extreme shedding

Question
I have a 1 year old pomeranian. When I brush him, I get a ton of hair off of him. I could brush him all day long. Is this normal? Could this be his puppy coat coming off?

Answer
Hi Linda!

If your going to do only one thing when your pet is shedding,you should brush,brush,brush.Not all brushes are the same,however.You need a brush that's tailor-made for your pet's coat.Ask a salesperson at the pet store which brush is right for your pet.Depending on how much hair your pet is shedding,plan on brushing her as oftn as once a day or as little as once a week.

For brushing to be effective,you need to use firm,deep strokes.Short strokes are better than long ones because they penetrate the coat more thoroughly.Too many people just quickly run over the top of the coat and never brush into it.That doesn't help much for shedding.

After brushing your pet from head to tail,reverse direction and go against the grain.This will help loosen hair you might have missed the first time.Then finish off the job by brushing in the normal direction.

Brushing against the grain will occasionally be a shocking experience for you and your pet.Her coat can build up a static charge,and you can spark her.To prevent this,try using a static-free brush.

After giving your pet a thourough brushing, you can pick up loads of additional hair by switching to a comb.Its a great way to really say goodbye to that shedding hair.

Pet stores sell grooming rakes,which are actually big combs with a handle attached.The advantage of using a rake is that its easier to grip than a comb and less fatiguing to use.A rake is a teriffic tool in the shedding battle.

Rubber curry combs,which are used on horses,are also great for grooming short-haired dogs.When using a curry comb, go in the direction the hair grows.

Another great trick from the stable for rooting out loose hair is to use a shedding blade.This consists of a strip of metal with a serrated edge thats attached to a handle.The results will blow you away. If your pet has a long coat you could have a real snowstorm,So you may want to try this outside.

Pets that won't stand still for the usual grooming equipement may welcome a little hands-on care.Thats when you reach for grooming gloves.Grooming gloves are coated with tiny plastic or rubber teeth,which are ideal for removing loose hair from a skittish pet.Your pet will think that you are just stroking her with your hand.It feels good to her and you when you can go to town one the hair.

Bathing your pet in warm water will help loosen hair in her coat,so thats a perfect time for grooming.You may want to brush or comb her while she's still in the tub. Or you can groom her later while your drying-or blow drying-her fur.If your pet's coat is unusually matted however its best to get the mats out before getting her wet.Otherwise they'll be even harder to remove later on.

Occasionally applying a little hair conditioner will make her coat smother and easier to brush.You can apply a conditioner after shampooing, or you can use a spray-on conditioner between baths.Conditioners make it easier on you and your pet during grooming time.When the coat is smoother and less tangled, your grooming session will be smoother.

If you routinely keep the thermostat set at a tropical heat,your pet may shed more than usual,even during the cold months.They go through sheds that can be heavy if they're really warm.You can turn down the thermostat slightly until you find a level that seem comfortable for you and your pet.And if your pet sleeps next to a heater,moving her bed further away may help.


FOR DOGS ONLY
When summer is coming and your long-haired pooch is shedding enought to stuff a pillow or two,giving her a hair cut will help keep the problem under control.The dog will still shed,but at least whe will shed short hairs instead of long ones making the problem less noticable.

Your furry friend has always shed some hair during the warm months,but this year it looks like he's going bald-you can actually see skin beneath that gorgeous coat.Whats going on?If your dog goes bald,it could be a problem with dietary fatty acids. These make the skin cells resistant to drying out. Omega fatty acid supplements (available from your vet as like 3V caps or Eicosaderm) may stop the flaking. If the fur around the eyes fall out in a pup, I tend to think about demodex mange. You should let your vet do a skin scraping to look for the mites. Also, ringworm can show up like this.

I do think this is normal due to it is now summer which is very hot for our pets so they shed some of their winter fur off to keep their temperature right.This happens to both of my dogs too!Their names are Taz and Bear!

I hope this has been helpful and I wish you the best of luck!Please keep me posted and give that Pomeranian millions of kisses for me!Sending wagging tails your way!
Nicole