Shedding amongst dogs is a natural process, when it occurs differs between dogs but it is very important for dogs to shed their coat. Why is it important for dogs to shed their coat? Well, this article will tell you the main reasons as to why dogs shed as well as some of the other and less primary reasons as to why a dog may shed.
Shedding of course is a natural process for a dog, by shedding it allows a new coat to come in, however, it can be different amongst different breeds of dogs, some with a longer coat may shed more often, whilst some with a shorter coat may shed little. But the overall point of shedding amongst dogs is to get rid of the current fur coat and allow a new one to grow in its place. It is important that dogs shed because it keeps the hair healthy, when a new coat comes through it is getting rid of the old coat which usually contains dirt and is generally quite unhealthy.
Dogs shed at different times, it is usually seasonal in many dogs, however it can differ at times, for example, some dogs may shed their summer and winter coats, but others may not register the change in season and shed all year round. Of course it is different for every dog, but you can narrow it down to different species.
Many people will believe that long haired dogs shed more due to their appearance, but that is not true at all, some may shed more, but it is normally just a trick as long haired dogs have longer hair than others.
Grooming is the most important thing to do if you are a dog owner, this can prevent build up of hair that dogs have shed, it is important to continue grooming on a regular basis because depending on the dog you may find that it will shed year round, so keeping on top of things is important, grooming will help prevent build up of hair around the house. If you groom the dog every so often and make sure to remove the shed hair you can guarantee that the dog has a healthy new coat, and to verify that it is clean you could even combine it with a wash as a wash can get rid of any unwanted hairs which still remain even after grooming. But even if you dont remove all the shed hair it will normally fall out so it is not the biggest of problems.
Even though shedding is a natural process it can often occur for a number of other reasons. Many dogs can shed hair due to stress, it is a good idea to keep the dog in a stress free environment because stress can cause shedding and it is not healthy for the dog. Ringworms are also a causer of shedding, so it is important to give the dogs regular checkups. If a dog sheds at a time completely different to the usual time of the year, it is best to get it checked out. The next cause of shedding due to physical problems is cancer, though it is not nice to dive into this subject especially if you are very loving of your pet. But cancer in fact can cause shedding, and what is good is that if a dog sheds at a random point which is out of the ordinary to its normal schedule, you can get it checked out at the vet and even stop the cancer early before it has chance to worsen.
This article has gone into why dogs shed and many other causes of shedding, my hope is that this article has offered you not only advice but knowledge so that you can be equipped in future situations, especially if a dog is shedding completely out of sync with its usual shedding season since you may be able to identify a problem early such as cancer. Dogs are wonderful pets, and shedding is one of their many natural functions, so look after your pet and keep it free of shed hairs.
