By The dog shedding season is upon us and the hairy teddy bears that we’ve made with the lost fur is funny. But a lot of people don’t find it funny at all. In fact, there are many people who detest dog hair on their furniture, clothes or the floor. Which is why today we will first talk about the reasons behind shedding and how you can reduce it or at least control the way it happens.
Two Kinds of Shedding:
- Seasonal Shedding
- Year-round Shedding
- Shedding Due to Other Physiological & Psychological Issues
Seasonal Shedding:
Dogs or animals, in general, shed twice a year. It is a natural process of shedding old coat and getting a new one as per the requirement of the seasons. First, they shed in the spring season as their body is preparing for the summer heat. This coat is thinner than usual as it helps in cooling down the body.
The second time they shed in the fall season and the body gets ready for a new season. This time around, the new coat is thicker than their usual coat. This coat protects them for the cool weather.
Year-round Shedding:
A lot of dogs who have thick fur coats like golden retrievers shed all around the year. This is normal as their coat is thicker than other dogs.
Shedding Due to Other Physiological & Psychological Issues:
Apart from the two reasons mentioned above, there are a lot of other reasons due to which a dog can shed. Those are:
- Skin problems
- Ticks & fleas
- Food Allergies
- Allergies from grooming products like shampoos and other creams
- Excessive licking due to stress
- Anxiety, stress and neglect
- Cancer
- Allergies due to exterior substances
- Pregnancy
- Side-effects of medicines
- Bacteria or Fungal infections
- Eating a lot of sweet or salty food
- Internal diseases related to the liver, kidney or thyroid.
There could be some other reasons as well but these problems need medical attention. So consulting a vet at the right time is crucial.
Solutions For Shedding:
Normal and seasonal shedding can be reduced by using a brush on a regular basis. For dogs who have double thick coats, using a slicker brush helps eliminate dead hair. But we should use these once or twice a week only. That too in the shedding season. For normal days, using a regular brush is enough. There are special conditioners for hair that make it smooth and tangle-free. This also helps in reducing the shedding and keeping the coat full of lustre and healthy. Using medicated or organic oils can also reduce problems like dry skin and other fungal and bacterial infections. Using the right kind of shampoo and conditioner also helps. Dogs shouldn’t eat a lot of sweet food. That also increases shedding.
If you are looking for some popular grooming products for dogs then click on this link to read all about it. These tips will help you groom your dog in the shedding season. We have also mentioned the products so it is easier for you to decide which products are useful.
