http://www.care2.com/greenliving/shedding-solutions.html
Shedding Solutions
By Vicky Uhland, Natural Solutions
You don’t need a calendar to know it’s spring: irises are blooming, schoolchildren are frolicking, and your furniture and clothes are covered in dog hair. Spring and fall are the two biggest shedding seasons for dogs. The changing temperatures signal that your furry pal needs to shed his coat so he can grow a new one more appropriate for the season. Dogs with undercoats, like retrievers, German shepherds, huskies and other northern breeds, are the biggest shedders, but every breed loses some hair. That doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to balls of fur all over your house. Here are some tips on how to reduce shedding.
• Brush. A daily, five-minute grooming can remove the excess hair Fido would otherwise deposit all over your new black pants. If you don’t have the time or patience to brush your dog every day, at least try to do it weekly with one of the new shedding rakes that reach all the way to your dog’s undercoat. CJ Puotinen, author of Natural Remedies for Dogs and cats (Gramercy, 2003), recommends Shed Ender and Furminator grooming tools.
• Bathe. A warm bath can loosen hair, which can then be brushed away.
• Vacuum. It sounds strange, but Puotinen says vacuuming her black Labrador, Chloe, with the soft brush attachment really helps remove excess hair.
• Supplement. Oils with omega-3 and -6 essential fatty acids work on dogs just like they do on us—by keeping hair healthy and less likely to fall out. The makers of Shed-Stop, an EFA-enriched oil blend, claim their product won’t help seasonal shedding but can reduce light, year-round shedding by 70 percent. You can also try dumping a teaspoon of vegetable or fish oil on your dog’s food, but beware: It could cause loose stools. Or try giving your dog canned salmon. Be patient though—according to pet products manufacturer Doctors Foster and Smith, it will take at least two weeks and maybe as long as 12 weeks before you see results.
If your dog sheds a lot, all the time, or has bald spots, it may suffer from a more serious problem. Buddy could have a skin infection, ringworm, mange, hyperthyroidism, or Cushing’s disease. Consult your vet if you think your dog is losing too much hair.
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10 comments
add your comment »I make my own food for my dogs and i do the supplements they shed a little but,not much as i know it seems to be a problem this year.Also glad to hear theFURminator works well to.
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Thank you for the solutions. I have five dogs ... rescued strays just picked up off the streets. They are going through their spring shedding (though it's well into summer here, in India). The bi-annual shedding DID pose a bit of a problem.
Thank you once again.
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I have a kirby vacuum with a soft pliable rubber combing attachment. I also have a 15 year old dog rake, non-furminator, that reaches the undercoat but has very blunted tips that do not scratch the skin... My german shepherd mix actually takes very little time with the rake, and the kirby attachment does a nice tidy up....
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Susan B., Thank you. I didn't know the furminator was made in China. Will keep the one I have, but won't buy another one. Will also contact PetSMART. What a shame! It is a good product, but China's animal welfare record is dismal.
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I have just done some research and sadly found that the Furminator is Made in China. As a passionate animal advocate the only country in the world with no animal welfare laws is the one country I will not give my money to.
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Also, check what's in the food your dog eats; if it's loaded with corn, soy and other grains they most likely are having food allergies that can cause itching, irritation and hair loss. Switch to meats, preferably raw as doggies are carnivores, primarily.
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i really question using omegas to help with shedding issues. since i have added these to my dogs diet their undercoats are 3x as thick and as a result shed 3x as much. but i just assume they be healthy...
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I agree with Tracey 100%. The FURminator is wonderful. I have a 22 year old long haired cat (please see picture). He always hated to be combed or brushed, and would fight it. So I would have to take him to the vet to be shaved. He fought that too and they would have to gas him down.
Because of his age, I became increasingly nervous about the anesthesia just for shaving. This year I bought a FURminator. He tolerates it, and in some areas of his body seems to actually like it. Result: no shave down or anesthesia. Wonderful!
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The picture above is that of a Yorkshire Terrier after a bath. They do not shed nor do they have fur. Their coat is hair. The difference between hair and fur is that hair has one hair coming out of on hair follicle - Fur has 3-5 hairs coming out of one hair follicle. Thus resulting in an undercoat - and furn - something that a Yorkshire Terrier does not have...
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I have two adorable kitties but now that its summer time I always hate all the new hair that starts to build up around my house. This year I invested in the FURminator and love it so much that I wrote a blog to share with others the wonders it can do for you and your animals health http://tinyurl.com/n4yblm
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