When Should I Be Worried About Hair Loss
For some dog breeds, excessive shedding is a part of their daily life! As a dog owner, pay attention to the seasonal changes in your dogs shedding, so you know when something is amiss with your pet.
Hair loss that reaches beyond your dogs normal shedding can indicate health issues such as:
- Parasites like fleas, mites, or lice
- Bacterial infections
Brushing Can Do Most Of The Job
Brush your dog daily with a slicker brush! This tool can remove any dead hair thats trapped in their coat.
The more you brush your Golden Retrievers gorgeous coat, the less shell shed. Not only will it remove dead hair, but youll also be removing all the loose fur before it falls on the floor or your furniture.
If daily brushing seems like a chore, it can be done three times a week, at the very least.
Heres a video on how to properly groom or brush your Golden Retriever using a slicker brush, whether she has a short or long coat:
Tips To Keep Golden Retriever Shedding Under Control
One thing should be made clear at the onset of this section i.e. there is no way to keep a Golden Retriever from shedding in an absolute manner. Thats how nature functions with them. Nevertheless, pet owners can employ certain measures and activities to keep the shedding under control. We are going to discuss three things here that can help you in controlling the shedding in Golden Retrievers to a substantial level.
Shedding is one of the things that annoys most of Golden Retriever owners. You will find hair on your couch, carpets and clothes. This forces the owners to look for ways on how to reduce Golden Retriever shedding.
Why do Golden Retrievers shed so much? The Golden Retriever has two layers of fur. The outer coat is waterproof and protects the dogs body from dirt while the undercoat is for maintaining body warmth.
Retrievers shed hair like all mammals to some degree. The shedding is more pronounced during spring and fall. The good thing is that it is easy to clean the Golden Retrievers fur.
You have to consider the fact that there is no way that you can completely stop shedding in a Golden Retriever. The guide below will give tips on how to limit the shedding in Golden Retrievers.
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Proven Solutions To Stop Golden Retriever Hair Fall
1.High quality Food
Healthy skin and hair is a manifestation of what you eat and the same principle applies to Dogs. Hence a general hair fall problem is corrected when corrections are made in its diet. Dog food should be high in proteins, moderate in fats and low in carbohydrates, hence feeding high-quality protein-rich food to your Golden is essential
your Goldens hair contains mostly protein keratin, thus issues like dry hair and hair fall are signals that your Golden is lacking protein in its diet. Ensuring a high proportion of meat in its diet will supply the daily requirement of protein for your Golden.
Make its diet nutrient-rich by adding the required amount of vegetables to its diet, thus feeding nutrient-dense food keeps the hair healthy and prevent excess falling of hair from follicles.
Inexpensive low-quality foods contain cheap fillers like cereal by-products, cottonseed hulls, peanut hulls and straw and these foods are low in its nutrient value. So feeding these kinds of foods may fill your Goldens stomach but leads to a nutritional deficiency in your Golden.
your Golden requires Proteins, Vitamins like A, B, D, E, K, etc, Minerals like calcium, phosphorous etc and essential fatty acids such as Omega 3 and Omega 6 for a healthy coat.
2.Brush regularly
My 3 years old Dog used to suffer from excessive hair fall in spite of good health. Brushing my Dog regularly reduced his hair fall to a great extent.
3.Massage with Coconut oil
4.Add Olive oil to the diet
Broom & Dustpan Combo With Comb
Typically when you sweep up your golden retrievers hair, it kind of causes more of a mess, but this little broom and dustpan combo really does the trick for cleaning up the piles of hair in the corners quickly. The enclosed dustpan stops the hair from going into the air. The comb on the dustpan is a must no bending over to clean brush. Just sweep and clean off the broom on the comb, and all the hair goes right in the dustpan.
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What Are The Best Grooming Tools
Choosing the right grooming equipment can be a very difficult process. There are many different dog grooming brushes available, and each has its own specific purpose.
