please help with dog shedding!!

[froggyfields]

i need any advice or info on dog shedding please! i have a chihauhua mix (longer hair) that sheds like crazy year round!! it is all over my clothes and blankets. i bought him some GNC (for pets) shedding formula but he won't eat them and I have to make him swallow them. i don't like doing that! any advice?

 

[exoticdreams]

Shedding fur is natural, why not just brush the dog? .

 

[MelissaB]

What brand of dog food do you use? I've heard that cheaper brands of dog food will make your dog more prone to shed. I honestly don't know if that's true or not. My dog is a non-shedding dog, she's 1/2 maltese 1/2 poodle. I really like the Blue Buffalo brand dog food. She's been on it since she was a puppy.

 

[zoomom]

We have a lab that sheds horribly, we use the furminator. It works wonders, my kids make it a contest to see who can get the most off. I noticed that it really cuts down on the loose hair everywhere. I swear it looked like we had had just run around the house throwing fur wads on the floor. My living room has light gray carpet, before using the furminator my carpet looked almost black where the dog laid down.

 

[froggyfields]

Shedding fur is natural, why not just brush the dog? .

i do brush my dog, it doesn't help.

thanks to the other two of u for your replies, i appreciate it!

 

[Lathis]

Is the furminator the dog vacuum? There is a service that will vacuum all the loose hair off a dog before it has a chance to shed.

 

[shaunaroxanne]

I can't help with your current shedder, but in the future, get a dog like mine and you'll never have a shedding problem again!

 

[MelissaB]

OMG, your dog is adorable! Does she have to wear a sweater in the winter?

OP: Is your dog's coat shiny and healthy looking, other than the shedding? I just wonder if something is missing in their diet, to make the shedding so bad.

 

[froggyfields]

I can't help with your current shedder, but in the future, get a dog like mine and you'll never have a shedding problem again!

hahaha my friend has a dog like that and i love it! everyone else thinks it's ugly.

yes my dogs fur looks healthy. i'm going to try some dog food and shampoo esp. for shedding and see what happens. i may have to check out the furminator. i'm not familiar with that.

 

[katekob]

Unfortunately I have 2 chihuahuas at my mother's who shed like crazy as well and I have a Boston Terrier who sheds a bit but she barely has any hair. It helped when I switched their food to an organic holistic grain-free dog food, also feeding your dog eggs will help with coats as well, frequent bathing (Not to much, try a puppy shampoo), and brushing there hair. You may want to check if they have a skin condition which would explain why they might be losing so much hair. Chihuahuas are a moderate shredder compared to other breeds. You just need to take care of it before it becomes a problem.

 

[Olimpia]

I have two Shetland sheepdogs and they shed a little all the time and very heavily about twice a year. Early this past Fall I was pulling their undercoat out in fist-fulls, but this is normal for their coat-type. But feeding them Blue Buffalo Wilderness has helped with the general quality of their skin and hair for the better, and then rest is up to brushing daily.

That said, I still have to vacuum my carpet every couple days. It's the price to pay for two long-haired dogs! But I prefer long-haired dogs to short-haired dogs anyway, as their hair may be long but it's not stiff and doesn't embed into fabric like Labrador or Jack Russel hair does, for example.

 

[Carlton]

Is the furminator the dog vacuum? There is a service that will vacuum all the loose hair off a dog before it has a chance to shed.

No, the furminator is a modified comb that cuts the undercoat loose as it grooms. They really do help thin out the amount of shedding hair and help keep mats from forming. But, like anything else, it only works if you do it regularly. Borrow one and try it gradually as some dogs have more sensitive skin and may not like the feeling of the sharper tines these combs have. I use one on my double coated cattledog when she blows her coat in spring.

Another idea for a smaller softer coated breed is one of those grooming mits with the rubbery nubs. As you rub it over the dog they tend to pull the dead shedded hair loose and hold it around the nubs. Then you can pull the hair out of the mit over a trash can.

This, along with regular baths (groom the dog before its bath to loosen the hair) can help.