While shedding is a natural way for your dog to replace damaged and/or old hair, it can be a frustrating experience to have hair all over the place.
Excessive dog hair loss can be due to various factors or be a natural process. If you notice that the loss is localized in a certain part of the body and is not general, we recommend that you go to the vet as it could be a parasitic type disease.
In any case, it is advisable to find a remedy to this situation to keep it under control and prevent your dog from shedding so much. In this guide, you’ll learn some tips and tricks to minimize the amount of fur your dog sheds.
How to Reduce Dog’s Shedding
- Dog breeds that shed the most
- Weather change
- Poor nutrition in dogs
- Dog anxiety
- Skin parasites in dogs
- Dog pregnancy
- Brush your dog
- Dog shedding brush
- Bathe your dog
Dog Breeds That Shed the Most
The tricks to contain or reduce hair loss in dogs are closely linked to the cause of the phenomenon.
For this reason, the first thing to do is to identify the reason for the hair loss and one of the main ones is the breed to which your dog belongs.
There are breeds that have an obvious tendency to shed a lot of hair, such as the German shepherd, the Siberian Husky, and the Chihuahua. There are others that, however, almost do not lose, such as the Boston terrier and the Yorkshire.
If your dog belongs to one of the breeds that shed a lot, you don’t need to worry; you just need to pay more attention to the care of his coat.
It is more worrying if it is one of the dogs that do not shed a lot. So if this is the case, take it to the vet immediately because it could be a symptom of a disorder or a disease.
Weather Change
One of the main functions of the dog’s coat is to protect them from atmospheric changes so that they’re ready to withstand both cold and heat.
Shedding usually occurs twice a year, in spring and autumn, due to changes in temperature and hours of light.
If your dog sheds a lot of hair during these seasons, then this is completely normal. Increase the times you comb it to prevent it from building up dead hair and shedding it all over the house.
Shedding is a normal condition, and it is a phase that all dogs go through. However, the process is altered in the case of dogs that wear coats, spend time near sources of heat, and do not leave the house much.
These dogs experience no changes in the light conditions. For this reason, they shed evenly throughout the year.
Poor Nutrition in Dogs
Another common cause that few owners pay attention to is poor dog nutrition. We are what we eat, and the same goes for dogs.
If you do not offer your dog a suitable diet, the appearance and quality of the coat will also suffer, as it will look duller, rougher and will fall out abundantly.
Obviously, the best trick to combat hair loss in this case is to choose higher quality foods or a better type of diet.
In this way, you will not only restore vitality and shine to your dog’s coat, but you will also see him visibly happier. Choose a food suitable for your dog’s needs and characteristics (size, age, etc.).
Keep in mind that omega 3 and vitamins A, C and B improve the health of the hair, strengthening it and preventing it from falling out, so read carefully the composition of the food before buying it.
Also, if your dog is healthy and the loss is exaggerated, ask your vet for advice to give him supplements of the vitamins he needs.
Dog Anxiety
Does your dog spend a lot of time at home alone? Don’t you take it out enough? It is possible that your dog is suffering from stress or separation anxiety, and both of these problems can cause excessive shedding.
In this case, the best solution to regulating hair loss is to spend more time with your dog, giving him more exercise, and sharing more activities with him.
On some occasions, in addition to shedding their fur, your dog also releases stress in other ways, such as destroying furniture in the house or getting nervous. Don’t overlook these behaviors as the situation may get out of hand.
Skin Parasites in Dogs
In addition to the listed ailments, there are some skin diseases that manifest themselves with hair loss. The most common are mange and allergic dermatitis. In any case, the care will have to be established by a veterinarian.
Dog Pregnancy
Often, after giving birth or even during pregnancy, your dog can shed a lot of hair due to lowered defenses and hormonal changes.
Remember that in these phases you will have to make changes to his diet as your dog has specific needs as he has to breastfeed the little ones.
Many vets recommend giving puppy food (rich in protein) to the new mother: it’s good for her health, but also for that of the little ones.
Brush Your Dog
Without a doubt, the best way to prevent your dog from shedding a lot of hair is to brush it well and often. We recommend that you do it once a day and, in addition, once a week with a specific brush to remove the accumulated dead hair.
The best brush to do this is the one with metal bristles, although it all depends on the type of hair of your dog.
To comb it every day, however, we recommend reading our article on the various types of dog brushes to help you choose the best option.
Dog Shedding Brush
As we have seen, to brush your dog every day or to remove the dead hair specifically it will be necessary to choose a certain type of brush rather than another depending on the characteristics of your dog’s coat, such as the length. Here are some tips:
- For dogs with very long hair, a detangling rake should be used. These types of brushes, as the name indicates, resemble the tool used to collect grass, can have one or more rows of teeth, and are perfect for large dogs.
- Those with only one row have longer teeth and are smaller. They are effective for both small and medium to large-sized dogs. In these cases, it is advisable to proceed by combing your dog first with a smoothing brush or natural bristles and then with the rake comb.
- For medium-long or long-haired dogs, a smoothing brush should be used. This type of brush has several rows of very fine and short metal bristles that have a slight curve at the tip. To brush these dogs, first use the brush you use every day, which can be natural or synthetic bristles, and then proceed with the smoothing one.
- For short-haired dogs, we recommend that you only use the natural or synthetic bristle comb. It will be sufficient to brush your dog once a day without doing the extra brushing once a week. Pay attention to the comb: having such short hair, you risk hurting him by using one of the combs mentioned above.
Bathe Your Dog
Obviously, we must not forget the time of your dog bath. The ideal is to wash your dog once a month because if you do not pay attention to its hygiene, external parasites can appear that are harmful to both the skin and the coat, causing it to fall excessively.
There are several hair loss shampoos specifically for dogs on the market. But how to choose the best? You will need to look at the composition and make sure it contains:
- Omega 3 and 6, which promote hair growth and help strengthen it.
- Quinine, a natural alkaloid that strengthens your dog’s coat, stimulates its growth, and prevents it from falling.
- Neutral pH prevents hair loss and is particularly suitable for dogs with sensitive skin.
In addition, you can buy a conditioner to revitalize your dog’s coat and restore its shine and softness.
Closing Thoughts on Stopping Your Dog from Shedding
In conclusion, in addition to bathing your dog using shampoo with the aforementioned characteristics and brushing it every day to prevent your dog from losing too much hair, we recommend that you make it a suitable cut when you take it to the groomer.
We hope our guide will help you stop or minimize your dog’s shedding. We’d like to hear from you. Any concerns, suggestions, or questions, please comment down below.
