Moulting - The Facts

Do you have a dog that seems to moult brushfulls of fur from time to time? I do! It can be alarming to brush and brush and seemingly endless amounts of fur come away and I worry sometimes I will be left with a bald dog! You might be reassured therefore to read the following explanation from guidelines written by the Blue Cross. Unless your dog has obvious bare patches, then moulting is not usually a sign of illness. Dogs can lose up to 180g of fur per kg of body weight over the course of a year. Hair growth is in two stages, 'anagen' is when hair growth is active and there is little shedding. 'Telogen' is the inactive stage when dogs shed fur. This varies between breeds, body location and hair length. Shedding fur is normally associated with day length, and mostly happens in Spring and Autumn, but if your dog lives mostly indoors with steady temperatures and steady light levels this is likely to be less apparent.
There is no remedy to alter shedding, but a balanced diet, regular flea control, frequent brushing and fish oil supplements can help