What To Do If Your Dog Is Shedding

Why Do Pets Shed?
All pets shed, but some shed much more than others. Shedding is influenced by temperature, amount of sunlight, the pet's overall health, and heredity. Dogs with double-coats shed the most. This double coat insures warmth and protection in sub-zero weather. When the weather moderates, its profuse undercoat loosens and is released.

Simply cutting the hair is not going to eliminate shedding. The hair or fur will definitely be shorter, but as the shedding hair loosens, it will still fall out and get all over you and your home.

No matter the length of the hair, shedding hair needs to be manually removed to get rid of the majority of the hair as it loosens. And you should be aware that, in double-coated dogs, if the fur is clipped very short all over, there is a chance that your pet's hair may not grow back properly. We do not recommend shaving double-coated dogs.

Eliminating the Shedding.
At K9 Resort and Spa, the process begins with a thorough brushing of your pet with special fur rakes/brushes and an examination of his or her coat and skin. This process can take about an hour or even longer on larger breeds. Then, we use a special de-shedding shampoo that is blown into the hair follicles and allowed to set. The coat is rinsed and repeated. Then a special conditioner is massaged deeply into the coat to stimulate the hair follicles and help loosen the undercoat. This is like a fur magnet that when rinsed off takes the loosened fur off with it.

Following a very thorough rinsing and towel drying, a high velocity dryer is used to separate and remove any remaining loose hair from the coat as it dries. After your pet is dry, specialized tools are used to finish the de-shedding process. Our groomers go over every inch of your pet meticulously removing all the detached hair - yet not so vigorously that your pet's skin is damaged.

During the Spring, Summer and Early Fall months we recommend this process every four to six weeks to keep the fur healthy, your dog comfortable in the heat and your home clean.

How Do You Know If Your Dog Needs A De-Shed?
Sometimes we are asked by our clients, "How do I know whether my dog needs a de-shed or not?" The way I answer is, "straddle your dog and briskly rub your hands back and forth on the sides of your dog, if fur is flying off then it is time for a de-shed."

Not sure whether your dog has a double coat? Follow this link and find out.

To book a de-shed or other grooming click here