Excessive Dog Shedding

Did you find that brown hair while relaxing on the couch? This might be due to Excessive Dog Shedding.

Don’t worry.

Your little homely pet dog is just going through its daily routine and it’s completely natural.

What Is Dog Shedding?

Dog shedding is a common phenomenon is a dog that means the removal of the fur from your dog’s body.

Generally, dogs shed hair on their own through natural processes.

But a responsible owner would want to remove the excessive hair by himself as well.

The amount of shedding in a dog would depend upon the dog’s health condition, dog breed type and the prevailing season. 

Most dog breeds shed lesser in the winter and heavily in the spring.

The body coat is required to keep them warm in the cold whereas the summer heat would call for a thinner skin.

Also, a few dog types are known for their heavy shedding while a few are lucky enough to have lesser shedding ability.

Given below is a list of MOST SHEDDING DOGS and LEAST SHEDDING DOGS:

Most Shedding Dog Breeds

Akitas

Labrador Retriever

Golden Retriever

German Shepherd

Siberian Husky

Alaskan Malamute

American Eskimo

Chow Chow

Least Shedding Dog Breeds

American Hairless Terrier

Australian Shepherd

Border Collie

Tibetan Terrier

Maltese Terrier

Shih Tzu

Brussels Griffon

Portuguese Water Dog

Poodle

What Are The Causes Of Dog Shedding?

Dogs shed during the year for a number of reasons.

If your dogs sheds normally, sit back and relax; all your dog needs is your love.

But excessive shedding is something that should catch your attention.

You and your loving dog need to visit the vet for further details.

Experts have noted down several reasons why a dog is likely to shed more.

Some of them are as follows:

ALLERGIES

Dogs love playing in the mud and lie on any surface that gives them immense comfort and peace.

This gives an invitation to a number of germs and allergies that would cause dog hair shedding.

The skin of the dog may be covered with fur, but you never know how an allergy can target the body of your little companion.

The following are a few mediums through which allergies can attack dogs.

Hair Oils

Many veterinarians suggest hair oils for logs to keep their skin moist and oily.

Not all oils are suitable for all dogs.

The oil ingredients can turn out to be allergenic to your canine partner which may lead to unusual shedding

New Soap/Shampoo/Conditioner

Introduction of a new soap or shampoo in your dog’s grooming kit needs essential care.

Some may give the best results to the skin of the dog whereas others may show side effects like an excessive dog shedding.

Medications

Dogs are prone to a number of diseases which may require treatments and medications.

A medication for dog eye discharge may show a negative impact on the skin of the dog.

The skin is a sensitive part which can eliminate hair from the surface.

Food Allergies

Your dog may love to eat all types of food that you give him/her.

But be aware, this may lead to symptoms of dog shedding.

Allergic Food For Dogs:

Studies have shown that dogs are allergic to food items like lamb, chicken, pork, fish, etc.

All such items need to be eliminated from your dog’s diet and added one by one to know what it is allergic to. To be on the safe side make sure you know what your dog can eat and what is dangerous.

External Factors

External factors such as dirt, mites, ringworms; etc can stick to the body of a dog and cause irritation.

This will make your moist noise scratch that can lead to dog shedding.

Hypoallergenic Dogs

This segment of hypoallergenic dogs is a very interesting segment.

If you are a dog admirer but unfortunately allergic to them, you need not worry.

10% of US citizens are allergic to dogs.

There are many dog breeds that are said to be hypoallergenic.

Hypoallergenic dogs are those who do not shed or cause any allergy by shedding.

These dogs are getting high popularity across America.

5 Most Preferred Hypoallergenic Dogs

• Tibetan terrier
• Maltese terrier
• Shih Tzu
• Brussels Griffon
• Portuguese water dog

2. Hormonal Imbalances

Dogs that shed the most have a high chance of hormonal imbalances in the body.

The deficiency or excess release of hormones like testosterone, estrogens or progesterone can possibly lead to the shedding of the soft fur.

Likewise, a pregnant bitch is likely to shed some hair during her crucial days due to hormonal imbalances in the body.

• Hypothyroidism:

Hypothyroidism causes loss or sometimes thinning the fur of the dog.

Hormones produced from the neck are responsible for this disorder in dogs which may lead to excessive dog shedding.

Breeds like the Beagles are prone to the same.

3. Nutritional Deficiency:

All dogs need the right proportion of dietary nutrients like fats, vitamins, proteins, etc.

If there occurs a deficiency in any of these, your dog is likely to shed some weight in the form of hair loss.

Also, feeding your dog with grain protein instead of meat protein can cause digestive problems.

This can be yet another cause for dog shedding.

Complete bloodless would determine what medication is needed by the breed.

4. Skin Problems

We all can have skin problems.

Dogs are no exclusion.

On the contrary, dogs need more skincare solutions to that of humans.

The attack of mites, ringworm, dermatitis, fungal or bacterial skin problems can be a threat to the skin of your dog.

Alas, dog shedding is just a by-product of this.

Skin diseases that can take a toll over your dog are as follows:

• Sebaceous Adenitis:

Young and medium shedding dogs like Akitas and Poodles are prone to this skin disease named Sebaceous Adenitis that affects the skin glands.

There are two basic types of sebaceous adenitis.

One targets the short-coated breeds and the other to the long-coated breeds.

• Canine Flank Alopecia:

Alopecia in dogs is usually seen during the cold weather days.

The skin disease causes non-itchy hair loss on the main body portion for the canine.

Different colored hair growth is often seen in the infected area.

Dogs that shed the most are likely to have this skin disease.

• Colour Dilution Alopecia:

Colour diluted alopecia is a skin disease that can cause complete and permanent hair loss in a dog breed. 

The disease is inherited and is commonly a result of crossbreeding dogs for diluted coat color.

5. STRESS

Just like a human being, dogs have stress too.

The severity can be such that they start losing their precious fur.

The environment of the house largely affects the mental health of a dog.

Something as disturbing as a death in the family can make the dog anxious and affect its mental health.

Dog Shedding Home Remedies

Provide A Balanced Diet:

Owning a breed like the Maltese terrier or the Basenji shed extremely because of improper diet.

Home remedies like the inclusion of all the healthy nutrients will overcome this.

Addition Of Flax Seeds, Olive Oil And Molasses:

Did you know that you can avoid your dog’s hair shedding problem by just adding a few drops of olive oil, some flax seeds and some molasses to its daily diet?

Try this amazing remedy for dog shedding at home for best results.

Increase In The Water Intake:

Your pet dog should have access to clean and fresh drinking water.

Regular water intervals are said to be the best to cure any dog disease what so ever.

Regular Hair Brushing:

Using a vet suggested dog shedding brush is one of the easiest ways of avoiding fur shedding.

Dogs like the Siberian husky may require only weekly brushing whereas a Golden retriever would want daily hair grooming.

Controlling Allergies:

“Prevention is better than cure”.

Preventing allergies like keeping the dog away from dirt and filthy areas can prevent it from harmful diseases that can cause it to shed.

Let us know your thoughts, views, and suggestions by writing down in the comment section below.

Your feedback will be highly appreciated.

Happy petting to you!