Does your Labrador shed a lot of hair? If you have a dog of this breed you have surely noticed that, at least during some part of the year, it sheds large amounts of fur. It is normal for you to worry about their he alth and want to know if something is wrong with them and, furthermore, since we like to keep our house clean or we may suffer from some discomfort such as allergies, it is normal for us to want to solve our pet's excess hair loss.
So keep reading this new article on our site to find out the reasons that answer your question about Why does my Labrador drop a lot? hair? and also what you can do to fix it.
The Labrador's hair and shedding
There are some breeds that are more prone to exaggerated hair loss and the Labrador is among these because, due to its type of coat, when she sheds the amount of hair that we can find at home or when we brush it may seem worrying, but in reality it is something normal in the breed.
This dog has a type of coat known as mixed, made up of a main coat and an abundant undercoat By Therefore, in each hair follicle there is one hair and several subhairs. This means that when the cycle of each follicle ends and the fur falls off, both layers are released, resulting in a large amount of loose fur.
We simply need to be aware of this when welcoming a Labrador Retriever into our home and providing proper brushing as many times as necessary. It is better to brush it daily or at least 3 times a week, although this will depend on the time of year so in seasons of moulting, that is to say in seasonal changes in which the temperature changes a lot, the dog will lose much more fur than in the seasons when it is not moulting.
But, apart from this genetic reason, a dog of this breed can suffer significant hair loss for many more reasons, which we explain below.
Bad nutrition
One of the most common reasons why a dog can lose more fur than normal is that their diet is not adequateAlthough we give him a lot to eat, and we have to be careful in this case because the Labrador is a breed that is usually obsessed with food, if the food we give him is not of quality or does not cover the specific needs of our furry, this will be seen quickly. reflected in the he alth of his coat. In this case, his coat will look dry, rough, dull, brittle and his fall will be more exaggerated.
You must review the composition of the food you offer your pet to ensure that it receives everything it needs according to its breed, age, energy expenditure, he alth status, etc. Thus, you can look for feed that contains fatty acids such as omega 3 and B complex vitamins as well as vitamins A and C, which are very necessary for good growth and maintenance of your furry's coat.
Stress or anxiety
If, in addition to the exaggerated loss of fur, you detect other signs in your furry such as restlessness, recurring yawning, destruction of objects and furniture, a lot of energy, vocalizations, and if he also spends many hours alone at home, he will probably What happens to your pet is that it has separation anxiety This problem is more common than we might think and causes great stress in the animal, leading it to have behaviors that surely were not usual in him before.
This stressful situation, or other anxiety-provoking situations such as moving, is undoubtedly one of the things that will make you Your Labrador loses too much hair regardless of the moult, since this emotional state acts in dogs just as it does in people, that is, it lowers the defenses and causes secondary conditions such as hair loss or skin alterations.
This situation must be changed and Go to a canine ethologist or a veterinarian if necessary to ensure the well-being of your faithful companion.
Skin conditions
Another of the causes that will make your Labrador lose a lot of hair is that it has one of the most common skin diseases in dogs such as allergic dermatitis, other types of dermatitis or diseases such as canine scabies.
Obviously, in these cases, what you should do is go to the vet for a complete check-up, diagnosis and appropriate treatment for the skin conditionthat your pet suffers to cure him, thus improving his state of he alth and stopping the loss of fur and other symptoms.
External parasites
External parasites, especially fleas and ticks, cause such itching and discomfort to the animal they parasitize that it cannot stop to scratchTherefore, if you find that your furry friend is shedding a lot of fur lately, be sure to check if he scratches a lot and if he has any parasites bothering him and causing skin and hair problems, among other things.
If you detect any, you must deworm it and also disinfect its toys, bed, blanket, etc. to make sure you don't get it again or the parasites spread further.
Hormonal changes
Changes in the production of hormones, either by increasing or decreasing them, are a very common factor that causes dogs to lose more fur than normal. This case occurs in pregnant or lactating dogs and in dogs with endocrine problems.
It is vital that if you have a pregnant or lactating Labrador or your Labrador is a dog with hormonal problems, such as hypothyroidism or Cushing's syndrome, that you offer her frequent veterinary check-ups and adapt her diet to your endocrine needs.
How to prevent my Labrador from shedding a lot of hair
If you want to prevent your pet from losing so much hair, that is, outside of what is normal when shedding this breed, you will have to change some habits or situations or attend to the he alth problem that the veterinarian has detected. Thus, these are some of the tips that we give you so that your furry one loses less amount of fur:
- Brush the coat daily in moulting seasons, even several times a day, and in non-molting seasons it is necessary to brush vigorously between 2 and 3 times a week due to the type of undercoat that this breed has.
- Give him the right type of food for his age, physical activity and he alth status.
- Have deworming up to date, as well as vaccinations.
- Regular visits to the vet and whenever a change in behavior or physical appearance is observed.
- Get him out of the house more often and make sure he walks as many times as necessary, also at that time you can take the opportunity to brush him.
- Avoid being alone for many hours and situations that cause stress or anxiety.
- Bathe him as many times as is really necessary, at the most every month and a half but better if it takes longer or if we do it when he is really dirty and, in addition, we must use a suitable shampoo for his coat.
