A dog in the house is always nice, at least that’s what you would think. It’s not so nice anymore if you have a dog that leaves a pile of hair every few meters. Hair loss is a problem for many dogs. Of course, one dog suffers more from it than the other, but it is something that we see in almost every breed. Let’s take a look at why this happens and what you can do about it.
What are the causes of hair loss in dogs?
There are several causes that can cause hair loss in dogs. The first cause is that a dog will always lose a few hairs one day. This is simply the shedding process in dogs, we will come back to this later. But it is also possible that the cause lies a little deeper than that, it is namely the case that hair loss is also an additional phenomenon in dogs that are sick.
The dog may have an infection in its coat. This will make it itch, the itch will make it scratch and this will cause the hair to fall out even faster. It is also possible that the dog may have lice. These will also make it itch, which will make it scratch even more.
Apart from this, it could be that the dog has a normal irritation somewhere in its coat, for example, think of small twigs that are matted. Usually the dog is rolling quite a bit in the forest, because of this a twig or stone can get caught in the coat. You can see this by the fact that the dog will start scratching in a central place, if this is the case, remove it for him.
Prevent hair loss
It is possible to partially limit hair loss for the dog. You can do this by keeping the dog’s coat in a clean condition. So if you have walked outside with the dog, it is a good idea to comb the coat thoroughly and to wash it if it is very dirty. This prevents the skin from becoming irritated, the dog will scratch its skin much less. In any case, your entire house will not be full of those long dog hairs.
You can also let him go outside more often during the molting period. By letting the dog run outside more often, the hair can be shaken loose. You can read more about the molting process of the dog later. So play a bit more in the sun and let the dog exercise well, there is a big chance that a considerable amount of hair will already have been blown away by the wind.
Shedding or hair loss?
It is important to understand the difference between the normal process of shedding and hair loss. Every dog will lose a certain amount of hair one day, this is shedding. Be happy that this happens, so that the dog always has a lovely coat that you can pet. We speak of hair loss when the dog loses a lot of hair in a short period of time. You can see piles of hair lying around in a household, these have been scratched loose by the dog.
The process of shedding in dogs
It is very normal for dogs to have two molting periods a year. In the spring, the winter coat is brought outside to make room for a beautiful winter coat. In the fall, the summer coat will disappear, replaced by the thicker winter coat. In animals that are outside all year round, this is something that is easy to see. The entire coat will come off in a few weeks and will make way for the new coat.
What can I do about shedding?
There are certain things you can do to prevent your dog from shedding, we have listed some well-known remedies and methods for you. Please note, it is never certain whether these methods will work:
- Buy foods with good fatty acids
- Comb the dog’s coat regularly
- Buy special hair shampoo for dogs
What can I do about a lot of dog hair in the house?
It is not always easy to do something about all those loose dog hairs that you will find in your home. You can vacuum all the time, but after a few hours the house is still covered with all those loose hairs. It is therefore important that you first look at the cause of the hair loss. If there is a considerable amount of it, it is advisable to go to the vet, who can see if there is something special wrong with the dog.
If there is nothing wrong, you can go over the dog’s coat with a vacuum cleaner. On a low setting of course, otherwise it hurts. You can also buy a comb that is specially made for hair loss. By combing out the loose hairs, the number of hairs will be much less than before. You can buy these combs in pet shops.
