Excessive shedding

MsFifers

One of the cats I have is shedding excessively and pulling out his hair. Has anyone had a problem with excessive shedding in their pet, and have they found the cause?

I've brought the cat to the vets previously about this issue, and he said he had an allergy to pollen and gave him an anti-inflammatory injection - which stopped the shedding and hair-pulling for about a month. He didn't run any allergy tests though and I'm not convinced its pollen as he was reacting this way in January when there was not much pollen about.

I'm bringing the cat in to the vet tomorrow for another anti-inflam injection, but would prefer to figure out the cause.

lorebringer

Really sounds like an allergy to me - shedding along with obvious irritation on the cats part all point to an environmental allergy. Unfortunately, finding the cause can be tricky because there are so many things that are potential triggers. The most common are household cleaning stuff (washing powder, floor cleaner, bathroom cleaner etc.), whatever the cat is being fed and the common natural irritants (pollen etc.).

Ask your vet about a skin scraping and allergy testing, it could show up something very unexpected and this would be the end of the problems. Even if it doesn't show up anything, it will help cross off things from the list of potential problems. You should prob have a think about everything the cat comes into contact with and what chemicals could be on it (so, if he is on your bed a lot and you use a strong fabric softener or does he walk on counters that are bleached regularly and similar situations) and try to reduce exposure. The last is food and this can be the biggest minefield - make sure your cat is on a high quality food that agrees with him, think about whether you changed his food when this all started or started a new supplement and if unsure about his food, try a new high quality brand for a while to see if it works better. Not all foods agree with all animals and sometimes it can be trial and error to find the best one for your pet.

Jackie307133

lorebringer wrote: »

Really sounds like an allergy to me - shedding along with obvious irritation on the cats part all point to an environmental allergy. Unfortunately, finding the cause can be tricky because there are so many things that are potential triggers. The most common are household cleaning stuff (washing powder, floor cleaner, bathroom cleaner etc.), whatever the cat is being fed and the common natural irritants (pollen etc.).

Ask your vet about a skin scraping and allergy testing, it could show up something very unexpected and this would be the end of the problems. Even if it doesn't show up anything, it will help cross off things from the list of potential problems. You should prob have a think about everything the cat comes into contact with and what chemicals could be on it (so, if he is on your bed a lot and you use a strong fabric softener or does he walk on counters that are bleached regularly and similar situations) and try to reduce exposure. The last is food and this can be the biggest minefield - make sure your cat is on a high quality food that agrees with him, think about whether you changed his food when this all started or started a new supplement and if unsure about his food, try a new high quality brand for a while to see if it works better. Not all foods agree with all animals and sometimes it can be trial and error to find the best one for your pet.

Can you help me with my dog? i have a terrier with long fur and it just seems to be everywhere. I brought her to be groomed and for a little while things improved but now back to square one, my daughters clothes are destroyed with hair and i've had to bin some cause the hair just won't come off. I brush her on a regular basis but at this stage i'm starting to regret the arrival of our newest family member help please

lorebringer

Jackie307133 wrote: »

Can you help me with my dog? i have a terrier with long fur and it just seems to be everywhere. I brought her to be groomed and for a little while things improved but now back to square one, my daughters clothes are destroyed with hair and I've had to bin some cause the hair just won't come off. I brush her on a regular basis but at this stage I'm starting to regret the arrival of our newest family member help please

That does sound like a lot of hair! It sounds like you need to invest in a good brush to give your dog a once over with daily. The FURminator is a fantastic tool for shedding dogs and is definitely worth trying - it looks very harsh and some dogs aren't too keen on them but it can work wonders! Any large pet store should stock them or you could buy online (it'll probably be cheaper this way!). They can feel pricey but are worth their weight with the amount of hair they can take off a dog in one go. If you do not have success with the FURminator, most large pet store stock other brushes designed for shedding dogs so give these a go. Just to note - if your dog has a wire coat, the FURminator may not be as successful but I would recommend you try it anyway to see how you get on.

Your dog was probably hand stripped a the groomer (google it - you'll see the amount of hair that can be taken off a dog in one session), or just given a super going over, and this is why the shedding calmed for a while. You need to keep on top of it if your dog is a heavy shedder (one of mine is - nightmare coming into Summer!) - a good daily brush through is essential and vacuuming regularly (I do mine daily, but this may be excessive for some people) will keep the level of hair down in the house. Also, certain fabrics retain hair much more than others (wool, fleece etc. are the worst, while smooth cotton is fine) so try to keep your dog away from these textures on bedding, clothes etc. A good wash every so often will also help keep your dogs coat in tip top condition, and help with shedding. There are specific shampoos to reduce shedding so these would be worth a go (groomers and large pet shops tend to stock them).

Food can contribute to shedding also - if your dog is on a low quality food it can increase skin irritation and shedding. Making sure your dog is fed a good quality diet and kept in good condition may also contribute to stopping excessive shedding. I'm assuming that your dogs shedding is all over, consistent and not patchy so it shouldn't be due to any allergies or contact irritation.

Good luck!

Jackie307133

lorebringer wrote: »

That does sound like a lot of hair! It sounds like you need to invest in a good brush to give your dog a once over with daily. The FURminator is a fantastic tool for shedding dogs and is definitely worth trying - it looks very harsh and some dogs aren't too keen on them but it can work wonders! Any large pet store should stock them or you could buy online (it'll probably be cheaper this way!). They can feel pricey but are worth their weight with the amount of hair they can take off a dog in one go. If you do not have success with the FURminator, most large pet store stock other brushes designed for shedding dogs so give these a go. Just to note - if your dog has a wire coat, the FURminator may not be as successful but I would recommend you try it anyway to see how you get on.

Your dog was probably hand stripped a the groomer (google it - you'll see the amount of hair that can be taken off a dog in one session), or just given a super going over, and this is why the shedding calmed for a while. You need to keep on top of it if your dog is a heavy shedder (one of mine is - nightmare coming into Summer!) - a good daily brush through is essential and vacuuming regularly (I do mine daily, but this may be excessive for some people) will keep the level of hair down in the house. Also, certain fabrics retain hair much more than others (wool, fleece etc. are the worst, while smooth cotton is fine) so try to keep your dog away from these textures on bedding, clothes etc. A good wash every so often will also help keep your dogs coat in tip top condition, and help with shedding. There are specific shampoos to reduce shedding so these would be worth a go (groomers and large pet shops tend to stock them).

Food can contribute to shedding also - if your dog is on a low quality food it can increase skin irritation and shedding. Making sure your dog is fed a good quality diet and kept in good condition may also contribute to stopping excessive shedding. I'm assuming that your dogs shedding is all over, consistent and not patchy so it shouldn't be due to any allergies or contact irritation.

Good luck!

thanks so much for all your help, will call into the pet shop tomorrow and see what i can get