Dealing With Excessive Shedding

Excessive shedding from your pet can be a real drag. Pet fur seems to get everywhere in your home and it's never ending! Read below for some tips to help in dealing with your four-legged friend's extra fur!

Stop it from the source! Brushing your pet is an obvious necessity when dealing with too much fur. How often you brush will depend a lot on your individual animal. Some pets have multiple coats that shed at different times or at higher levels. Specialty pet brushes can get into your animal’s undercoat to get some of the most stubborn hair that seems to shed no matter how much brushing is done.

Some animals have seasonal shedding as opposed to year-round shedding. This usually takes place during the changes of seasons when things are getting warmer (or even sometimes when things are getting cooler a pet will shed its summer coat to make more room for a heavier winter coat). Of course, during these times of seasonal shedding, it is especially important to brush your pets. Get the fur out now before it ends up in your home!

While some pets never need to see a groomer, those that do will benefit greatly with a little bit of a haircut touch-up. Don’t be afraid to bring your pet to a professional to help you take care of the extra fur issues!

Baths loosen up extra fur that is hard to get with brushing alone. Give a thorough bath and always remember to rinse extra well to keep from irritating your pet’s skin. A lot of fur should come out during the bath itself, so make sure to use a strainer when draining the bath water. After your pet’s fur is completely dry, another good brushing will get out more than you were able to get before!

Pick it up where it congregates before it spreads! You would be surprised how much loose hair ends up in the places our pets frequent the most. Whether it’s a pet bed, a couch, or another favorite spot, if you regularly clean up the shedded fur from these areas, it is less likely to be tracked around the house and become a problem everywhere else.

Clean up surfaces in other areas of your home! Get creative with the tools you use to clean up fur. The type of surface the fur is on can really change the ideal tool for cleaning it up. Lint rollers work well on clothing, but there are also clever reusable items that can pick up fur in heavy shedding areas like furniture or dog beds. Rubber gloves use their grippy surface to “grab” hair from embedded areas. This same concept works with dry sponges. Damp cloths or slightly damp mops work great for picking up fur from smooth surfaces like hardwood floor or linoleum. Try multiple solutions to see what works best for you! Keep your clothing away from your pet! If you are under constant stress of keeping your nice work clothing clean and fur free, the best way to avoid shedded fur is to simply put clothes away immediately into a closet or drawer. Even if your pet doesn’t come into direct contact with your fresh pile of clean laundry, it’s still possible that the clothes will pick up stray fur if left out. So put it away!

Consider your pet’s coat! If your pet is shedding an amount that you would consider unnatural, think about taking them to a vet to check to make sure their health is alright. A veterinarian can also help to offer up ideas to help limit your pet’s shedding, whether it be diet or another health related tip.

If you don’t currently have a pet, but are worried about shedding in the future, do some research into different breeds. Both cats and dogs have breeds that offer lower levels of shedding or even hypoallergenic coats. This choice can help to make a more perfect match between you and your next pet!