pom shedding

Question
QUESTION: I have a male pom that just turned 2 in march.  Around his 2nd birthday he started shedding terribly and itching.  He has no fleas or ticks.  His eating and drinking habits have not changed.  I did not change his food.  He does not act sick at all.  I have heard of poms blowing out their coat and we are heading into spring.  Should I be concerned or is this just a phase?

ANSWER: Hi Denny,
Yes they do blow coats and this is the time of year- bit early but you don't give your geographic area. Give him a good grooming - professionally to get rid of the blown coat if you can't do it.
If that isn't the cause then he might have developed allergies or been bitten by a noseeum of some sort. Too early for fleas up north but not down south, only takes one bite to cause a problem with some dogs, you may not have seen it.
Try a bath with good dog shampoo and blow dry- by hand not cage dried. Be specific if you go to a salon.
good luck!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thank you for your help.  We live in SW Florida.  I have been combing him often and get enough hair to make a pillow every single time.  It seems impossible for a dog so small to have so much hair.  could you suggest a good dog shampoo.  I have also heard of using vinegar on my dog to help the itching.  Is this true?

Answer
Yes they have a lot of fluff but unless you are really sure what's going on you should probably go see your vet.
Like I said things to consider- now that I know where you are are fleas, food, environmental allergens. You may not see that one nasty flea but if your dog is "corn cobbing" himself and by that I mean nibbling up and down a particular area- you have a flea. It could be just 1 but for some dogs that's all it takes. What kind of food is next- like people they can change overnight  and since you have a young dog it's immune system is changing and genetics kick in. Also companies change ingredients or formulas without advising us so maybe they added something he can't tolerate. Or a new treat. If you feed him "Pupperoni" cut it out immediately. I have had dogs lose whole coats because of it and bite themselves raw. Cedar bedding can also cause problems if you have anything with that in it.  I am not a fan of supermarket pet food- while less expensive it causes more problems like what you are talking about but this is a grooming site and not a nutritional one so I can't advise you on that.
Vinegar does not sound like it's gonna work for you. You need to get to the underlying cause. Try a mild dog shampoo with no fragrances. #1 Allsystems has the best for that. You can find them online. They are sold in many catalogues on line. Crisp coat is one of the better formulas.
hope this helps.