Tackling pet shedding

It’s a sight all pet owners are familiar with: a small tuft of fur glued precariously to your pant leg or adorning the collar of your favorite shirt.

Whether you have a Collie or a Corgi, a Mastiff or a mutt, if you have pets you have shedding. Period.

With the warm weather here at last you might notice that your dog’s fur is more airborne than normal.  This is because Spring/Summer is the time of year when many breeds will “blow” their heavy winter coat to help cope with the hot and humid weather.

While this increase in shedding is inevitable for many dogs, it doesn’t have to be the nuisance it used to be.

Here are some quick tips to help keep your dog’s shedding at bay:

BRUSH YOUR DOG OFTEN

The fur that your precious pooch sheds as part of his or her natural shedding cycle doesn’t have many places to go once it falls out so chances are pretty good that it will eventually end up stuck to your furniture or wandering across your floor.  Brushing your dog reguarly helps to loosen and remove this fur and keeps it from ending up on your couch. 

BATHE PERIODICALLY

Regular baths are part of good doggy hygiene, but once the warm weather arrives baths become especially important to help remove any shedding fur.  

INVEST IN SEAT COVERS

Sometimes the best defense is a good offense and even the best supplements and brushes will not completely put an end to your shedding woes.  To protect your furniture and help contain pet hair consider using seat covers which can be easily removed and laundered when fur gets out of hand.

STOCK UP ON LINT ROLLERS

This is the holy grail of pet fur removal and if you have pets that shed you simply must have several of these on hand at any given time.  

FRUGAL TIP: Don’t like spending a fortune on disposable lint rollers? Rubber gloves are a quick and economical way to remove fur from furniture and clothes.  Simply dampen and wipe – the fur will collect into little clumps which you can easily pick up and dispose!

TRY SUPPLEMENTS

Skin and coat health is often an indicator of overall health so supplements that boost your dog’s immune system and control inflammation can help reduce excessive shedding.  Speak with your veterinarian to see if your dog’s skin/coat could benefit from supplementation

VACUUM AND CLEAN UP HAIR OFTEN

I know….  No one likes having to haul out the vacuum cleaner all the time to suck up those annoying tumbleweed tufts of fur.  But like it or not, the more you keep on top of the problem, the less of a problem it will be in the long run.  And since shedding hair likes to move around and stick to things such as carpets and furniture you will save yourself a big headache down the road if you get a jump on cleaning today. Remember: the more you clean the easier it is to pick it up! 

DIET

Since skin and coat health can be an indicator of overall health, if you’re not happy with how your dog’s fur is looking the first place you should look is their diet.  Is it properly balanced and does it contain all the nutrients your pet needs?  Do your research and don’t forget that your best source of information is your veterinary team – don’t be afraid to ask for their advice! 

REGULAR CHECKUPS

Veterinarians check your pet’s skin during checkups to make sure there aren’t any skin issues or allergy problems. Sometimes excessive shedding can be a sign of a metabolic or hormonal problem so if you are concerend make an appointment and speak with your vet.

Bottom line is shedding is a natural process that is important to your dog’s health and helps keep him/her comfortable during the warmer seasons.  While it can be a nuisance, it doesn’t have to rule your life.

 

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