Have you ever tried to enjoy a night alone with your dog, only to find an excessive amount of their hair everywhere at home? Do you feel like your lint rollers aren’t a match to the dog hair? Are you worried there may be a problem?
Normal shedding is part of being a dog. They do it to adjust to seasons changing; you wouldn’t want to wear a faux fur coat in the summer, right?
Some breeds also just tend to do that a lot, thanks to having double coats of hair. A house of an Akita dog owner doesn’t look like that of a Shih Tzu one.
However, sometimes the fallen pet hair gets a bit too much and spreads all over the house. If you’re experiencing the nuisance of excessive pet hair and want to know how to stop a dog from shedding, this article may help you.
5 Tips to Stop Excessive Dog Shedding
1. Daily Brushing
All pet owners can agree on one thing: regular brushing can reduce the amount of dog shedding. Instead of having stray hairs all over the house, you remove the excess with gentle regular brushing.
It’s a nice bonding time with your dog, and both your home and dog will feel cleaner. Now, everyone’s happy.
The type of brush depends on the length of your dog’s hair. A bristle brush or a pair of grooming gloves will be more than enough for your short-haired dogs, such as French bulldog, Dalmatians, or bloodhound.
However, if you have a long-haired dog, such as Pekingese, Portuguese Sheepdog, Shih Tzu, or Yorkshire Terrier, a rake brush may be the ideal choice for brushing your dog.
Either way, a double-sided metal comb is a must-have for pet owners because it removes tangles and reaches areas that may be harder to reach with a brush.
2. Using De-shedding Tools
Have you ever tried to brush your dog, only for your grooming tools to get “stuck”? Trying to power through the grooming session will be painful and uncomfortable for your dog because the hair is matted.
Here, you have two options: use a de-matting or de-shedding tool to safely remove the mats just the way you brush the hair normally. This video shows great techniques for removing tangles and mats without hurting the dog.
However, if the mats are terrible and beyond help, you can remove them using electric dog hair clippers. Give the dog a cleaner new look by following these tips. However, this step needs a mat underneath the dog to remove excess hair and a leash to help you secure the dog before you start.
Plus, clipping the hair doesn’t just remove loose hair but also helps you check for any problems that may cause shedding in the future.
3. Regular Bathing
Imagine if you just decide to brush your hair for the rest of your life without washing it. It sounds disgusting, and the hair will never be healthy, which is the same for dogs.
The frequency of bathing depends on how often the dog is dirty or how much time they spend outside. Plus, the weather plays an important role in your dog’s need to bathe. You’re more likely to bathe your dog in the summer months than winter unless it rains when they’re outside.
To give your dog’s coat a beautiful glisten, choose a dog-friendly shampoo because human ones are much harsher on dogs, which may lead to more excessive shedding.
Use the shampoo to lather your dog up against the direction of the hair to make sure it reaches all areas and free the loose fur that you may have missed before. A thorough rinse is a must to protect your dog’s skin from shampoo residue.
Pat down your dog’s body with a towel to dry it, then use a blow dryer to remove any excess water. In addition, we recommend post-bath brushing to make sure that there’s no loose hair left.
4. Hydration
Not many people are aware of how water intake doesn’t just affect the health of human hair and skin, but the dog’s too. One of the main causes of excessive shedding in dogs is dehydration because the hair has become too dry.
So, make sure to give your dog unlimited access to clean water. If you feel like they’re still not drinking enough, consider getting a water fountain or making them iced treats of safe ingredients. The fastest way to up your dog’s water intake is to give them ice cubes to lick.
5. Vet Visits
No matter how attentive you are, all pet owners need to visit a veterinarian from time to time. Shedding is a normal thing for dogs, but excessive shedding may need a doctor’s opinion. Here are the health issues that may make dogs shed abnormally.
Fleas and Parasites
Fleas are pretty common in dogs. They’re dark brown-black insects that survive as external parasites that cause skin irritation, severe itching, and hair loss. If you check your dog’s skin and find flea bites, you’re definitely dealing with them.
Pay the vet a visit to give your dog the ideal flea treatment according to the level of flea infestation. Also, if your dog has fleas, you may want to consider how to get them out of your home.
Hormones
Hormonal imbalance may lead to many diseases in dogs, and one of the most common symptoms is shedding abnormally.
For example, adrenal disease causes excessive hair loss, and it’s more common in adult and elderly dogs. A tumor in one of the adrenal glands causes too much production of the stress hormone Cortisol. Adrenal disease is serious and needs the attention and guidance of your veterinarian.
Also, if you have an older intact dog with undescended testicles that has patches of hair loss, you may want to check for testicular tumors. They tend to produce too much estrogen.
An imbalance in reproductive hormones may cause Castration Responsive Dermatosis, a skin disorder. It leads to inflammation, infection, and hair loss. Such a disorder needs the help of a veterinarian to tell you what’s next.
Allergies
Allergies are a pain to deal with, and they cause many inconvenient reactions such as scratching, itching, licking, redness, and, of course, hair loss. Dogs shed because they’re allergic to certain types of food and environmental causes.
Monitor your dog to see what exactly causes him to have these allergic reactions. If you can’t figure it out yourself, it’s imperative to visit a veterinarian.
How to Control Dog Shedding With Diet
An unbalanced diet is one of the main causes of hair loss in humans and dogs. Don’t feed your dog just one type of food over and over again, like a convenient brand of dry food. So, proper nutrition should be one of your biggest priorities if you want to stop excess shedding.
For a balanced diet, look for high-quality food with animal-based protein as the first ingredient, as the lack of protein leads to hair loss and lack of energy.
Also, we highly recommend incorporating omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids in your dog’s food because they don’t produce it naturally. Taking a good amount of omega 3 and 6 on a daily basis will significantly reduce shedding. Look for these fatty acids in fish-based foods and flaxseed.
Your dog also needs minerals like zinc to keep its coat healthy. Another alternative for mineral content in your dog’s food is molasses, which is a popular shedding stopper.
Also, skip store-bought dog food with cheap fillers, such as corn, soy, grains, and low-quality meat. Keep your dog’s food allergies in mind if they have them.
How to Stop Dog Shedding Using Olive Oil
Olive oil is one of the best home remedies for keeping shedding under control. The appropriate amount of olive oil gives dogs their dietary fat needs, moisturizes their skin, and nourishes their coat.
You can reduce the amount of shedding in dogs by adding no more than a teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil for every 20 pounds of body weight once a day.
If you want an alternative, we highly recommend a daily teaspoon of virgin coconut oil. It moisturizes their skin and hair and repels parasites that cause shedding.
Can Supplements Help Prevent My Pooch from Shedding?
Of course. If you’re worried about your dog not accepting major changes in diet, you can trick them into taking supplements.
The most common supplement to get when your dog is shedding is Omega 3 fatty acid, and it’s more commonly found in fish oil.
It conditions the skin, restores the coat, reduces scratching, and keeps shedding at bay. It also improves their overall health and boosts their immune health.
Also, you can find tons of multivitamins for dogs that support the health of hair follicles and help them metabolize food nutrients. The most popular vitamin that a dog needs is vitamin A, followed by B vitamin.
However, make sure to consult your veterinarian before giving your dog supplements because taking more than necessary will do more harm than good.
Conclusion
We believe that these tips are helpful for all dog owners that are looking for productive ways to reduce shedding. If you brush, bathe, and feed your dog a high-quality diet, you’ll see a significant improvement.
Also, it is imperative to remember to make frequent vet visits and consult whenever you need help from a professional. Remember that shedding is normal in itself, and it’s okay.
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