Hair everywhere! How to make the coat change easier for your dog
Your dog is a real treasure - if it weren't for all the hair! Especially in spring and autumn, many dog owners can hardly keep up with the vacuuming. The reason: your beloved four-legged friend is undergoing a coat change. This means that he gradually replaces his old coat with a new one for up to two months in order to be well prepared for the summer or winter. While not all dog breeds go through a coat change, most do. This is not only exhausting for the dog owner, but also for the dog. We have five tips for you to make this phase easier for you and your furry friend.
1. support through the right nutrition
The change of coat brings with it a greater need for essential fatty acids. Deficiencies lead to dandruff and itching. Since they are not produced by the animal's body, it is important to supply omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids additionally via the feed. Evening primrose oil has been found to be good. Salmon oil, walnut oil or linseed oil. A few drops are already sufficient. In addition, biotin can have a positive effect on coat, skin and claws.
2. brush, brush, brush!
Many dogs suffer from severe itching during this time, which is caused by the dead hair. By combing regularly you support this process and relieve the itching by removing the loose hairs. The benefit is that every hair combed out is one less hair on your upholstered furniture or floors! At the same time, many dogs enjoy grooming and you can see immediately if your four-legged friend has eczema, open spots from scratching or even parasites.
3. furminator and Co. for the undercoat
In the trade you will find special brushes that are designed to reach loose hairs and the undercoat. One of these brushes is the Furminator (not Sponsored! We just really personally love using it!). It's not only available for dogs, but for cats as well, and it comes in a variety of sizes. You will be surprised how much fur you will comb out with this brush.
4. humidity against itching
Especially in the colder season, when the heaters are turned up for the first time, not only many people but also dogs have to fight with dry air. Then the air humidity is too low, which on the one hand can cause burning eyes, but on the other hand can also promote itching. If your dog is also undergoing a coat change, the dry skin will torment him on top of everything else. To alleviate the discomfort, you should make sure that the humidity in the room is adequate. To do this, simply place bowls of water on the radiators. 5.
5 The groomer can help
To manage the coat of particularly long-haired breeds, a visit to a dog groomer can not hurt. Especially in summer, the four-legged friends will thank you anyway, if they do not have to walk around with a thick fur. In addition, hair loss can be brought under better control. Typical breeds for which a visit to the groomer is recommended are, for example, various terriers, poodles, but also some larger dogs such as golden retrievers, depending on the coat structure.
An insider tip: if you stroke the edge of a pumice stone over your dog's coat, you can get out quite a bit of dirt, dandruff and such. Many dogs actually like this better than brushing.
