home Analyzes What to do if your dog sheds a lot. Shedding in dogs - normal and abnormalities, causes, coat care Dog's fur is shedding

What to do if your dog sheds a lot. Shedding in dogs - normal and abnormalities, causes, coat care Dog's fur is shedding

Wool is an indicator of a dog's well-being. Thick and shiny indicates excellent health, dull and thinning indicates problems in the pet’s body.

"Planned" molt

All dog breeders who observe the seasonal change of undercoat and coat in spring/autumn are ready for it. This is a natural process that takes 1-2 weeks for short-haired dogs (with regular brushing) and a little longer for animals with a thick undercoat and long hair.

This is interesting! The first moult begins at different times, but, as a rule, it is associated with the time of year and appears no earlier than the quadruped is 6 months old.

Seasonal shedding is a predictable event, the consequences of which are easy to deal with: you need to brush your dog more often, if necessary, pay a visit to the dog groomer, and clean up the apartment every day.

"Unscheduled" molt

If the fur begins to fall out in alarming quantities, and it is not spring or autumn outside, go to the veterinarian. He will make a qualified diagnosis and determine a treatment algorithm.

The most common causes of off-season shedding are:

Look for insects and signs of their presence, which may include redness, swelling, bite marks (spots), black flecks and scratches. A dark coating in the ears may indicate that ear mites have settled there. Clean the ears and apply tick repellent.

Important! Also check the dog mat, and if you suspect something is wrong, replace it with a new one.

Skin diseases

You may experience eczema while washing your furry dog. A dense, damp undercoat that does not have time to recover can easily provoke this serious disease, which will give rise to out-of-season shedding.

Dermatitis and similar ailments leading to severe hair loss can be caused by low-quality dog cosmetics (shampoos and conditioners).

A good owner must be alert if he senses an unusual odor from his pet, which will tell about disturbances in the activity of the skin glands.

Allergy

It is usually accompanied by accompanying symptoms: anxiety, redness of the eyes, itching, discharge from the nose and eyes, and rarely, drooling.

Quite a healthy dog may suddenly like unfamiliar food, as well as to any provoking factor, including plant pollen, poplar fluff and dirty air.

If you recently gave your dog a new item (a bowl, clothes, a rug), replace them with others and look at the animal’s reaction.

Stress

Unexplained hair loss is often associated with psychological discomfort. Your dog's anxiety can be caused by anything - your anger, a street dog fight, moving, pregnancy, participation in an exhibition, injury, surgery or other stressful event.

Shedding due to nervousness is not intense and disappears in three days.

Poor nutrition

It is this that is quite capable of acting as a catalyst for unexpected hair loss. Elite factory food is beyond suspicion, but economy-class dry products are the main enemies of healthy dog fur.

Cheap drying contains a lot of salt and no vitamins, which are necessarily added to high-quality products. And if your pet is prone to allergies, look for packaging labeled “holistic.”

Skin and coat need vitamin nourishment from the inside.

Important! If your dog eats only natural foods, add vitamin and mineral supplements to his food from time to time.

Grooming

You can’t do without it both during seasonal and sudden molting. Buy something that will help you maintain a healthy coat:

shampoo with protein;
dry conditioners (improving the structure of the hairs and nourishing them);
nickel-plated combs for removing tangles;
slicker brushes for delicate removal of hair;
a glove brush that easily collects hair;
a furminator that can replace the entire arsenal of dog combs.

If you make it a rule to comb out loose hair every day, it will not fly throughout the apartment, clinging to the owner’s clothes and settling on the furniture.

The combing procedure will become less labor-intensive if you follow the preparatory stage: before starting it, cover the floor with newspaper or polyethylene.

Menu when molting

It should be special, preferably with an emphasis on natural food with a large dose of proteins. It is protein that is responsible for healthy and beautiful dog fur.

meat, excluding pork;
chicken liver and hearts;
sea fish (boneless);
boiled and raw vegetables;
porridge.

Important! And be sure to add some fish oil to your dog's food, as well as supplements with vitamin B, copper and zinc to stimulate coat growth.

Fighting hair loss

It is carried out if molting is not burdened by side symptoms - poor appetite, nervous behavior, high body temperature and others.

Put your pet on a diet or change food without ignoring vitamin and mineral complexes.

