Dealing With a Shedding Dog & Shedding Season

Dog shedding can be frustrating for all of us, no matter how much we love our dogs. The mess of dog hair can be enough to drive dog owners crazy. All dogs shed to some degree, with the exception of completely hairless dogs. Certain breeds (“hypoallergenic dogs”) shed very little, while others (namely heavily double-coated breeds like the lovable German Shepherd) shed large amounts.

Year-Round Shedding

All animals with hair shed on a regular basis. This is part of the natural life cycle of hair shafts within the follicles. All hair shafts go through phases of growth and shedding. The phases affect the rate of hair growth and will vary by breed, age, hormones, environment, and overall health of the dog. These factors also contribute to the length and texture of the hair, though genetics is the predominant factor.

Dogs with continuously growing hair, like poodles and Yorkshire terriers, have hair shafts with longer life spans and shed very little. On the other hand, dogs like labradors and huskies have a shorter hair shaft lifespan and more abundant undercoats, resulting in greater shedding.

Shedding Season

In general, most dogs will shed extra during spring and fall. Most dogs are double-coated; they have undercoats and top coats. The top coat is what you see and feel on the outside. The undercoat is made up of secondary hairs that grow around the primary hairs and tend to be shorter and softer. Seasonal shedding occurs as a result of temperature change. This process is sometimes called "blowing coat." When the weather warms, dogs shed their old winter undercoats to make way for a lighter summer coat. Then, when it begins to get cool again, dogs shed their lighter undercoats and grow thicker, warmer coats for winter.

Not all coat types are affected the same way by temperature changes. For example, dogs like Bichon Frise and Shih Tzus have less undercoat, so they shed less when seasons change. The old coat must still be removed by grooming the dogs. However, dogs like Newfoundlands and Malamutes have heavy, thick undercoats that make shedding much more obvious. Basic brushing is important for both coat types.

Other Reasons for Shedding

Your dog's health can affect the shedding rate, so it is important to take note of unexplained excessive shedding. Skin problems, endocrine diseases, nutritional or vitamin deficiencies, and other metabolic disorders can cause hair loss or change the rate of hair growth. It is important to contact your veterinarian if the rate of shedding seems unusual for your dog. Keep your dog healthy with routine vet visits and proper nutrition. Contact your pet’s vet immediately if you notice any signs of illness.

Get Control Over Shedding

There's no way to completely stop shedding. It's a healthy and natural process that is necessary for dogs. Shaving your dog down is not a good idea, as it can interfere with your dog's natural self-cooling and self-warming mechanism. In the long run, it will not make shedding occur any less. In rare cases, the hair in shaved areas will grow back abnormally or not at all. The key to preventing excessive shedding is to keep up with it through brushing.

Routine grooming is absolutely essential for all dogs. Brushing or combing your dog helps to remove dead hairs before they can fall on your carpet, bedding, and upholstery. It will also prevent those dead hairs from forming mats on your dog's coat that can eventually harm the skin. Brushing also distributes the natural, healthy oils produced by the skin throughout the hair coat. Using the right grooming tools can make a great difference. For heavy shedders, a special shedding tool like the FURminator can work wonders but be mindful of not pushing down too hard when using it. For some coat types, the dead hairs don't shed as much, but they cause the dog's coat to appear ragged and can eventually become matted. Some owners prefer to take these dogs to a professional groomer periodically for coat care. For some coat types, hand-stripping is a technique that is often preferred over trimming the dog's hair.

Managing the Aftermath of Shedding in Your Home

Shedding makes a mess, no doubt about it. As a dog owner, you have probably come to terms with the fact that regular house cleaning is the norm, especially during shedding season. The key is to remove hair before it has a chance to embed itself into your carpet and upholstery. Keeping a pet hair tape roller around for touch-ups throughout the day is an excellent idea. For deeper cleaning of upholstery and small areas, consider using a handheld vacuum designed to pick up pet hair.

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Hair Loss in Cats

Does your cat seem to be going bald? And what, if anything, can you do about it? There are, in fact, lots of reasons why a cat can be bald or suffer from hair loss or alopecia.

Sometimes cats are born bald

Some cats, like the Sphynx, are born with hardly any hair. In these cats, the lack of hair is a genetically determined and desirable characteristic among proponents of the breed. Some folks seek out this particular look in a cat just like others might prefer a long-haired cat over a short-haired cat.

