How do I reduce or eliminate the fur shedding all over the place?

Our question this week was:

Dr. Debra – How do I reduce or eliminate the fur shedding all over the place?

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P Gamble

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. You wrote asking, "How do I reduce or eliminate the fur shedding all over the place?". Great question and there is no simple "easy" answer. If you find one – let me know and we will both be millionaires!

Shedding is the process by which old hair naturally falls out and new hair begins to grow in its place. The new hair does not "push out" the old hair. Since hair growth and loss is a continual cycle, there is no true starting point.

When dogs run free in the wild, they brush up against bushes, trees and other flora. This action removes old hair naturally. Our house pets need brushing to accomplish this same goal and to prevent large amounts of hair from accumulating in the coat. But brushing is also good for your dog. It not only decreases the amount of hair on your clothes and furniture; it also stimulates the blood supply to the skin. And brushing your dog's hair helps to prevent skin parasites, such as mites, fleas and ticks, from infesting your pet and your home and keeps unsightly and sometimes painful mats from forming.

We did a survey a while back of thousands of pet lovers asking how they deal with this problem. This article is very useful and has some very good tips. Go to: Get Pet Hair OFF and OUT of Your Home.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

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