Measure the humidity and air temperature in the house: at +25° and above, shedding can be considered a natural phenomenon. Negative factors also include low humidity (less than 40%). The solution is to regulate the temperature using thermostats, systematically ventilate the apartment, and install an air humidifier.

Walk more often, taking your pet out into the yard 2-3 times a day, regardless of bad weather. Moderate cooling can stop shedding. But do not overdo it so that the dog does not catch a cold.

And... save the dog's nerves. As you know, all diseases arise from nervousness, and untimely molting is no exception.

Animals sometimes change their "skin"

Tired of picking up tufts of his pet's fur scattered around the apartment, the owner involuntarily wonders why the molting process in his dog lasts almost the entire year and what the normal timing of this process is. In fact, when dogs shed, the seasons change at the same time, and vice versa.

Nature initiates processes that cause coat changes twice a year. The first time dogs shed begins in the spring, it lasts a couple of weeks, depending on the individual characteristics of the dog and allows him to prepare for the coming hot weather. During this period, the owner is recommended to comb the pet more often with a special brush purchased at a pet store. A regular human comb will not work. The more thoroughly you comb out the wool, the less of it will settle on carpets, sofas, and furniture. However, if your pet is short-haired, then it will live just fine without regular brushing.

If your dog sheds winter or autumn, then this is also quite a common occurrence. At this time, her body is preparing for the coming cold, and how can you survive severe frosts without a warm fur coat? In order for new thick fur to grow, it is necessary to get rid of the old one, which has served its purpose. Recommendations for care during this period:

regular brushing,
timely cleaning of the apartment,
a visit to the dog groomer (if the dog takes part in exhibitions and needs to always look one hundred percent).

Normally, molting begins when a sharp warming or cooling is expected, caused by a change in season. But what if your dog sheds all year round? Do we need to fight this and why does this happen?

It all depends on the conditions under which the animal is kept. And it’s not at all about how well you take care of your pet. The vast majority of dogs live with their owners, that is, in apartments or private houses equipped with heating systems that guarantee an almost constant room temperature both in winter and summer. The body, which is constantly warm, simply does not know when it is time to shed the old fur coat and get a new one.

It happens that for some dogs, resting on downy bedding in warm houses, not far from electric heaters slipped by caring owners, the spring shedding, instead of ending in half a month, smoothly flows into the autumn. So it seems that it never ends.

Old and damaged dog hair and fur will shed naturally. Shedding is a normal process in dogs, but the amount and frequency of hair loss depends on the health of the dog and its breed. In addition, shedding may depend on the season of the year, as many dogs grow thick fur during the winter, which then sheds in the spring. Dogs that live indoors experience shorter coat thickness fluctuations and tend to shed evenly throughout the year.

How can you minimize shedding in your dog?

While you can't stop healthy and normal shedding, you can reduce the amount of hair in your home through regular brushing. Your veterinarian or groomer should be able to advise you on the type of brush or comb that will suit your dog's coat type.

What to do if your dog is shedding heavily?

What appears to be very heavy shedding may be normal for some dogs, but it can also be the result of stress, poor nutrition, or a medical problem. Your veterinarian will need to determine whether your dog's hair loss is part of the normal shedding process or a symptom of a medical condition. Excessive shedding can sometimes be prevented with the right diet.

Quality pet foods include the right amount of all nutrients, so supplements are not necessary. But dogs with allergies or sensitivities may need to experiment with different brands of food to determine which one works best. It is also recommended that you consult with your veterinarian, who will be able to advise you on which foods will best suit your dog's needs.

Severe hair loss in dogs may be due to the following reasons:

If you notice any of the following signs, or if your dog's skin problem persists for more than a week, you should consult your veterinarian.

Skin irritation, including redness, swelling, bumps, and rashes
Open sores
Bald patches or thinning fur
Dry hair that falls out easily
Scratches
Constant licking or rubbing

One of the indicators of a dog's health is its coat. Smooth, shiny or thick, silky hair often tells the dog owner that everything is in order with the dog’s health. Almost every dog owner knows that 2 times a year dogs experience active hair loss, the so-called seasonal shedding, during which the dog feels normal, and therefore does not worry about its health.

