During the shedding season for pet cats and dogs, owners always feel like there is hair everywhere in their homes!
The fur of pet cats and dogs will fall wherever they go, which can sometimes make their owners irritable. The hair thickness of cats and dogs will have a moulting period in order to adapt to changes in temperature. During this period, pet cats and dogs should be combed more frequently to remove the waste hair accumulated on the surface. Regular bathing can prevent the pores of pet cats and dogs from being clogged with grease and allow new hair to grow smoothly. The best tools for home cleaning are vacuum cleaners and roller handles. Putting towels on the bed where pet cats and dogs sleep, and changing and cleaning them frequently will also help prevent waste hair from floating around the home.
Why do pet cats and dogs always need to shed their fur?
This situation is just like people changing clothes with the seasons. Furry animals also wear thin clothes when it is hot and thick clothes when it is cold. When the temperature rises in spring and summer, the thick hair on the body should be removed and replaced with softer, lighter hair. These hairs can still protect the skin, but will not make the animals stuffy like thick winter hair. Although cats and dogs do not dissipate heat through their skin, reducing the amount of fur can help them feel more comfortable in hot weather.
Not only long-haired dogs, but also dogs with hair will shed hair. However, short-haired dogs do not shed hair as much as long-haired dogs. Just like when people have short hair, they don't feel any hair loss in the shower, but once they have long hair, they obviously lose the same amount of hair, but with long hair, the amount of hair loss looks alarming. The same goes for cats and dogs.
Normal shedding or disease shedding
The thickness of cats and dogs' hair will change in order to adapt to temperature changes. Generally speaking, the shedding seasons are spring and autumn, and each shedding lasts one to two months. However, if the owner lives in a subtropical area, the seasonal changes are not obvious, resulting in cats and dogs losing hair for a longer period of time. Some cats and dogs even moult all year round, but "shedding" does not necessarily mean "moulting".
If a pet cat or dog is shedding constantly, the owner can judge whether it is a normal hair loss or an illness based on the skin condition. Generally speaking, if the cat or dog's hair is opened and the skin has redness, papules, rashes, dander, etc., it is considered abnormal hair loss. If there is still no improvement, it is best to seek medical treatment as soon as possible. If it is delayed until the hair follicles of your pet cat or dog are damaged and new hair cannot grow, it will be bad!
Differences in shedding among different breeds
Regardless of long-haired or short-haired cats, in addition to seasonal shedding, they also shed a lot of hair in normal times. Pet dogs have obvious differences. Generally speaking, short-haired dogs such as Labradors, Mixos, and Chihuahuas do not have obvious seasonal hair changes. Breeds that tend to shed more obviously during the change of seasons include Shiba Inu, Husky, Golden Retriever, Fox Terrier, etc. Just as mentioned before, because the climate difference in the owner's living area is not obvious, the hair-shedding time of pet dogs will be prolonged, causing these breeds of dogs to seem to be moulting all year round.
In addition, there are some dogs that, although they are long-haired dogs, do not shed much! Dog breeds such as poodles, schnauzers, maltese, and wire-haired fox terriers are less prone to hair loss, but owners still need to pay attention to the maintenance and cleaning of their hair.
During the season when pet cats and dogs shed their fur, hair will fly everywhere at home. Whether the owner is lying on the sofa or sitting on the carpet, the little guy's hair will be on his body. Don't be upset at this time, and understand that this is just a normal physical condition of your precious pet. Excluding the situation that it is sick, the owner needs to prepare the hair removal tools mentioned in the article and do a good job of cleaning!
