3 Tips to Manage Your Dog’s Seasonal Shedding

You wake up one morning, and the first thing you feel is the fur of your dog all over your bed (if you sleep with your furkid), or all over the floor. In fact, we are experiencing this right now as Kayla, our 8-year-old Golden Retriever, is currently going through her seasonal shedding.

We know that our dogs do shed their fur as it is the natural way on how they get rid of old and dead fur and to allow new fur to grow out. However, do you realize that our dogs would shed their fur a lot more during a particular time in the year?

And if your answer is yes that is because your dog(s) are going through their seasonal shedding!

And being in Malaysia, dog breeds with undercoats such as Siberian Huskies, Pomeranians, Gold Retrievers, Samoyed, Sheltie etc will have their shedding seasons. They will normally shed more during the dry and humid seasons, and it usually lasts between two to four weeks. During the humid season, they adapt to shed their undercoat so that they can feel lighter and cooler inside.

According to May Saw, an experienced pet groomer from Bowhouse Pet Salon, she shares three tips to help you manage your furbabies during their shedding season.

1. Always Brush Your Furbabies

(we use slicker brush followed by a furminator during shedding season)

As dog owners there is no way we can run away from brushing our furbabies. So, do invest in a good undercoat rack-type grooming comb to brush out their shedding fur. Personally, I brush my Siberian Huskies once a week as I try to de-shed at least once a week. During their seasonal shedding, I will spend hours just brushing out their undercoat and then a good clean bath before trimming on their bodies to make it look even.

2. Regular Grooming

(result from 15 minutes of combing)

I highly recommend dog owners who have dogs with undercoat to come in regularly for grooming or to do a de-shedding service and a full-body trim during their dog’s seasonal shedding. Each dog has their own shedding season as it follows based on their own natural time on when it decides to shed its old coat. This is usually during the warmer and more humid seasons.

Regular grooming does help a lot in reducing the amount of shedding all year round, however, it doesn’t mean you won’t see fur around your house anymore. It helps to reduce the amount of shedding.

And during their seasonal shedding, dogs with undercoat will need to be brushed once every day or once every 2 to 3 days to help cope with their shedding. For dog owners who really love dogs with undercoat, do make brushing a daily habit as you won’t feel like it is a chore but a way for you and your dog to bond. Yes, grooming is also another way dogs create a bond with their owners.

3. Choose the Right Shampoo and Adding Supplements to Diet

It is essential to choose the right shampoo and conditioner for our dogs as they help with better coating and untangle their fur. At the same time, including coconut oil or salmon oil into their diet helps to strengthen their immune system as well as grow healthier fur.

For dog owners who may be allergic to their dog’s fur, May recommends dog owners who have dog breeds with undercoats to wear a face mask while brushing, bathing or grooming their dogs. Additionally, they may opt to send their dogs for a regular grooming service once a week.

She adds for dog owners with severe allergies while in contact with dog’s fur, to seek medical treatment in managing their allergies.

“Additionally, investing in a good robo-vacuum cleaner that runs daily and to clear out the fur in the vacuum daily would help minimize allergies from occurring,” she shares.

And if you are considering of owning dogs but you are allergic to their fur, there are some dog breeds such as poodle, schnauzers and silky terriers which have hypoallergenic fur, which is more tolerant to people who are prone to such allergies.

Nevertheless, if you do have a dog or planning to have one, they will certainly shed their fur, let this not be a hassle but an opportunity for you and your dog to bond.