Wool structure. In dogs, hair follicles are combined into groups (bundles) consisting of one, longest, primary (central) hair, surrounded by thinner and shorter secondary (additional) hairs (in puppies there are no secondary hairs). The density of the coat depends on the age and breed of the dog. The softer the wool, the thicker it is. For example, a German Shepherd has 1 sq. There are 100-300 groups of follicles per cm of skin, and 400-600 in dogs with soft hair. The number of groups of hair follicles is determined at birth, but young puppies only have downy hairs that are very soft to the touch. With age, the angle of inclination of the hair to the surface of the skin decreases to approximately 45 degrees until an adult dog.

The dog's owner begins to show his concern when he notices that his friend's once shiny coat is becoming dull and starting to fall out.

Dogs shedding is an absolutely normal phenomenon, but this fact does not in any way save owners from worrying about the pet’s health; in addition, no one is likely to like fur all over the house.

Dog hair and its purpose

Outdoor dogs have two shedding periods per year, during which the winter and summer coats change.

Replacement of coat in dogs does not begin by accident. The signal for molting is a change in the length of daylight hours. When daylight hours lengthen, spring molt begins, and when it decreases, winter molt begins.

In females, molting can occur not only in spring and autumn, but also during the sexual cycle and immediately after childbirth. Additionally, sometimes hair loss can occur due to very strong stress (change of owner, moving to another area).

Bitches often shed before going into heat. This is due to changes in hormonal levels. In this case, after estrus, the condition of the coat will be restored.

During the spring shedding, the dog sheds a lot of undercoat, which retains heat. In autumn, on the contrary, some of the thick hair falls out and the undercoat grows. In terms of time, molting lasts 1-2 weeks. In dogs that live in an apartment or in warm rooms all the time, shedding occurs little by little and all the time.

Hair doesn't all fall out at the same time. Shedding begins from the back of the body and gradually moves to the front. A dog's winter coat is thicker than its summer coat and serves as good protection from the cold.

Your dog sheds a lot in summer: what to do?

Shedding a dog in the summer always alarms the dog owner, since this period is not intended for changing the animal's coat. In the event that your dog, while feeling normal, begins to shed intensively, you must first of all pay attention to the air temperature in the room in which the dog lives. If the air temperature is above 26 degrees, then the dog’s shedding will be the body’s protective reaction from overheating.

Feeding the dog

In order for your dog to be healthy, active, and have a shiny coat, you must organize complete feeding, balanced in proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. If there is a lack of vitamins in the diet, vitamin preparations must be introduced into the feeding diet ().

A dog's fur may fall out in the summer, even if it is practically healthy. This happens to those dogs whose owners use shampoos intended for humans when bathing their dogs. The dog owner needs to know that the structure of the skin of a dog and a person is different, as a result, human shampoo can provoke shedding and an allergic reaction in the dog. However, you can purchase a special shampoo that will prevent healthy hair loss.

You should not bathe your dog more than once a month. When bathing, use lukewarm water. Using hot water will cause your dog to become stressed.

Help from the owner during seasonal molting

During seasonal shedding, owners should help their dog go through this period painlessly. The animal needs quality care from you. Don't be alarmed if your dog sheds a lot. Any veterinarian will tell you what to do during this period, but the measures for caring for your dog are very simple.

First, brush your pet's fur regularly to ensure timely change of hair follicles.

Grooming different breeds of dogs requires different amounts of time. It is easier to care for dogs of smooth-haired breeds (Great Danes, Doberman Pinschers and the like), for which it is enough to simply clean the coat once every 3-4 days with a brush, not too thick, but hard enough to remove dust and dirt. It only takes 10-15 minutes. A hard brush should be used carefully so as not to scratch the animal’s skin. Dogs with medium length hair must be combed with special metal, horn or wooden combs at least 2 times a week. At the same time, dead undercoat is easily removed and tangled hair is combed.

Long-haired dogs are very beautiful, but they need daily brushing. For dogs with long, thick hair, loose hair can be removed using a wire brush. A wide comb is good for combing out mats of fur on the paws. Sometimes caring for the hair of wire-haired dog breeds requires the intervention of a specialist.

In order for a dog to shed without any complications, owners must follow the rules.

In the case when increased shedding in a dog is accompanied by changes in its usual behavior, the appearance of additional symptoms of a particular disease, you must urgently contact your veterinary clinic.

Veterinary experts divide the reasons that can cause hair loss in a dog into two large groups - hormonal and non-hormonal.