Ideally, its best to consult with a groomer before buying any grooming tools, as each breed and coat type has specific needs.
Here are a few tried and true grooming tools that help reduce shedding:
Brushing Every Day Can Keep The Shedding Away
The most basic, harmless, and effective measure to prevent and minimize shedding is to brush your Retriever every day. At any given time, a Golden Retriever has many loose hairs that eventually become part of shedding. By combing your pup every day, you can have all those loose hairs collected at one place instead of a litter all over the place.
If you are not able to do it every day, make sure you are doing it at least two times a week. Its easy to understand that a Golden Retriever with fewer loose hairs will shed less.
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Furminator: Why It Is Not On The List
The Furminator is the most popular brush out there and it is on a lot of lists. It is super effective when it comes to deshedding your golden. BUT groomers and competition dog lovers have found that overtime the Furminator can damage your dogs coat if used on a regular basis. The Furminator is better used as an occasional heavy shed removal brush.
- Gets undercoat and top coat;
Golden Retriever Shedding What To Expect
Golden Retrievers are a moderate shedding breed.
But they are on the top end of moderate because they shed an average amount of hair throughout most of the year, and considerably more a couple times per year as they blow coat.
And this is because they are a double coated breed. They have a soft undercoat and a medium length, water resistant top coat that comes in lighter and darker shades of gold.
So, because they have a thick double coat, come spring and fall, the shedding goes from average to heavy, which is a normal occurrence in most dogs with a double coat.
All that is happening is they are shedding their thick winter coat in spring to prepare for the warmer summer months. And likewise they are shedding their summer coat in fall to grow a thicker coat for winter.
Also worth noting is that when puppies reach 6 months of age they shed their thick, fluffy puppy coat completely, to make way for their adult coat. So during this time youre going to notice a once in a lifetime shedding event.
To give you some perspective on the shedding of an adult Golden compared with other breeds, they lose about the same amount of fur as breeds like the Labrador and Great Pyranees, but not quite as much as breeds like the Bernese Mountain Dog and Leonberger for example.
So, as amazing as Goldens are, theyre probably not the best choice if you want a low shedding breed. And definitely not suitable if youre looking for a hypoallergenic breed, like the Poodle.
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How Much Do Golden Retrievers Shed
There isnt an easy way to quantify how much Golden Retrievers shed, but they are surely one of the heaviest-shedding breeds in the world.
Retrievers shed enough to leave a constant dusting of hair on your floors and furniture, and theyll bury your entire home in a layer of golden fur each spring and fall.
The first time you give your dog a thorough brushing during a heavy-shedding period, youll surely be shocked at how much hair you are able to remove from your dog.
It is important to note that the length of a Golden Retrievers fur not only makes it seem like they shed even more than they actually do, it also makes it harder to clean up after them.
Long hairs are more likely to become stuck to the fibers of your carpets and upholstery.
They are also more likely to clog vacuums and form tumbleweeds that will end up blowing around your home.
Watch For Allergies And Medical Conditions
Has your Goldy been shedding too much?
This could be because your dog has allergies. The main cause of allergy-related shedding is that your dog constantly scratches his skin which loosens the hair. Keep an eye on your dog and take him to the vet if necessary.
Your dog may also have a medical condition that may be the reason behind the constant scratching. You should keep an eye on your dog if:
-
Your goldy loses patches of fur
-
The hair is getting thinner by the day
-
Other changes
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Bathe Your Golden Retriever Regularly
Brushing your dog isnt the only way to remove his soon-to-be shed hair in a controlled manner you can also bathe him regularly.
Most Goldens enjoy the occasional bath and it is a very effective hair-management technique thatll help keep your home looking great.
Just be sure you dont bathe your Golden too frequently, as this can cause coat and skin problems.
Anytime you bathe your dog, youll end up washing off many of the hairs that well be shed soon, as well as those that have already been released from the follicles, but still cling to his coat.
Additionally, the massaging action of your hands and fingers will help dislodge soon-to-be shed hair, and itll free the hair that becomes trapped in his coat.
