Most dog owners dislike the idea of their pet having his seasonal shedding. For most, shedding means more mess to clean and additional burden of extra grooming for their shedding pet. But as a mature pet owner, you should always remember that shedding is a natural phenomenon in dogs and should not be discouraged. Shedding allows the new coat of your pet to come in, replacing the old and damaged coat.
All dogs shed, unless your pet is a completely hairless dog, such as the American Hairless Terrier. Keep in mind that you are not alone in this dilemma and other dog owners may have more shedding problems than you do because some dog breeds even shed more than others. Dogs like Siberian Huskies, Pomeranians, Norwegian Elkhounds, Malamutes and other breeds with a thick undercoat hair sheds more compared to other breeds.
Majority of dogs have a "double coat"; which is consists of the long "guard hairs" that we see, and an “undercoat”, a layer of thick, downy fur next to their skin under the guard hairs. The undercoat grows deep and thick during Winter and is used for insulation during the cold season, and then it is shed out and disposed when Spring and Summer comes. Poodles and Bichon Frises are the only breeds that never develop an undercoat and, thus, they are known as "non-shedding" breeds.
Aside from breed, shedding also vary between male and female dogs. Male dogs normally only shed a lot during the Spring and Summer molt. However, female dogs often shed during their estrus or heat cycle as well.
For younger dogs and puppies, almost all breed shed their puppy coat before growing their adult double coat. This can be a very struggling time with tangles and mats as the puppy hairs falls out and gets tangled in the adult guard hairs growing in. Change of puppy coat to adult coat usually takes place between 6 to 12 months depending on the puppy’s breed.
Still, if you are burdened or worry too much of your pet’s hair loss during shedding, you should know the factors that may worsen the shedding. Below are some helpful tips you can practice during shedding season to avoid too much hair loss in your pet.
Keeping your dog’s skin supple and moist will enable the skin to hold the guard hair shafts tightly in the pores, thus, minimizing excessive shedding. You can attain this through providing enough fatty acids in your dog’s diet so that his skin maintains oil. Avoid using harsh, detergent products when bathing your pet for it can strip oil from his skin and hair.
Feed your dog with a high quality diet and supplement him with additional anti-oxidants such as vitamins A and E as well as Linoleic Acid and Omega3 and Omega 6 Fish oils.
Brush your pet’s coat more often than usual during shedding season. Brushing does not only eliminate tangles from your dog’s hair, it also brings the oils produced at the skin down each shaft of hair to coat the hair shaft with protective lipids.
Always ensure that your dog shampoo is vet-recommended and non-detergent to avoid broken and damaged dog hair.
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