Excessive shedding in dogs: 6 causes and tips

Is your four-legged friend losing an enormous amount of hair in a short period? Do you have to vacuum more often and feel like you could keep brushing until the end of time? Sometimes it seems as though it will never end… Excessive shedding in dogs can have many different causes. These include the usual shedding seasons, of course, but poor-quality food and stress or anxiety can also cause excessive shedding. You cannot stop a dog from shedding completely, but with the right (coat) care, shedding can be reduced. In this blog, we’ll give you some tips!

Why do dogs shed?

It is perfectly normal for a dog to shed. Twice a year, in spring and autumn, animals go through a shedding season. This is a natural process in which they switch between their summer and winter coats under the influence of temperature and daylight. Old hairs are shed to make room for new ones. The shedding season lasts an average of around 6 to 10 weeks. You can clearly see this in animals that live outdoors all year round: over the course of a few weeks, the entire coat is shed and replaced by a new one. Because most of our pets live primarily indoors, this natural process is disrupted. Indoor temperatures are much more consistent, causing most dogs to shed throughout the year. Nevertheless, you will notice that dogs lose more hair than average in spring and autumn.

The difference between shedding and hair loss

It is important to be able to distinguish between normal shedding and hair loss in dogs. As mentioned above, most dogs shed throughout the year, but when a dog loses an enormous amount of hair in a short period, this is referred to as hair loss. Hair loss always has an underlying cause. A healthy dog also does not develop bald patches during a normal shedding season, whereas this can happen with hair loss.

Causes of hair loss in dogs

There are many different causes of excessive hair loss in dogs. Below, we have listed the most common causes for you:

1. Poor-quality dog food
Good dog food is important for a dog’s overall health. You can therefore imagine that poor-quality food has a major impact on, among other things, a dog’s skin and coat. Make sure you always give your dog a complete food that contains all nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and trace elements) in the correct proportions and is tailored to the animal’s life stage. Read more about what good dog food should meet in this blog.

2. Food allergy or intolerance
One of the most common symptoms of a food allergy or intolerance in dogs is itching, which causes the dog to scratch, bite or lick its coat. The result is excessive hair loss or even bald patches.

In the case of a food allergy or intolerance, it is important that the dog receives hypoallergenic food. The hypoallergenic dry dog food from Riverwood is particularly suitable. These foods are made with three unique protein sources and are completely grain- and gluten-free. This makes it very unlikely that the dog will have an allergic reaction to the food. Would you prefer a food with just one protein source? Then take a look at the mono-protein canned foods from Riverwood. These canned foods are made with one animal protein source and are also completely grain-free.

3. Parasites
Parasites such as fleas or lice cause irritated skin and severe itching. Itching causes the dog to scratch, which leads to, you guessed it: excessive shedding. Typical areas of hair loss caused by fleas or lice are the dog’s neck or the base of its tail. It is therefore important to check your dog carefully for parasites and treat it preventively.

4. Fungi, mites and other (bacterial) infections
Is your dog suffering from excessive hair loss, bald patches, dandruff and itching, and is this not clearly caused by shedding or parasites? Have your dog examined by a veterinarian for fungi, mites or other (bacterial) infections.

5. Stress or anxiety
Excessive hair loss in dogs can also be caused by stress or anxiety. A stressed or anxious dog may express this by, among other things, licking and scratching its coat. This causes hair loss and can eventually even lead to bald patches in the coat.

6. Hormonal disorder
A hormonal disorder caused, for example, by a tumor can also lead to hair loss in dogs. A tumor secretes a particular hormone that can disrupt the growth of healthy hair. Cushing’s disease also causes hair loss. In this condition, a tumor develops that causes a dog’s adrenal gland to produce an excess of cortisol. Finally, thyroid problems can also lead to excessive hair loss. This is because hormone production is slowed when the thyroid gland is underactive.