Sometimes feline hair loss is benign and temporary

There are also passing reasons for hair loss. Just like people go through stages where they lose more hair, cats can too. Shedding is a natural and normal process that can vary in degrees. Cats that are sick or stressed for other reasons (illness, fevers, respiratory infections, pregnancy, etc.) can shed excessively. These are not conditions that demand treatment since the cat’s coat should return to normal over time.

Sometimes the hair loss is medically important

It is important, however, to consult your veterinarian if you are noticing any changes in your cat’s coat or if they are developing bald areas. Sometimes hair loss is due to a medical problem that does require intervention since the underlying reason for it can cause more serious and systemic problems relating to your cat’s overall health.

Your veterinarian will want to determine if your cat’s hair is falling out on its own or if they are scratching, licking, or chewing the hair off as a result of some inflammation or irritation. This distinction can help to focus the diagnostic approach in your cat’s case. Generally, if your cat is actively causing the hair loss, you and your veterinarian will be looking more for causes of dermatitis or inflammation of the skin (like allergies) or for infectious diseases like bacterial, fungal, or parasitic diseases (like acne/pyoderma, ringworm or mange mites). In these cases, the answer may be found through skin scrapings, cytology, cultures, or allergy testing; and appropriate therapy can result in hair re-growth.

In dogs, hormonal imbalance (underactive thyroid, adrenal dysfunctions, etc.) is a common cause of poor coats and hair loss, but these conditions are not as common in cats. Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), however, does occur frequently in older cats and can cause coat changes as can almost any other systemic or metabolic disease; your veterinarian may want to do diagnostic tests to know for sure.

Sometimes the hair loss is psychological

That is not to say that it’s “all in their head” and that your cat isn’t really going bald. Rather, it means that many cats become obsessive about grooming. Obviously, grooming is a major focus of your cat’s average day, but cats exhibiting psychogenic alopecia can break off their hair right down at the skin and over large areas of their bodies – sometimes any and every place they can effectively reach leaving hair only on their head and neck.

The compulsion may start because of some irritation to the skin (as above), and then potentially continue on habitually, even after the inciting problem has resolved. Other cats will groom excessively for solely emotional reasons – a change in environment, a new family member, or some other stress. Whatever the reason, this form of alopecia indicates that your cat is either physically or emotionally uncomfortable or unhappy, and every effort should be made to determine what the problem is and to correct it either with medical or behavioral therapy.

In summary, hair loss or alopecia in cats can be just a cosmetic issue or it can be due to a primary skin problem. It can also be an external indication of a more serious systemic or psychological disorder. Consult your veterinarian as soon as you see any changes in your cat’s coat so the two of you can address the problem as soon as possible.

If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian -- they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets.

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Spring Weather Plays Havoc on a Cat's Hormonal System

Spring is right around the corner and with it brings an important consideration for your cat.

With spring comes longer days. The sun comes up earlier and stays up longer. And this increasing day length plays with a cat's hormones. The result is kittens; lots and lots of kittens.

Of course, kittens are cute and cuddly. Everybody loves kittens. But kittens grow up to be adult cats pretty quickly. Before long, kittens start making kittens of their own.

A female kitten can come into heat and become pregnant as early as 5-6 months of age. Male kittens generally become fertile about the same time as well. In addition, an intact female cat can become pregnant with a new litter while she is still nursing and caring for her previous litter. She can have several litters in the course of a year.

All in all, the reproductive cycle of the cat makes the species a pretty efficient breeding machine. That’s one of the reasons why spaying or neutering cats are so important. Spaying/neutering is the only effective way to control the cat population. So if you haven’t had your cat spayed or neutered yet, it’s time to think about getting that done.

Of course, there are other reasons also. Spayed or neutered cats make much better pets than those that are unaltered. Female cats are very vocal when they are in heat. Those that have considered breeding their female cats have changed their minds for this very reason. Living with a cat that is in heat is not a pleasant experience. (Not to mention the fact that breeding your cat solely for the purpose of making kittens without a well-planned breeding program in place is not a responsible action.)

The same can be said of male cats. Unaltered males have strong-smelling urine and can develop undesirable habits like urine spraying on everything and anything. Though spraying behavior can occur in altered males as well as in female cats, neutering your male cat definitely reduces the possibility of this behavior occurring.

There are also health benefits for altered cats. Female cats spayed prior to their first heat cycle have a significantly lower risk of mammary cancer later in life. The risk of a severe uterine infection known as pyometra is removed completely when your cat is spayed.

Remember also that your unspayed female cat can become pregnant if she lives in a household with an unaltered male, even if the male is related to her.

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