A dog's excessive hair loss can be caused by a number of factors or a natural process. Especially if you notice that the loss is localized and not general, it is best to go to a veterinarian as soon as possible, since it could be a parasitic disease.
In any case, it is advisable to take certain measures to control it and prevent it from accumulating dead fur. Therefore, on our site, we want to give you some tips and tricks to prevent your dog from shedding too much.
Why is my dog shedding too much?
The tricks to prevent our dog from shedding a lot of hair are closely linked to the reason that is causing said loss. So, the first step will be to identify the cause that causes excessive hair loss. One of the most common and obvious reasons at the same time is dog's breed
There are breeds with a clear tendency to exaggerated hair loss, such as the German shepherd, the beagle and the chihuahua. On the contrary, there are others that barely shed hair, such as the Boston Terrier and the Yorkshire Terrier. If your dog belongs to the breeds that shed more hair, don't be scared, you just have to pay more attention to brushing and caring for its coat. The problem lies when your dog is part of the list of breeds that do not lose hair, if you notice an exaggerated loss of fur, do not think twice and go to the vet as soon as possible, it could be a symptom of some pathology or disorder.
If you have already ruled out a possible he alth problem, why does your dog dog shed so much all year round? The main reasons are:
- La muta, which with the artificial light in our homes can be altered and appears more constantly, and not as seasonal as it should.
- Food, since a diet with nutritional deficiencies will directly affect the state of the coat.
- Stress and anxiety.
In addition to the above disorders, there are some skin pathologies that present hair loss as a symptom. The most common are canine scabies and allergic dermatitis In either case, treatment must be prescribed by a veterinarian.
Next, we will see how to prevent a dog from shedding, whether it is due to any of the above situations or if it is a matter of genetics.
How to control hair loss in dogs during shedding?
One of the main functions of the dog's hair is to protect it from climatic changes. Thus, the dog is fully prepared to withstand both cold and heat. How? Shedding its fur. Dogs usually shed their hair twice a year, in spring and autumn, due to changes in temperature and light. In this way, if your dog loses a lot of hair in one of these seasons, it is totally normal. Increase daily brushing to prevent dead hair from accumulating and shedding it all over your house.
The annual changes will happen naturally under normal conditions, in homes where the dog is used to wearing clothes many hours a day, stays next to the heating, lives in a place where the light does not Whether or not you usually leave the house, the process is altered and causes you to lose hair throughout the year. In these cases, brushing becomes even more important.
Unfortunately, there is no other way to control this type of fall, since we are dealing with a natural process that must occur to maintain the animal's he alth.
Check his diet to prevent your dog from shedding so much
Another of the most common causes that few guardians perceive is poor feeding of the animal. In the same way that we are what we eat, so are dogs. Thus, if you do not offer your dog the diet it needs, this will be reflected in the quality of its hair, showing it dull, rough and losing it excessively.
Without a doubt, the best trick to combat hair loss in your dog in this case is to check his diet and choose the best food for him. Not only will you restore vitality to his fur, you will make your dog look much happier. To avoid problems related to its feeding, we recommend you buy top quality feed, adapted to the measurements and needs of your dog, or establish a homemade diet from the hand of a person specialized in canine nutrition.
Keep in mind that omega 3 and vitamins A, C and B considerably promote hair he alth, strengthening it and preventing it from falling out, so look at the composition of the food when you buy it. Likewise, you can consult with the veterinarian about the option of providing your dog with supplements of these characteristics as reinforcement if the loss is very exaggerated and your dog is he althy.
Avoid stress so your dog doesn't shed so much
Does your dog spend long hours alone at home? Doesn't he go out for walks as much as he should? If so, your dog most likely suffers from stress or anxiety, this being the cause of excessive hair loss. In this case, the best solution to regulate hair loss is to dedicate the attention and time it requires to your dog, providing it with the exercise it needs to release the energy and accumulated tension.
Sometimes, in addition to shedding a lot of hair, the dog channels stress through the destruction of household furniture, nervousness and other symptoms that you should not miss. Take him to the vet if you think the situation has become uncontrollable.
Brush your dog often
Without a doubt, the best trick to prevent your dog from shedding too much hair is a good brushing. It is best to give him brushing a day and, additionally, once a week go over his coat with a special brush for collecting dead hair. The best brush for this function is the one with metal bristles, however, depending on the type of your dog's hair, you should use one type or another. For daily brushing, we advise you to consult our article on the types of brushes according to the type of hair so that you can choose the best brush for your pet.
As we mentioned, for the weekly dragging of dead hair, we will opt for one type of comb or another depending on the length of the coat of our dog:
- For dogs with very long hair, we will use a needle brush or rakeRake brushes, as their name suggests, are similar in appearance to this well-known tool for collecting grass, they can have one or more lines of bristles and are highly beneficial for large breed dogs. The needle ones only have a longer line of teeth than the previous ones and they are smaller. They are effective for both small, medium and large dogs. In these cases, it is best to first brush the dog's coat with a smoothing or natural bristle brush, and then with the rake.
- For dogs with long or medium hair, we will use a type of comb known as a brush smootherThese brushes are the ones with many lines of very fine and short metallic bristles, with a slight curve at the tip. For these dogs, we will first brush them with their daily brush, which can be made of natural or synthetic bristles, and then with the straightener.
- For dogs with short hair it is best to use only the natural bristle brushor synthetic. Thus, for dogs with this coat we should not dedicate a special weekly brushing, daily brushing will suffice. Having such short hair, we can damage its skin if we use one of the previous brushes.
Bathe your dog with the right products to prevent hair loss
Of course, we can't forget the bath our dogThe ideal is to bathe our dog once a month, not paying attention to his hygiene can lead to the appearance of external parasites that damage both his dermis and his coat, thus causing excessive shedding.
Today we have a whole variety of special anti-hair loss shampoos but how do you select the best? You should pay attention to its composition and note that, above all, it has the following features:
- Omega 3 and 6, promote hair growth and help strengthen it.
- Quinine, is a natural alkaloid that strengthens the dog's coat, stimulates its growth and prevents its fall.
- neutral pH, prevents hair loss and is also indicated for dogs with sensitive skin.
In addition, you can purchase a conditioner to revitalize your dog's coat and restore its shine and softness.
Finally, in addition to bathing your dog using a shampoo with the above characteristics and brushing his coat daily, for better control of hair loss you should go to thedog hairdresser to get the most suitable cut for him. Check our article on how to cut my dog's hair and follow the instructions.
My dog loses her hair after giving birth, what do I do?
Has your dog recently given birth? In many cases, after giving birth or even during pregnancy, the bitch You may experience significant hair loss caused by lowered defenses and hormonal changes. Remember that you must modify her diet and provide her with a suitable dietto encourage breastfeeding. Likewise, many veterinarians recommend offering the new mother puppy food rich in protein, both to improve her he alth and that of her little ones.
Dogs that do not shed hair
If your dog sheds a lot and you are thinking of adopting another dog to keep him company but you don't want to go through the same thing again on this topic, you can review the dog breeds that shed less. Almost all dogs shed some hair, even if it is very little. However, as we say, some dogs lose less hair than others, such as:
- Boston terrier
- Bichon Frize
- M altese
- Greyhounds
- Water Dogs
- Yorkshire terrier
- American Hairless Terrier
- Basenji
- Schnauzer
- Peruvian dog
