Is Your Pet’s Excessive Shedding a Sign of Illness?

Are you irked by your dog’s shedding and struggling to deal with it? Especially in the case of heavy or excessive shedding, it could be a sign of illness. You must then consider medical help. 

The amount of shedding that can be considered “normal” depends on the breed of dog. 

However, other factors, such as anatomy, physiology, and genetics, can also impact their shedding habits. Obviously, there are ample dog breeds that shed a lot.

If you got a dog, the only way to know how much they will shed is after spending some time with them, so watch out for their patterns. 

If one of your pets sheds more than another, it’s not necessarily a cause for alarm because shedding habits can differ from pet to pet. 

Changes are only caused for concern if they significantly alter your cat’s or dog’s typical shedding pattern.

Your pet’s hair goes through a constant growth cycle. New hairs grow in the place of old ones when they fall out.

Seasonal

Like most things, the season can drastically impact your dog’s shedding. Your pet may shed more hair as spring approaches because their bodies are getting ready for the warmer weather. Your dog’s or cat’s coat can get thicker in preparation for the colder months. 

Stress

Stress is one of the major causes of most trouble, whether humans or dogs. 

It can be triggered by many things around your pet and can be affected by the sudden change in your pet’s routine. It could be a change of location or simply missing a family member’s presence. 

Diet

Diet plays a role in your pet’s shedding. Pets benefit from a diet rich in minerals and proteins. Sadly, not every pet food is healthy for them. 

The first few ingredients on the label of the healthiest pet foods include poultry, beef, chicken, or other proteins. 

Speak with the veterinarian before changing your pet’s diet. Popular human diets for people like vegetarianism and gluten-free eating may not be the best options for your pet.

Skin Conditions

Getting the right diagnosis is often the first step in skin condition treatment. To ascertain what is causing your dog’s suffering, your veterinarian will look for the symptoms and do testing. Blood tests and skin scrapings are two possible test options.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy is another very obvious reason. When a dog is pregnant or nursing, hormones are in turmoil, and they tend to lose more weight than usual since they are low on energy and other minerals. 

Again, you can seek the help of your dog’s vet to get some prescribed drugs or supplements that can enhance their physical condition and aid their shedding issues.

Allergies

Even your pet dog or cat can develop allergies. Whether your pet has an allergy to fleas, dust mites, mold, or certain foods, you may find that they are constantly licking or scratching their skin.

So, it is highly recommended to check your dog’s well-being as you never know what exactly triggered your dog’s shedding. 

Apart from seeking medical help, it is also recommended to maintain your dog’s hygiene and focus on grooming and exercising regularly.

Anything from hair falls to itchy skin to dull coats could be possible reasons to indicate if your dog has a skin disease. 

Of course, further diagnosis will show the degree or the seriousness of the problem, but you can always initiate the diagnosis.

Final Thoughts

Hair loss may be a symptom or the outcome of a systemic disorder. In either case, it is one of the saddest things to notice that your dog is balding and losing patches of hair. 

Consult a doctor immediately if your best friend starts to bald because it might be very challenging to identify the issue. 

The causes can vary; parasites may be to blame in some cases, while in other cases, the hormonal glands may be to blame.