Too Soon To Start Shedding?

[Guest nuri]

Nuri and I live in Chicago. We take tons of walks every day with him wearing cozy jackets (sometimes 2 depending on how cold it gets!). Earlier in the winter and late fall I noticed that he had grown an amazing thick coat of fur! It was bunny soft and gorgeous. Over the holidays I boarded him at a Greyhound kennel in Wisconsin that is wonderful and has outdoor runs for him to enjoy. According to the kennel manager, Nuri loved the outside so much that he would even refuse to come in, causing the poor manager to trudge out to the end of the run to coax Nuri back in ! When he went outside at the kennel, he didn't wear a coat...too high maintenance for the kennel. Since I returned from visiting my family, there has been a warm streak for the last two weeks (warm being in the 30s and some 40s ). I noticed that Nuri is shedding like a mad man! I just "furminated" him and could have built my own landshark with the pile of fuzz that he shed ! There have been no changes in his diet. He gets Grizzly Salmon oil every or every other day. Is this shedding just an early seasonal molting or could it be more?? He seems happy and healthy otherwise...I'm probably just getting worried for nothing! Any advice would be appreciated!

[cleptogrey]

i find they start blowing coat when the light changes and days get longer.

[Guest Shana]

I would imagine it would be a weather thing. They obviously cant choose when to shed, it is a natural reaction to the warmth and the longer days. If he didnt wear his coat at the kennel, and now it is warmer his body probably thinks spring is on the way.

This is an assumption, as I really havent studied any dog shedding patterns. It just makes sense to me, as it warms up I certainly dont like wearing as many clothes as I did in the frigid cold (we experienced -40C temps in December, and hit above 0C in January -very bizarre btw-)

 

I would start to be concerned if youre noticing increased flaky skin, an unusual nose/eyes as well as extreme shedding.

If he seems to be in perfect health in EVERY other aspect, its -probably- nothing.

[Guest myneedlenose]

No need to panic unless there are other symptoms raising red flags, it is weather related. Chaos grew a coat worthy of our Canadian winters and because two weeks ago it has been warm enough to melt all the snow and even brought rain in Jan, he is in the process of blowing said gorgeous coat, all over the house The vacuum cleaner is threatening to go on strike!

[Guest Energy11]

Curfew blew ALL of his undercoat during the last few weeks! Thought it might be his Thyroid, but all the numbers came back good.

 

I could have made a fur coat from all the hair he lost! We did have a warm spell the last week to ten days, soooo, maybe that was it! I am NOT ready for spring/summer ... UGH!

 

I wouldn't worry! Just keep grooming, and the excess hair will eventually come out! Good Luck! I KNOW how this is!

[Sighthounds4me]

One thing to remember about shedding winter coat: dogs respond to lengthening days, not necessarily the temperature outside. Especially those that do not spend a lot of time outdoors.

 

I had a Siberian Husky as a kid. She'd start blowing coat at this time of the year every year, even though she lived outside. She never suffered for it, though!

 

My Borzoi, though, do not usually start blowing coat till about mid-May, and I can usually delay it a bit if I want to, depending on how much supplement I give them, and how often I bathe. Naples blows about the same time.

[Guest nuri]

thanks for calming my nerves. i figured it was just seasonal. i just needed some GT experience to sort me out!

[Guest Adrianne]

A dog groomer friend of mine once told me that black dogs shed more than light colored dogs, short-haired dogs shed more than long-haired dogs, and indoor dogs shed more than outdoor dogs.

 

Where she obtained this knowledge, I do not know. But I do know my indoor short-haired black dog sheds like a mad man.

Edited January 26, 2010 by Adrianne

[Sighthounds4me]

A dog groomer friend of mine once told me that black dogs shed more than light colored dogs, short-haired dogs shed more than long-haired dogs, and indoor dogs shed more than outdoor dogs.

 

Where she obtained this knowledge, I do not know. But I do know my indoor short-haired black dog sheds like a mad man.

 

Aside from the indoor dogs shedding more than outdoor, I think much of that has to do with experience. I have seen plenty of light-colored dogs that shed buckets, and plenty of dark dogs that don't. Same with short vs. long-coated dogs (I have dogs with rather long hair who shed a TON!)

 

But, mine are outdoors as much as possible, so that could account for why they shed a lot - blowing coat is a by-product of developing a ton of coat to defend against the cold weather.