Spring = Shedding Season!

It’s FINALLY Spring! We have pollen, warmer weather, birds nesting, Easter and …… shedding season. What does shedding season mean for your pets and how can you deal with it a little bit better?

Let’s go over the why, how, and the outcome to help us better understand this mess.

Why do dogs and cats shed?

Many people think dogs and cats shed because they are hot and need to shed their hair to keep cool. This same reason causes many people to want to shave their dog or cat to reduce shedding. That solution doesn’t help with shedding, controlling body temperature, or improving the coat texture. The reason dogs and cats, of all hair types, shed is to make room for new hair growth. The old hair must come out to make room for the new. Your furry friends actually do a big shed twice a year to make room for the new coat. Their big shed happens in the spring, with less of a new coat for the warm weather and a smaller shed occurs in the fall to make room for a warm undercoat to grow in.  Even non-shedding dog breeds, such as Poodles, Maltese, and Bichons, grow heavier coats and lose more hair during grooming at these times of the year.

How to properly shed your fur baby?

Dogs that do not shed do not have an undercoat.  There is a misconception that doodles do not shed.  They are a cross-breed that has a genetic background of undercoat. There is no way to control the genetic throwback of undercoat and shedding. With that genetic lesson, I want to explain how important home grooming is for all hair types.  

Let’s start with the doodle since we are already there.  They really require daily brushing and combing.  If not daily, every other day so that mats do not form.  

How does a dog get mats? It can be from undercoat releasing (shedding) which, in turn, causes them to scratch and mat. It can also simply be the undercoat getting woven into the other hair. Collars, harnesses, and clothes all rub the hair which can create a mess. Last but not least, those non-shedding dogs like to rub on the carpet and couch to make more mats.

Want to better manage your dog’s coat? You will need a slicker brush and a comb for dogs with longer fur. 

First brush with the slicker to help break up the mat and go through the untangled hair. Next, using the wider side of the comb, go through all hair, paying attention to ears, behind the ears, armpits, and anywhere a collar or harness has been.

Go over it all again with the narrow side of the comb to ensure you get even the smallest tangle or tomorrow it will be a larger mat. You are welcome to use a rake-type comb as well, but we do not recommend Furminator-type tools. They damage guard hair and pull out an undercoat that is not ready to shed which is painful.

Short-haired dogs shed too. All they require is a good once-over with a zoom groom and a soft brush.  They still itch and make a mess — but no matting! It is just as important to brush a short-haired dog. The constant scratching trying to rid themselves of the loose, shedding hair can cause a skin infection with all hair types.

Cats with longer hair, tend to overwash themselves causing mats to form. All short or long-haired cats shed and will get hairballs if you don’t help rid them of the shedding hair. All hair types need brushing — even short-haired cats.

With all of this helpful information, “Good Luck”! Cats see no reason to have a human brush them!

With any hair type, mixed breed or purebred, it is important to comb them out well before and after a bath. If you wash them without getting most of the undercoat or mats out, you will have a difficult time getting them to dry. You will also make bionic mats that are very hard to get out.  Always brush and comb after they are completely dry to ensure all undercoat, and mats are out.  Brushing wet hair just breaks and damages the coat. 

One more important thing about brushing your pet — do you like your hair pulled? Nope, and therefore, most pets do not understand why you are hurting them when you pull theirs.

Brush and comb them as you would your own hair.  They also have roots that pull out and hurt when pulled too hard. If brushing is painful, they will not sit still. In turn, they will run the next time you call them to be groomed. 

What’s the outcome of all of this shedding, brushing, combing, and bathing?

Your pet, if shedded and brushed regularly, will maintain a healthy-looking coat. They will be less susceptible to skin infections and will be overall much more comfortable without all that undercoat. 

Imagine wearing a fur coat in the summer months! When your fur baby is walking around with mats and an undercoat, it makes them overheated.  Shaving them will not help since the undercoat is still there, only shorter. 

Shaving a dog with an undercoat and guard hair damages the coat and sometimes does not grow back correctly. They are meant to be brushed to keep them cool. 

We have talked about shedding, dog grooming, as well as cat grooming. We have gone over the why, how, and the outcome of Spring shedding. You should feel empowered and ready to tackle the job! 

Last but not least – After grooming your dog, take him and the shedded hair for a walk.  Place the dog hair in the woods or anywhere you see birds.  They love to use it for nesting! Happy Spring!