Why do dogs shed their fur?

As a pet owner, one of the biggest challenges that we face is that of our pets shedding their fur. We find it troublesome as we have to clean our houses regularly. So, let us understand why do dogs shed their fur.

1.   Natural Process:

Your dogs’ hair plays an important role for him as it not only protects his skin from natural elements such as heat, cold etc. but also keeps his body temperature under control. Dog’s hair just like human beings keeps growing all the time.

But when the natural life cycle of the hair ends then the hair stops growing and breaks off. It is a natural process for dogs to shed their hair every year. However, the amount of hair that your dog sheds depends on various factors such as breed, season, or health.

2.   Breed of Dog:

The life cycle of a dog’s hair depends upon the breed of dog. For dogs such as Terriers and Poodles, the hair has a longer life span so they don’t shed very often. However, dogs such as Labradors and Huskies whose hair have a shorter life span will shed more often.

3.   Seasonal:

Dogs shed their fur as per the season. Most dogs shed their winter fur coats in the spring season. This is so that they can have a shorter and lighter coat in time for the summer season.

The cycle is reversed during the fall season when they shed off the summer coat of fur and grow a heavier protective coat for the winter season. This fur coat change is mostly seen in "double-coated" breed dogs such as collies, huskies, shepherds, etc.

These dogs have two coats namely a soft, insulating undercoat and a harsh, protective long overcoat from which they lose their fur during both the spring and fall seasons.

However, not all dogs’ coats are affected by temperature changes. Dogs who have less undercoat like Shih Tzus and Bichons will shed less when the seasons change, but you still have to groom these dogs at least once a week to remove the old coat of fur.

4.   The health of your dog:

Your dogs’ health also affects the amount of hair that he sheds so you should take care of your pups’ health to prevent him from shedding too much. If your dog is stressed out then it can lead to excessive shedding. You should try and identify what is the reason for the stress and resolve it so that it doesn’t affect your dog’s hair.

There are certain medical conditions which can also cause excess shedding such as fungal infections, parasites, or sunburn. If your dog is suffering from hormonal issues as a result of a thyroid imbalance then it can cause skin inflammations. These inflammations will make the hair brittle and lead to excessive hair loss.

Skin allergies will also cause excessive hair loss for your dog as these allergies lead to itchy skin and when your dog keeps scratching then it causes more hair to fall.

5.   Poor Diet:

A poor diet can lead to excessive shedding of your dog’s fur. When your dog does not receive proper nutrition then it causes some skin problems and also weakens the hair follicles which leads to hair loss.

That is why you should take care and see that your dog receives the correct nutrition. You can consult a vet to ensure that your dog receives the proper nutrition.

Thanks for reading. I hope this article has helped you understand why your dog sheds their fur. Once you get familiar with your dogs’ shedding pattern you can keep it in control to a certain extent by regularly brushing their fur.