I can’t imagine shedding hair the way some dogs do. Imagine how awkward would it be to go over to a new friend’s home and have my hair start falling out everywhere.
How embarrassing.
And yet some dogs – through no fault of their own – face this embarrassment every day. We all know dogs are supposed to shed some of their many furs – heck, we shed too. It’s actually a good thing – but let’s not have too much of a good thing. No one wants to breathe in a clouds of unkempt hair – it’s just not healthy…
There are many factors that contribute to how much dog fur or hair we find all over – our couch, our friends, our black pants and even our food. Breed and climate are big culprits and many dog owners know when their dog is about to blow his coat – usually depending on climate. This is normal and healthy… and usually expected
But what about the poor pup that just NEVER stops shedding… and you never stop cleaning… and soon your friends start suggesting that you should come to the cookout at their place instead of yours – without your dog.
Here are three simple habits to start sweeping up the problem and help dog shedding.
1. Nutrition.
This is where it all starts. It’s essential to provide the nutrients needed for healthy hair – and healthy hair comes from healthy hair follicles, nestled in healthy skin which all develop with a healthy diet.
The popular dog foods (regardless of a convincing label) do not contain any live food enzymes – which are fundamental for the whole body to perform at its best. In fact, ALL processed foods are lacking these much needed enzymes that strengthen the hair follicles – and thus the coat. A balanced diet is necessary to start getting this hairy problem under control. Don’t overlook the importance of basic and beneficial nutrition.
With an enormous amount of research, you might find a proper brand/variety of dog food required to provide the daily nutritional resources your dog will need. But, how would you know the necessary criteria by which to judge food choices? You would not; this is why we have done the work for you, and can provide you with a proper list of BRANDS and formulas that you can utilize in helping your dog get a good start. It is no less important to supply missing nutrients with simple antioxidant supplements. These provide for what even the best dog foods are missing, “live nutrition”. Even a tiny daily amount of this kind of supplementation – food rich with living food enzymes – is able to make a major difference in many health aspects, including (in this case) accelerating the restoration of healthy hair follicles rich with lanolin necessary for both healthy hair/coat, and skin. Such antioxidant support will enhance the body’s mechanisms for pushing out toxins and free radicals – big offenders of healthy hair, skin, and overall health.
2. Bathing.
You may think this is a no-brainer… but it’s remarkable how time can fly – and sometimes a dog’s last bath was… wait. When?
I can’t quite remember. Can you?
A couple things to remember when bathing:
Find a good dog shampoo. Suave may be great for you, but a dogs skin has a different PH than ours – and requires special suds. A little research goes a long way. If there are no serious skin issues, you may want to get an organic oatmeal shampoo that is easy on the skin and eyes.
And whatever you use – Rinse thoroughly. Twice. Or more if you want. Any soap left soaking into the skin will be an awful irritant – even if it still smells good.
3. Grooming.
While it’s natural for any dog to drop some locks, it never hurts to be pro-active. Make a little brushing part of your routine. Once or twice a week will make a big difference – perhaps especially for your black pants.
It’s normal for a healthy dog to shed a little every day – we shed around one hundred hairs ourselves – but grabbing those extra fly-a-ways before they fly in your soup will make everyone happier. And it’s not like your dog will resent the quality time together.
So these are the basic healthy habits of healthy hair – for a healthy dog. If you’ve already implemented these fundamentals and still can’t kick the hairballs, the problem may go a little deeper – to the skin itself.
Don’t despair. Just get started.
Products Recommended to Control Shedding