If you notice hair loss in your dog on symmetrical areas of the body, then the cause of hair loss most likely lies in a hormonal imbalance in the dog’s body. In the case where there is no such sequence, and hair loss occurs in different parts of the body, then you should think about whether the dog has a skin disease.

Hormonal causes of hair loss in dogs. Hormonal causes that can cause hair loss include:

Hyperestrogenism- excessive intake of estrogen into the dog’s body; as a result of an imbalance of sex hormones, dog owners note severe hair loss in the genital area. At the same time, there is a sharp enlargement of the vulva in females and swelling of the foreskin in males.

Hypoestrogenism– lack of hormones in the dog’s body. This disease is more common in middle-aged spayed female dogs. With this disease, the dog first experiences severe thinning of the hair near the genitals, and subsequently throughout the body; dog owners additionally note a slowdown in the rate of hair growth.

Hypothyroidism– a disease accompanied by an acute deficiency of thyroid hormones in the dog’s body. With this disease, the hair becomes dry and brittle. Then hair loss begins on the back, chest and neck. In addition, owners note that the dog is lethargic and apathetic. The dog avoids physical activity, a sharp increase in body weight occurs, and the degree of protection against various infections decreases.

Hyperadrenocorticism or Cushing's syndrome– a disease when excess cortisol is formed in the dog’s body. The disease is accompanied by severe loss of hair throughout the body. Additionally, this disease is characterized by a strong gain in body weight, constant thirst and frequent urination. During a clinical examination, the dog has swelling and drooping abdomen.

Diabetes- this disease in dogs leads to the fact that the coat and undercoat become dull, and the hair begins to fall out. A sick dog is thirsty all the time. On examination, the mucous membrane of the mouth is dry. The dog eats more than usual, but the weight does not increase or begins to fall quickly. Tends to lie down most of the time and refuses long walks. The smell from the mouth is unpleasant (), similar to rot (,).

Veterinary experts include non-hormonal reasons leading to hair loss in dogs:

Allergies in dogs. In recent years, dogs have often experienced hair loss as a result of an allergic reaction to various components in food or treats given by the owner (). As a result of the systematic exposure of the allergen to the dog’s body, it develops atopic dermatitis, accompanied by rashes, swelling and redness of certain areas of the skin, and hair loss.

In addition, an allergic reaction may be accompanied by itching (), agitation and drooling ().

Yeast infections. Hair loss in dogs can be caused by such dangerous skin diseases as, for humans. Dog owners note the presence of scaly, crusty, rounded areas of skin ranging from 12 to 50 mm in diameter. In the center of such formations we find a complete absence of hair with a red ring on the periphery. Mostly, fungal diseases affect areas of the skin with high humidity (skin folds, armpits). Bulldogs, Shar-Peis and other breeds that have many folds on their body are most susceptible to this disease. Dandruff of varying degrees of severity (dry type, wet, complicated) can lead to hair loss over the entire surface of the body.

Bacterial skin infections. The most common diseases in this group are pyoderma and.

Zinc deficiency in the dog's body. If there is a lack of zinc in a dog’s body, its skin becomes hard, scaly, and without hair, especially on the face, nose, elbow and hock joints (). If there is a lack of zinc in a dog's body, some owners notice cracking of the pulp on their paws. It has been noted that the most sensitive to zinc deficiency are dog breeds living in the north of the country. Solar dermatitis. With solar dermatitis, hair loss in dogs mainly occurs on the animal's face. Dog breeds with poorly pigmented skin on the nose are most susceptible to this disease. Owners of dogs with a similar problem should keep in mind that in addition to hair loss and the appearance of skin ulcers, this dermatitis will lead to a large number of autoimmune problems.

Treatment of hair loss in dogs

If the cause of a dog's hair loss is seasonal shedding, the dog owner should not take any therapeutic actions; it is enough to follow the rules for caring for the dog's coat. If the cause of hair loss is certain diseases of the dog, then you need to contact the veterinary specialists of your veterinary clinic. A veterinarian will conduct a thorough clinical examination, and if necessary, blood tests, stool samples, skin scrapings, etc. will be taken. to exclude those diseases that were carried out above and prescribe appropriate treatment. For more information, see our article -.

