Excessive shedding in dogs: 6 causes and tips!

Does your four-legged friend shed an enormous amount of hair in a short period of time? Do you have to vacuum more often and feel like you can keep brushing until you weigh an ounce? Sometimes there seems to be no end to it... Excessive shedding can have many different reasons. Think of the usual shedding periods of course, but poor quality nutrition and stress or anxiety can also be causes of excessive shedding. You can't stop a dog's shedding completely, but with proper (coat) care, shedding can be reduced. In this blog, we give you tips!

Why does a dog shed?

It is quite normal for a dog to shed. Twice a year, during spring and autumn, the shedding period of animals takes place. This is a natural process whereby summer and winter coats are changed under the influence of temperatures and daylight, and the old hairs are shed to make room for new ones. The shedding period lasts on average about 6 to 10 weeks. In animals that are outside all year round, you can clearly see this: over the course of a few weeks, the entire coat lets go and makes way for a new coat. Because most of our pets live primarily indoors, this natural process is disrupted. This is because the temperature indoors is much more even, which causes most dogs to shed year-round. Nevertheless, you will notice that the dog loses more hair than average in the spring and fall.

The difference between shedding and hair loss

It is important to be able to tell the difference between the dog's normal shedding and hair loss. As indicated above, most dogs lose hair throughout the year, but when the dog loses an awful lot of hair in a short period of time, we speak of hair loss. Indeed, hair loss always has an underlying cause. Also, a healthy dog in a normal shedding period does not get bald patches, with hair loss this can be the case.

Causes of hair loss in dogs

There are many different causes that can cause excessive hair loss in a dog. Below we list the most common causes for you:

1. Poor quality dog food
Good dog food is important for a dog's overall health. So you can probably imagine that poor quality food has a major impact on (among other things) the dog's skin and coat. Therefore, make sure that you always give your dog a complete food that contains all the nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and trace elements) in the right proportions and is tailored to the animal's life stage. You can read about what else good dog food should contain in this blog.

2. Food allergy or intolerance
One of the most common symptoms of a food allergy or intolerance in a dog is itching, causing the dog to scratch, bite or lick its fur. The result is excessive hair loss or even bald patches.

With a food allergy or intolerance, it is important to feed the dog hypoallergenic food. Riverwood's hypoallergenic dog foods are then ideally suited. These foods are formulated with three unique protein sources and are completely grain- and gluten-free. This makes it very unlikely that the dog will have an allergic reaction to the food. Would you prefer a food with only one protein source? Then check out Riverwood's Mono-Protein canned foods. These canned foods are formulated with one animal protein source and are also completely grain-free.

3. Parasites
Parasites such as fleas or lice cause irritated skin and a lot of itching. Itching causes the dog to scratch, which leads to you guessed it: excessive shedding. Typical spots of hair loss due to fleas or lice are in the dog's neck or at the base of the tail. Therefore, it is important to properly check a dog for and treat (preventively) for parasites.

4. Fungi, mites and other (bacterial) infections
Does your dog have excessive hair loss, bald patches, dander and itching and is not clearly caused by moulting or pests? If so, have your dog checked at the vet for fungi, mites or other (bacterial) infections.

5. Stress or anxiety
Excessive hair loss in a dog can also be caused by stress or anxiety. A stressed or anxious dog expresses this by licking and scratching his coat, among other things. This causes hair loss and may even cause bald patches in the coat over time.

6. Hormonal abnormality
A hormonal abnormality such as a tumor can also cause hair loss in dogs. A tumor secretes a certain hormone which can disrupt the growth of healthy hair. Cushing's disease also causes hair loss, developing a tumor that causes a dog's adrenal gland to produce excess cortisol. Finally, thyroid problems can also cause excessive hair loss. This is because with a slow-working thyroid, hormone production is slowed.

What can you do about excessive shedding in a dog?

Complex and serious causes that cause excessive shedding in a dog should be treated by a veterinarian. Although some dogs naturally shed more than others, fortunately we can do something about excessive shedding. Below we give you some tips:

Tip 1: Give good quality dog food
We mentioned it briefly above, but good dog food is essential for a dog's health and therefore also affects its coat. If you give your dog good dog food, it will ensure a better quality coat and the natural shedding period will also be better.

For dogs with skin and coat problems, a fish-based food can help. Riverwood Adult Salmon & Whitefish with Herring contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which provide additional support for the dog's skin and coat.

Tip 2: Add salmon oil to the dog's meal
If you don't want to switch to fish-based food, a dietary supplement based on pure salmon oil is also an option. Riverwood Norwegian Salmon Oil is a complementary food that is rich in unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, this salmon oil can be used as a topping over the diet for fussy dogs.

Tip 3: Ensure good coat care
Want less dog hair in your home? Then good coat care is essential. By regularly brushing your dog's coat with an appropriate brush, you ensure that you remove a lot of loose hair. Be careful not to brush too often, too hard and too long; this can also remove the good hairs and that is of course not the intention.

In addition, it is advisable to bathe a dog regularly. A wash (of course with a special dog shampoo) ensures namely also that loose hairs are removed from the coat. Again, you should not do this too often. Bathing too often creates dry skin and this can cause itching, which in turn makes the dog scratch more.

Finally, blowing out the dog's coat with a special, so-called water blower is also a good tip. A water blower is a hair dryer for dogs with which you can easily blow the dog dry, but which also ensures that loose hairs are blown out of the coat.

Do you find that your dog's coat care sometimes falls by the wayside? Then find a good groomer and take your dog there regularly and on time.

Can you prevent dog shedding?

The answer to this question is very simple: no, you cannot prevent shedding in dogs. Shedding is a natural process in animals and we cannot stop it. Fortunately, however, there are plenty of ways to ensure that the natural shedding period is better so that the dog sheds less. Always try to identify and solve the cause of excessive shedding and support your dog's coat with good fish-based food or use a salmon oil-based food supplement. When you also take care of good coat care, you will notice that the dog loses less hair which means you will have to vacuum less often. A win-win situation if you ask us!