If you live with a pet, you have seen strands on every object and every corner of the house, especially clothes and furniture. Shedding is normal for a healthy dog to get rid of old, loose, and broken hair. You can decrease the shedding process through regular grooming, diet, and medication, but you can’t stop it completely.
When do dogs shed the most?
Dog shedding depends on breed and health and happens seasonally or throughout the year. It is a fact that thick double-coated fur breeds like golden retrievers shed more than other breeds. Spring and fall are some seasons when canines shed frequently. Most dog’s shedding season might last anywhere from 2-4 weeks.
How to keep a dog from shedding hair?
- Grooming: Brush your dog’s coat every day or once a week helps in collecting the hairs that are going to fall soon. It also makes coats softer, removes mats, massages the scalp, and redistributes natural skin oil correctly. Bathing once every two months is also beneficial to stop shedding and clean the coat. Cleaning sensitive areas like the belly can be a bit tricky? Read a step-by-step article on how to clean a dog’s dirty belly.
- Special Diet: “What you are is what you eat” is a famous quote and applies to dogs also. Your pooch also needs a healthy and balanced diet which is good for its fur and improves health. Nutrients and supplements like Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids help in excessive shedding, dull coat, and dandruff. A natural way to get these fatty acids is through olive and flaxseed oil. Fish like salmon and tuna are also a good source of it. Also, take advice and consultation from your vet about diet and keep in mind that you haven’t overfed supplements that can cause serious health issues like vitamin poisoning (Hypervitaminosis).
- Increase Fluid Intake: Less water intake can make canine fur dried and brittle. If your dog drinks less throughout the day, you should make dishes with a high quantity of water. Make sure that dog can easily access its water bowl whenever he wants. To promote water consumption, you can install a dog water dispenser near his bed or a fountain outside the house so he can enjoy and drink water.
- Treat Skin Allergies: These problems can occur from fleas and certain foods that don’t suit your dog’s health. Excessive itch and scratching are some symptoms and lead to hair falling rapidly in dogs. Visit a vet clinic for a dog’s diet consultation and use over-the-counter medicine like flea spray, powder, and tick shampoo to get instant relief. Spray lemon juice on infected areas or provide a bath of apple cider vinegar is a natural and effective way to kill fleas. Read a detailed article on natural remedies for dogs’ itchy skin.
What dog shed the most?
The Great Pyrenees is the canine that sheds the most fur. These big, fuzzy dogs were made to live in cold, snowy mountains. They have two layers of thick fur to keep them warm. This furry coat helps in winter, but it also means the Great Pyrenees sheds a lot of fur all year as the undercoat keeps growing new fur. If you get one of these beautiful yet heavy-shedding dogs, you need to brush them often and vacuum a lot to keep the shed fur from piling up in your house.
What dog sheds the least?
If you don’t like dealing with lots of dog fur around the house, there are some breeds that are known for hardly shedding at all. These low-shedding pups include Lhasa Apso, Maltese, Havanese, Bichon Frise, Poodle, Lagotto Romagnolo, Tibetan Terrier, Schnauzer, and Portuguese Water Dog. With any of these breeds, you’ll only need to do a little brushing to keep their coats looking nice, and you won’t have to constantly vacuum up tumbleweeds of pet hair.
Do dogs stop shedding before they die?
Yes, because the declining health of the aged dog harms its follicular production. Loss of appetite is also an obstacle to getting essential nutrients. Read an article on encouraging weight gain in senior dogs.