Regardless of the cause of hair loss, dog owners are advised to introduce special vitamin complexes into their diet that stimulate hair growth. In pet stores and veterinary pharmacies, to maintain hair in normal condition, they sell B vitamins, vitamin D, H and F, amino acids, and zinc chelate. Dog owners can use flaxseed oil (contains vitamin F), beef liver (vitamin H), lamb meat, liver, whey, brewer's yeast as a source of vitamins in their dog's diet - they contain B vitamins.

Preventing hair loss in dogs

Prevention of hair loss in a dog should be based on the organization of adequate feeding of the dog, depending on its physiological state (,). When feeding your dog, try to choose anti-allergenic food. When your dog is shedding, you need to brush it daily to remove dead hair that can cause skin irritation.

In order to prevent off-season shedding, dog owners must provide their pet with:

regular flow of fresh air into the room;
daily physical activity;
The dog's resting places should be away from heat sources.

And also do not forget to systematically ventilate the room where the animal is located. Cool air lowers the temperature in the room and helps the dog not overheat. Physical activity plays a huge role in maintaining a dog’s health - walk with your pet every day, involve it in active games, the pet should experience new emotions and enjoy life.
Follow the rules of grooming.

Domestic dogs that live in an apartment permanently are susceptible to hormonal imbalance. Proper nutrition and regular exercise will help eliminate disorders.

Hair loss as an alarming symptom

Some owners pay attention to an unusual smell for dogs, which confirms the abnormal functioning of the skin glands. Why did it happen so? There can be many reasons for this unpleasant phenomenon - from low-quality shampoo to food scraps eaten on the street.

The coat sheds a lot due to stress. Fights, injuries, visits to the veterinarian and other shocks can trigger hair loss, however, this process should not last all year round. Perhaps the unrest triggered some disease that was in a chronic form.

Many owners are interested in why shedding occurs after giving their pet a treat. Why did it happen so? The fact is that even a healthy dog can suffer from an allergy that manifests itself after eating a certain product, and you should not experiment with treats.

If after such an episode the fur sheds, and the pet has lost weight and turns away from its usual food, then the owners should be wary and take the dog to a specialist. In addition, the allergic reaction may be accompanied by itching, agitation and drooling.

Unexpected shedding often indicates a dangerous illness - a non-food allergy. The reaction of the animal’s body in this case is caused by inhalation of polluted air, products of flowering plants, or lying on synthetic bedding.

Solving the problem of out-of-season shedding

Having found out the reasons for the unusual condition of your pet, do not forget about regular combing of the fur; you should resort to this procedure both in summer and winter.
Brushes made of natural bristles - pork or horse bristles - are best suited for this purpose. A pet with a long and thick coat should be combed once a week, carefully unraveling tangles and removing dead hairs. Smooth-haired animals need grooming a little less often; a medium-hard brush is suitable for them.

Decorative breeds of dogs, for example, Yorkshire terriers, need periodic haircuts with special scissors. Experienced breeders use special clippers for this purpose, which allow you to create a short, hygienic hairstyle in the summer and maintain the beauty of the coat all year round.

Changing food is also a solution to the problem faced by owners of furry pets. A dog sheds all year round if it does not receive all the necessary substances to maintain health.
What to do in this case? Properly selected dry food contains essential vitamins and fatty acids, as well as valuable microelements. Often, correcting the diet allows you to get rid of troubles, especially if your pet has recently lost weight.

Hygiene plays a significant role in maintaining the beauty and health of a dog’s coat. It is not enough to simply clean the fur from dirt and dust in bad weather; the pet needs a bath.

What should the owner do? An animal that is constantly outdoors in the private sector in the summer is rarely washed. However, dogs that spend maximum time in the fresh air are practically not susceptible to slow hair loss, the reasons for this lie in regular physical activity and adaptation to environmental conditions.

A domestic dog sheds in summer and winter, and its owner is trying to figure out why this happens. Whatever the reasons for hair loss, the dog must be accustomed to water procedures from an early age.

But it is not recommended to bathe small lap dogs often, since their skin is prone to drying out, sometimes the dog resists water treatments and bites, why does the pet behave this way? The appearance of peeling and irritation leads to the fact that the ornamental animal begins to itch, thereby provoking hair loss. Such shedding can last a long time and harm the dog’s health.

First of all, you should consult a veterinarian to eliminate bald spots and redness, and also introduce healthy supplements into the diet that will improve the quality of the skin and coat.

