Feb 01, 2022 | By, For Pet's Sake
Stop fretting over your dog’s shedding
Prevention is often the best solution for many problems, but it doesn’t work for shedding. Unfortunately for humans who want to keep their homes spotless, shedding is a fact of life. It’s how dogs adjust to the seasons and get rid of dead or damaged hair. If you were to somehow stop your dog from shedding altogether, you would actually be hurting their overall health.
There are some breeds that shed less often than others. If you have pet allergies or an absolute contempt for hair in your home, you should look into one of these breeds so that you can avoid the shedding problem as much as possible. However, if you’ve already chosen your dog (and perhaps found out the hard way that their hair collects everywhere), here are some easy tips you can use to keep your pet’s coat healthy while keeping the vacuum in the closet.
Brushing
Just like bathing regularly washes the dirt away in one place, brushing encourages the hair your dog is shedding to fall out in one place. It just takes five minutes to gently brush your pet’s body to get rid of all the dead hair that is ready to drop onto the floor. Pay attention to your dog’s breed to choose the best brush for the job. You can also try using a shedding tool that is specifically designed to collect dead hair and push it into the trash can.
Bathing
Dogs usually don’t respond as well to bath time as they do to brushing. It’s still a chore you should do about once a month. Brush your dog first to get rid of all the surface hair that they’re about to shed, massage the shampoo into their coat, and rinse away the rest. Then follow up with a brush at the end, especially if you’re using a de-shedding shampoo. Remember that bathing too often can make your pet’s coat and skin dry, so don’t overdo this process thinking that it’s going to save you from cleaning up more hair.
Food and water
The nutrients in your dog’s food keep your pet healthy in a variety of ways. Hair follicles grow stronger when your pet is properly fed, so consult your veterinarian about your pet’s dietary needs. Fill their water bowl throughout the day too. A hydrated body leads to hydrated skin, which prevents shedding and hair loss.
Temperature
Pay attention to how your pet is reacting to the weather and the temperature inside your home. If your pet is panting, drinking a lot of water, or laying sideways on cold flooring, chances are they are warm and could start shedding excess hair to stay cool. Adjust your heating and air conditioning accordingly, give your pet some ice cubes, and try to keep them as comfortable as possible so their shedding doesn’t go into overdrive.
Some dogs, such as golden retrievers, Pembroke Welsh corgis, Pomeranians, and collies, require extra maintenance because they have two coats of hair. You might notice that these dogs shed more than normal. If you suspect your dog is shedding an unusual amount of hair, even for the breed standard, you may want to consult a veterinarian about an infection, allergies, or a chronic disease. Excessive itching, redness, bumps, or a foul odor coming from your pet’s hair may similarly indicate a more serious problem.
Have a question about pet health? Want to become the best possible pet parent? Find helpful tips, reminders, and insight to giving your furry friend the best possible care with For Pet’s Sake! Learn more at drdevonsmith.com.