Then, once youve bathed your dog, you can simply dispose of the hair left in the water. If youre bathing your Golden Retriever outdoors, you can simply dump the fur out on the ground or collect it and throw it in the trash.
If you bathe your Golden indoors, youll want to use a drain guard, which will collect the hair as it washes down the drain. This will prevent the hair from clogging your pipes and make clean up much easier.
SEE ALSO:;The 5 Best Dog Shampoos for Shedding
Of : Brushing Bathing And Grooming
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A Golden Retriever Shedding Is Not Considered A Problem
Shedding is natural for some breeds because, as mentioned earlier, its essential for them to be able to adjust to different climates.
In case youre allergic, or you dont have the patience and time to care for a double-coated pet, there are other dogs that dont shed or are considered hypoallergenic, such as the Poodle, Afghan Hound, Basenji, and the Portuguese Water Dog.
Those who prefer a Golden Retriever thats a bit low maintenance, you might like the Goldendoodle.
Your decision will depend on how much you want a Golden Retriever of your own. If youre willing to overlook the golden fur youll find, it shouldnt be an issue.
If youre a Goldie parent, comment any advice or tips on how you manage your Golden Retrievers shedding.
Can I Reduce The Amount My Golden Retriever Sheds
Although golden retrievers will always shed some hair thanks to their double coat, there are some tips and tricks you can use to ensure that the shedding is minimal and manageable.
Firstly, you should commit to a daily brushing schedule. This will allow for you to remove the dead hair straight from your dog before it falls off and becomes entangled in your carpets and furniture. It will also reduce any matting and tangles. If you cant do every day, aim for at least three times a week.
Secondly, you should make sure that your dogs coat is as healthy and strong as possible. That means feeding your dog a healthy, balanced diet and avoiding anything that they could be allergic to, or low-quality dog food that is stuffed with filler instead of nutrients.
Food high in protein will help to keep your dogs hair healthy and supple, and will stop any allergy-related shedding and skin problems. Omega-3 oil supplements are also useful in restoring strength and shine to your dogs coat.
You shouldnt bathe your golden retriever too often as chemical-filled shampoos will dry your dogs skin and hair out, leading to increased shedding and skin problems. Just give them a bath when theyre dirty and, when you do use shampoo, make sure that its a high-quality anti-allergenic one thats gentle on their skin and nourishing to their hair.
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Why And When Golden Retrievers Shed
Golden Retrievers are double-coated canines. They have a waterproof topcoat and a downy, soft undercoat. You may think its too much fur, but it helps them regulate their temperature.
Theyre moderate shedders all-year-round, but they shed more when the season changes during spring and fall to adapt to the changing climate. Their coat gets thinner for the summer, and they grow thicker fur for the winter.
For Golden Retriever puppies, theyll start to lose their puppy coat and grow into their adult hair at around six months of age.
Chomchom Dog Hair Remover
This product went viral in 2018. Why? Because it works. Its a reusable super effective pet hair remover. No matter how much you brush, you are going to get shedding and hair in your home. This will be the best investment youve ever made!;
- Eco-friendly, reusable over and over again.;
- Removes dog and cat hair, lint, and dander from couches, beds, etc
- No batteries needed
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Brushing Bathing And Grooming
How To Clean Dog Hair In Your House
To control the effects of shedding in your house, you have to train your Labrador not to get on the furniture. This can be difficult to do, but it will help a lot as cleaning dog hair off the furniture is very difficult.
The next thing to do is vacuum your house regularly to avoid dog hair building up and make your living room look like a dog kennel. Donât forget to clean the drapes and carpets in the house, also clean and sanitize all surfaces of your house. Most of your dogâs dead hair will deposit in the floors, but some of it will float around the house and end up in places where your dog has never been.
Itâs worth to invest a high-quality vacuum as you will be using it a lot. Robot vacuums are a good option for Lab owners that donât have the time to vacuum the house.
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