Prevention of off-season shedding

If your pet continues to shed for a long time and very heavily, then you should make sure that this is not a periodic phenomenon. As a rule, seasonal coat changes are not accompanied by skin irritations and bald patches.

It is important to know how many times a year the animal changes its coat. The first time this happens is in the fall, when the dog grows thicker and warmer fur before the winter cold, and the second time the dog changes its coat only in the spring.

Experienced breeders warn that in the wrong conditions the dog sheds all year round. What to do? Prevention of off-season molting includes the following measures:

regular flow of fresh air;
physical exercise;
location of the dog's resting place away from heat sources.

It's no secret that pets who sleep and rest near heating appliances shed a lot. This should not be done under any circumstances, because the heat causes the dog’s skin to dry out and the hair begins to fall out.

A specialist will tell you why your dog sheds a lot. If she has lost weight or scratches the affected areas, the risk of developing serious illnesses should be excluded. As a rule, a healthy animal that spends a lot of time in the fresh air sheds no more than 2 times a year, and a coat change takes on average 14 days.

Shedding in dogs is a natural process, and every owner of a four-legged friend has to deal with it. But not all owners know when, how and how many times a year animals molt, for what reasons this happens, how long it lasts , and what to do if the dog begins to shed heavily.

What it is?

REFERENCE! Molting is the replacement of old coat with new coat. The process is provided for by nature itself and occurs gradually over a certain time. After molting, the new coat becomes shiny, smooth, and silky to the touch, transforming the dog’s appearance for the better.

Causes of hair loss

Shedding is always a crucial period for dog owners, especially if the breed is long-haired. The causes of hair loss can be natural or pathological. In the first case, this is a planned molt, intended by nature, which occurs annually in spring and autumn and ends at a set time. This is a normal process and there is nothing to worry about in this case.

But if the dog sheds “at the wrong time” or heavily, then this may happen due to:

However, not only problems inside the dog’s body cause unplanned shedding, but also environmental factors. For example, low humidity and warm air in the room where there is a pet that lives almost constantly in an apartment and rarely goes outside creates an environment for chronic hair loss. As a result, the animal sheds constantly, year-round, not only in spring and autumn, but also in summer and winter. .

Temporary shedding can be caused by acute stress, for example, surgery or moving to a new place of residence, bitches may begin to shed during or after. Improper dog grooming is another common cause of pathological shedding. The culprits may be an inappropriate shampoo or soap that the owner has chosen for the animal or too frequent washing, which degreases the skin, as a result of which the hair falls out at an increased rate and dandruff may appear.

When does it happen and how long does it last?

Dogs shed in autumn and spring, that is 2 times per year. How long does the spring molt last? From 2 to 3 weeks, but in some cases it may be somewhat delayed. Autumn shedding lasts longer than spring, but much less wool falls out during this period than in spring. After winter, the opposite happens, as the dog gets rid of the thick undercoat and old hair.

When does spring molting begin in young animals? Puppies usually begin to shed after 6–7 months of age. At the same age, the first autumn shedding occurs in dogs born in the spring. How long the shedding lasts in the spring also depends on what breed the dog belongs to, its state of health, diet, etc.

The beginning of spring or autumn shedding can be noticed by the fur lying on the floor and on upholstered furniture, as well as by the dog’s changed behavior. How does an animal's behavior change when it sheds? The dog begins to itch intensely, rub against pieces of furniture, and roll on the ground outside. What should the owner do in the spring, when shedding begins, how to speed it up and how to help the animal quickly get rid of excess hair? Read about it below.

How to scratch?

ADVICE! The easiest way to remove useless hair is to comb it out with a special brush. It has frequent and thin metal teeth that can grab any, even very thick and thin hair and remove it before it falls out on its own.

How to quickly and correctly comb an animal during shedding? You need to guide the brush in the direction of hair growth, pressing slightly on the handle so that the brush can go deeper into the thickness of the coat and capture the old wool throughout its entire depth. In this way, you can gradually comb out the entire animal. If there are scratches, wounds, or irritations on the dog’s body, it is best to use a slicker.

How to speed up hair combing at home? The hairs will fall out better if the procedure is performed immediately after bathing the animal. They will get wet and will become easier to stretch out.

What to feed?

