Why Is My Dog Losing Hair?

If you like to walk around the city, surely you have noticed that the beauty and grooming centers have increased considerably in recent years, right? And it is that as it happens to us humans, the world of the aesthetic care of dogs is also acquiring more prominence every day. An example of this reality is the growing interest in beauty contests for dogs, where our pet’s coat is a fundamental factor for our furry friend to win the trophy and win.

However, if you are fortunate enough to be able to enjoy the company of a dog, you will also know that they are animals that lose a lot of hair and that, in fact, there are seasonal periods in which they shed their fur, leaving as a consequence a beautiful memory of it in the whole house, but do you know why it happens? How often do they shed their hair? When is it a normal loss or in which cases should we worry? How can we mitigate or avoid the effects of galloping alopecia? To know the answer to all these questions, the Pets Feed team has prepared this small guide that we hope will be useful.

For your canine pet to lose its hair, especially at the beginning of spring and autumn, is completely normal because its skin is preparing to withstand both the high temperatures of summer and those of the cold and icy winter. In the following lines, we will explain these and some other compelling reasons why your dog is shedding wherever he goes.

• Shedding. In general, our dog usually regenerates and sheds its hair throughout the year. However, this circumstance becomes more intense with the change of temperatures. In fact, the normal thing is that the hair loss is more noticeable and is concentrated in two very specific times: in spring, to grow a finer coat that allows it to be cooler and better withstand the oppressive heat of summer and in autumn, to replace it with stronger, more compact and resistant hair that will keep you warm in the face of winter cold. Regarding this point, it is important to note that there are breeds with a greater predisposition to hair loss than others. For example, short-haired breeds such as the English bulldog, Beagle, Boxer, and Shar Pei shed significantly more than Poodles, Shih Tzu, Fox Terrier, or Schnauzer, despite having a longer and thicker coat.
• Allergies. If we leave aside seasonal shedding as the main reason, this is usually one of the first causes of alopecia in a dog. Therefore, it is very important that we take our pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible to determine if it has a hypersensitivity problem, and to seek the most effective treatment to control this disease, taking into account that it is a disease that occurs in our pet. , we are going to live with her a lifetime food, pollen, insects or parasites are some of the factors that trigger allergy processes in the dog, causing skin irritations, persistent scratching and, consequently, abundant hair loss.
• Some diseases of hormonal origin such as Cushing’s disease will cause our dog to suffer an abnormal loss of hair due to an overproduction of cortisol. diabetes or hypothyroidism are also first-order causes for your dog to suffer from alopecia.
• Infections: As a general rule, infections usually appear by fungi, fleas, lice, ticks or bacteria. When this happens, our dog usually suffers from inflammation and loss of hair in specific areas, such as alopecia on the head or in larger areas with generalized alopecia. To solve this problem, it is best for your canine pet to receive a routine antiparasitic control specific to each dog, according to his lifestyle.
• Other diseases of immune-mediated origin.

How many times when hugging your dog or after having him in your lap has part of his hair stuck to your clothes and you had to change again to go out? Surely a million times. So, taking into account that, either, because our dog sheds and regenerates its hair throughout the year in a natural way or, because there are other reasons that lead it to lose huge amounts of fur, it is important that we follow a series of Guidelines to make this process as bearable as possible for both your dog and you. Do you want to know how to achieve it? Here are some tips:

• Vacuum daily to keep the house clean. Above all, on sofas, rugs, carpets, so that the home is kept in a hygienic and healthy state.
• Brush your dog’s coat once a day. It is important to use the right brush for your hair type (short, long, curly, straight) because each coat needs specific care. When we comb it, we must do it gently and always in the natural direction of the hair. This habit will activate the blood circulation of our dog, favoring a healthier and stronger hair growth.
• Bathe him with a suitable shampoo, each pet needs specific care and regular baths according to their lifestyle. The handling of a dog that walks through an urban area will be different from one that regularly walks on the beach, etc. You can find out about your pet’s requirements in our center.
• Give him a diet rich in Omega fatty acids. This will give it much more shine and will prevent it from losing a lot of hair during shedding periods.

Generally speaking, if your dog loses hair, it is because he is shedding it to prepare for the change in temperatures. It is, therefore, a natural hair regeneration process that you should not worry about. However, if you see that your pet’s hair loss is exaggerated and more abundant than normal, and especially if you observe the presence of alopecia (bald spots), scabs, rough hair, etc. Don’t think twice and go with your faithful friend to the vet as soon as possible, as it is probably related to a health problem that needs to be treated.