Your Dog and Shedding

Why do dogs shed?

It’s perfectly normal and healthy for dogs to shed, regular shedding occurs when your dog gets rid of its old, dead, and damaged fur to make way for new and healthy hair to grow. 

But sudden excessive shedding can indicate a medical problem, requiring a veterinary examination to determine the cause of the change. 

The amount of shedding can depend on:

• Your dog’s breed
• The season and changes in the weather, some dogs adapt to change in temperatures by producing or losing hair, in particular in Spring and Autumn
• The overall health of your dog
• Inflammatory and non-inflammatory medical conditions can cause excessive shedding

Can I do anything about my dog shedding?

As mentioned above, your pet sheds for a reason. There is no way to stop some dogs from shedding, but there are some things you can do to help reduce and manage it.

Consider:

• A brushing routine with a brush suited to your pet’s coat, with thorough brushing at least once a week. It stands to reason the more fur that comes out in a brush, the less hair will be left around your home.  
• Controlling your dog’s allergies eg fleas to reduce scratching and hair loss
• Feed them premium food, more nutritious food leads to better skin
• A regular bathing routine with a gentle shampoo suited to your breed of dog and its coat
• Having your pet professionally groomed regularly, in particular, as seasons change.

Click here to learn more about our grooming service.

Which breeds of dogs shed the most?

When it comes to shedding, the usual suspects are dogs with double coats, more hair means more hair to shed. 

Here’s a lineup of some of the big shedders in Australian homes:

• Labrador Retriever 
• Bernese Mountain Dog
• Golden Retriever
• Welsh Corgi
• Pomeranian
• Siberian Husky
• German Shepherd
• Alaskan Malamute

Which breeds of dogs don't shed as much?

If you're looking for a low shedding dog consider a:

• Poodle 
• Oodle eg Cavoodle, Labradoodle
• Shih Tzu
• Bichon Frise
• Whippet
• Greyhound
• Australian Silky Terrier
• Portuguese Water Dog

Excessive shedding and sudden hair loss:

This may indicate your dog has a medical condition. Abnormal hair loss can be inflammatory or non-inflammatory. It can be generalised, or more patchy over the body.

The inflammatory version is the most common cause where there is usually an excessive loss of hair, and the non-inflammatory cause is where there is inadequate production of hair. 

The most common causes of inflammatory hair loss are:

• Fleas
• Atopy
• Food allergies
• Infection
• Mites

The most common causes of non-inflammatory hair loss are:

• Hypothyroidism
• Hyperadrenocorticism
• Hormonal 

For more help:

If you’re concerned about your pet shedding, don't hesitate to call us for advice (03) 9596 4804 or contact us via our online form.