5 Best Ways To Control Your Dog From Shedding

Walking into your home after a long day and there is dog hair everywhere. It’s a nuisance is that you can’t control it, or can you?

When your dog sheds their fur they tend to do so at the start of fall and spring to being in their summer and winter coats. Every pet even a hypoallergenic one can shed the only difference is the frequency in which they do so.

While we are unable to stop our pets from shedding, we can reduce and control the amount that is being shed.

Grooming

Dog grooming should be done 2-3 times a week will prevent dog hair from covering your home. This can either be done by you or a professional groomer.

Using a brush that traps in fur while having fine enough bristles to pick up every hair on your pup is recommended.

Tips for brushing your dog include choosing the right brush for your breed, Brush in the direction their coat grows, and find professional help from dog groomers and vets.

For Long- Haired Breeds brushing twice a week is advised since dander will get stuck in their coats. For Short Haired dogs every two weeks is acceptable to remove excess hair.

There are different kinds of brushes for dogs, they are Slicker brushes, Rakes, Bristle Brushes. And Pin Brushes. Each one has a unique use.

Pin brushes are the most common brush which is like brushes used by humans. These are usually oval shaped with flexible wires with pins on top. These are best used when brushing out a coat giving your dog a salon look.

The downside to pin brushes is that they aren’t the most useful picking up fur within a long-haired dog’s undercoat. Also, these are almost useless for short-haired breeds and curly haired dogs.

Bristle brushes are perfect for short haired dogs since the bristles are tightly packed which will remove loose hair. These are similar to beard brushes used by people.

Rakes are brushes that are specifically designed to penetrate a long-haired dog’s undercoat and to remove tangles and knots.

When looking for a dog grooming rake find one that matches the length of their fur. Since these are made of metal make sure you aren’t putting too much pressure when brushing your dog.

Slicker brushes are best used on curly haired dogs and medium haired dogs. This brush will remove those clumps of fur with its short wires on its flat surface.

Just like the rake grooming brush find the appropriate sizing for your pup. Since these brushes have fine wires, they can cause discomfort if too much pressure is applied.

Nutrition

Choosing the right nutrition for your dog’s coat is just as important as brushing them regularly. Essential fats, vitamins, carbs, and minerals all contribute to your dog’s overall health.

Essential fats play a large role in how your dog’s coat looks. Fatty acids like Omega-3 and Omega-6 are vital and in most dog foods. If you recently put your dog on a low-fat diet that might be the reason why their coats are lackluster.

If you notice that you switched your dog’s food and they are having problems with their coat talk with your vet about adding an omega oil supplement to their diet.

While we might not think about it, dogs have allergies just like us. If they ingest something that they are allergic to it can cause skin problems which leads to excess hair loss in dogs.

Another important part of their nutrition is clean water which should be changed at least once a day.

When was the last time you cleaned the dog’s water and food bowl? If your answer is over a week or never dangerous pathogens tend to grow in both when not properly maintained.

A study by NSF International found that pet bowls are #4 on the list of the most germ ridden places in the home. Followed by pet toys at #7 which owners change more often.

These dangerous pathogens include mold, yeast, salmonella, and more. If you have small children in your home its essential to clean your dog bowls to prevent your fur babies and actual babies from getting sick.

Fleas, Ticks, Pests

During the late spring and summer months are when these pests munch on our pets. While it is common for dogs to shed in spring take the extra steps to check for fleas and ticks.

There are over 2,000 different types of fleas that exist in the world and 850 different known tick species. Fleas and ticks are common so to check them during this time.

While most dog owners treat their dogs with these products most tend to forget about treating the cause of the problem, their yard.

This is the first line of defense when trying to keep your dog from shedding excessively. Keeping the grass mowed and trimming low hanging shrubs will curb fleas and ticks because they won’t have a place to hide.

There are also treatments for your yard itself including mosquito, flea, tick, and pest repellent. However, when looking into these methods choose a product that is safe for your dogs.

There are a plethora of dog flea and tick products on the market from dog shampoos, combs, and collars. We have our flea and tick products broken down by life stages as well to make it simpler.

Bathing

Over bathing your dog can be worse than under bathing when it comes to your dog shedding. You might be stripping the essential oils within your dogs skin and hair follicles causing hair loss.

How often should you wash your dog comes down to breed, lifestyle, and the length of their coat.

The length of your dog’s coat plays a large factor and for medium to large coats a bath should be done every 4-6 week, if their coat is properly maintained.

This isn’t always the case as breeds like the Chinese Crested and the Xoloitzcuintli require weekly baths. It is important to research how often you need to bath your dog by their specific breed.

If your dog frequents the ocean, rough terrain, or just likes to get down and dirty more bathing is required. Bathing your dog weekly can cause irritation and dryness so don’t overdo it.

Under normal circumstance you shouldn’t be bathing your dog more than twice a week to keep them happy and healthy while removing excess hair to stop them from shedding.

Doctors

Doctors or veterinarians are the best way to figure out the root cause of the shedding problem.

While everything listed before is a potential way to control your dogs shedding a vet can give you clear instructions on how to reduce your dogs shedding. Always seek out a properly trained vet for any serious shedding and dog hair loss concerns.

Since vets are professionals, they can also give prescriptions to your dog which you can’t find at your local pet stores.

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