing, and on every other personal belonging you wish hadn’t been tainted by excessive amounts of fur. Although there’s no way to completely stop your dog from shedding (it’s healthy for them!), there are some things you can do to reduce shedding. Also, it helps to have a basic, but thorough understanding of dog shedding, what’s causing it, when it’s abnormal, and how to cut down on the hair. In this post, we’ll walk you through a comprehensive guide to dog shedding.
- The Basics of The Shedding Process: Shedding occurs when your dog loses old or damaged hair. The amount of hair your dog sheds often depends on the breed of your dog. As you probably noticed, dogs are more likely to shed extra hair during the spring seasons, however plenty of dogs shed all year long. You can’t stop your dog from shedding but you can minimize the amount of hair they drop all around your home. Regularly brushing your dog’s coat is the first step in keeping shedding under control.
- When to Worry About Shedding: When a dog sheds constantly and excessively, especially out of their regular seasonal cycle, it could be a symptom of a bigger problem. Although general shedding is natural, it’s important to know when you should take your dog to the veterinarian for their shedding. Excessive shedding could be caused by a number of conditions including pregnancy, a reaction to specific medications, food allergies, a bacterial infection, parasites such as mites, fleas, or lice, irritation from particular substances, cancer, or diseases related to the kidney, liver, or thyroid. If you notice your dog is losing large patches of hair or balding in certain places, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to get to the root of the problem. Occasional, dramatic shedding at time of stress (for example in association with a vet or groomer visit) is normal. Stress-induced shedding will typically disappear and go back to normal within 24 hours.
- Expert Hacks on Controlling Shedding: What do you do when simply brushing your dog’s coat doesn’t seem to be enough in order to control or reduce shedding? You try other methods! Deshedding treatments really do work when done regularly. You can buy a FURMinator tool (or one of its knockoffs), and as long as you use it, you can reduce most dog’s shedding by 60-80%. A professional groomer will utilize this type of tool along with special conditioners and force drying to remove loads of loose hair — bags of it, sometimes. Much better than having it all floating around your house. Also, if your fur baby’s coat is not shiny and healthy, look into reducing their stress and improving their diet. Bathe and brush regularly – or have a professional groomer do it. We’ll get that hair outta there!
Looking for more information on shedding and how to control it? Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information!