How else can you deal with old dog hair? In order for shedding to happen faster, the animal must be provided with good food, preferably natural, with a predominance of protein, which makes the coat strong and shiny. Therefore, your pet’s diet needs to include meat and offal, which can be given raw.

REFERENCE! The diet should also contain fish oil, liver, cereals and vegetables, legumes, yeast, containing all the vitamins and minerals the animal needs during this period. You can also give your dog good quality dry food, for example, Hills, Royal Canin, ProPlan, Orijen, Eukanuba, Belcando, etc.

What vitamins should I give my pet during seasonal hair loss?

At any pet store or veterinary clinic you can purchase vitamin preparations for dogs, which can be added additionally to their diet. The vitamin complex must contain the following compounds:

group B, which helps wool grow faster;
biotin, with the help of which collagen fibers are synthesized and protein and fat metabolism is regulated;
calciferol, in the presence of which calcium is absorbed;
ascorbic acid, which strengthens blood vessels, thereby improving the nutrition of the follicles;
tocopherol, which improves the condition of the skin;
niacin, which prevents dermatitis and dry skin.

This set of vitamins will help your pet grow healthy and shiny fur as quickly as possible. More information on the topic of vitamins can be found in

Do I need a special shampoo?

Is it possible to wash a dog while shedding? Of course it is possible and even necessary. After bathing, the old fur is removed much faster, so the shedding process is reduced. But you shouldn’t get too carried away with washing: dandruff forms on dry skin, and this creates additional problems. Dandruff during shedding can be eliminated with a special moisturizing shampoo.

REFERENCE! To bathe your pet during shedding, you can use any shampoo, but it is better to use products specially designed for shedding dogs or products containing proteins (including conditioners and balms). A set of dog grooming products will make the labor-intensive process much easier.

What to do if the shedding is severe and the dog loses a lot of hair? First of all, you need to establish its cause, and only a veterinarian can do this. Check your health status The animal must be treated at the first warning signs, because severe hair loss is often a sign of a serious illness.

Are there any special products against heavy shedding?

You can stop heavy shedding in dogs with the help of complex vitamins and nutritional supplements. If this does not help, then you need to contact a veterinarian, who, after an examination, will make a decision and tell you how to help the animal.

What is express molting, reviews and prices

REFERENCE! Express shedding is a professional combing performed by a master in a pet salon. It is especially effective during seasonal shedding, but it can also be performed at any time on animals that live indoors and shed year-round.

Of course, every owner in the house or in the yard can comb his dog, but not everyone knows how to do it correctly, they don’t know how to comb it correctly during shedding and how to handle the tool and the animal. The result of improper handling can be skin damage of varying degrees of complexity, torn hair and stress in the dog. In addition, not everyone has the time and desire to comb, or there may be another reason - someone in the family is allergic to dog hair. With express shedding performed by a professional, all this can be avoided.

How is express molting done? The master places the animal on the table and combs it with a furminator brush. Then the animal is bathed with shampoo and mask and the hair is dried with a special hairdryer. With these procedures, almost 90% of unnecessary fur is immediately removed, revealing a brand new shiny coat. Thanks to quick combing, the pet looks well-groomed and hair no longer lies all over the house, which, according to dog owners, is the main advantage of the procedure. The effect of express shedding lasts for 2–3 months. The price for this depends on the size of the dog, the thickness and length of its coat. Express shedding is not carried out at home; it is done only in specialized salons.

Dogs that don't shed

For people for whom dog shedding is a problem, it is better to choose an animal that belongs to one of the breeds that hardly sheds. For example, you can purchase a puppy from short-haired and medium-haired breeds with minimal shedding. These include:

- poodles (standard, miniature, toy);
- Irish Water Spaniel;
- Yorkshire Terrier;
- Basenji;
- Xolo (Mexican Hairless Dog);
- border terrier;
- Welsh Terrier;
- Maltese;
- Kerry Blue Terrier;
- Shih Tzu;
- wheaten terrier;
- Chinese Crested;
- Bedlington Terrier;
- Bichon Frize, etc.

Often these same dog breeds not only do not shed, but are also classified as “no dog smell” breeds. Some of them are odorless and practically hairless breeds (Xolo and Chinese Crested), others have soft, medium-length, odorless hair, and others have short, coarse hair. Odorless and non-shedding breeds are perfect for allergy sufferers and those who cannot tolerate the specific dog aroma.

Useful video

You can watch a video about express molting here: