Everything you Need to Know About Dog Shedding

Unless you own a hairless breed, your dog sheds. Some breeds, like Poodles, shed very little, while others, like Siberian Huskies, shed a great deal. Shedding is a normal function that helps animals get rid of their old winter or summer coat and grow in a new, seasonally appropriate one.

THE HAIR LIFE CYCLE

Every hair on your dog’s body has its own “life cycle” preprogrammed into it: the anagen phase, when the hair is actively growing; the catagen phase, when hair has stopped growing and just stays there; and the telegen phase, when hair falls out, to be replaced by new hair. This results in one kind of shedding: When the hair reaches its predestined length, it falls out. But when it all happens at once in the undercoat, that’s known as The Shed.

Most of what is shed is the thick, protective undercoat. Some breeds, like Siberian Huskies, “blow their coat” twice yearly, encouraging their owners to take vacations at this time and leave their dogs with a pet sitter.

When dogs lived outside all year, profuse shedding was restricted to spring and fall, but today’s indoor dogs may shed moderately all year. However, dogs who suffer from allergies, poor diet, or stress may shed more heavily than is considered usual for their breed. Most shedding is normal, but unusual shedding patterns can warrant a trip to the vet: hair loss in patches, symmetrical hair loss on certain parts of the body, hair loss accompanied by another skin problem, and so on.

HOW TO MINIMIZE SHEDDING

There is no way to stop a dog from shedding, but you can improve matters by reducing the amount of loose hair flying around the house.

Brush Every Day

The most important step you can take is to brush your dog every single day. This not only gets rid of loose dead hair but also brushes the oils through the living hair to make it softer and sleeker. That healthy hair is more likely to stay attached to your dog’s body and off the furniture.

It’s vital to use the correct brush. A brush that that removes dead hair from the undercoat without damaging the outercoat is ideal. Dogs who shed heavily also benefit from regular brushing, shedding blades, grooming gloves, and mat removers. If your dog is shorthaired, a brisk going-over with a curry comb will do wonders. The best time to bring out the heavy equipment for longhaired breeds is late winter and mid-fall, just before the new coat starts growing in.

Bathe Frequently

Bathe your dog frequently using a specially formulated shampoos for de-shedding. We use an all natural de-shedding shampoo that is gentle , effective and safe for puppies and kittens. We recommend regular grooming for a happy shedding season.

Feed a Healthy Diet

Another thing you can do is feed your dog an appropriate diet with adequate fatty acids and digestible protein. The best dog foods are entirely grain-free. Dogs with food allergies are highly prone to diet-related shedding. You may also wish to add a little olive oil or flaxseed oil, which contains fatty acids essential to your dog’s health. Don’t forget to offer your dog plenty of fresh cool water, especially if his primary diet is a dry kibble. Dehydration is a main cause of shedding of healthy hair.

Control Pests on Your Pet

Control pests on your pet, which can make him scratch. When dogs scratch the skin becomes irritated. Irritated skin increases shedding.

The Importance of Keeping Your Dog Groomed in the Winter Season!

The importance of winter grooming: follow our four tips!

Winter is dry and cold in Salt Lake City and we have some tips on winter grooming to keep you dog happily groomer this season!

There’s a common misconception that dogs don’t need to be groomed, or only groomed minimally, over the winter months. The (erroneous) belief is that a dog’s winter coat comes in and should be allowed to grow long to protect and warm the dog. In addition, because dogs, like humans, often follow a more sedentary and inside routine in the winter, many people feel that their dogs aren’t getting dirty enough to warrant bathing. But this is simply not true. In fact, in many ways, grooming over the winter months becomes even more important to the health of your dog than at any other time of the year. Long, wet, matted hair easily makes a cold, wet, and infection-susceptible dog.

While it’s true that double-coated breeds and others with thick, long fur are more winter-ready than short-haired dogs, the “blessing” of these thick coats in winter can turn quickly into a curse if the fur isn’t maintained in a healthy condition. Fur that’s matted doesn’t insulate or provide warmth; instead, it provides discomfort, pain, and hot spots. Matting can even lead to infections below the skin, so when considering the effects of letting the grooming go, consider how your dog’s health may in fact suffer as a result. Grooming isn’t just for a beautiful dog (though this is obviously one noticeable effect), it’s also crucial for your dog’s good health.

Winter pitfalls to your dog’s coat and skin include:

• Dry forced-air heat

• Bitter, cold temperatures

• Wind

• Snow and ice

• Dampness

• Salt and sand used on streets and sidewalks

Simply follow these four grooming rituals through the winter to combat these winter blahs, and ensure that your dog stays comfortable, dry, and healthy!

• Regular rub-downs: Any time your dog is wet, whether it’s from playing in the snow, running in the rain, or just following a bath, make sure to dry him thoroughly. In the winter this becomes especially important because your dog is just as susceptible to chills as you are. Think about being outside in freezing temperatures with a head full of wet hair: then consider that your dog doesn’t have the benefit of indoor plumbing and don’t subject him to this discomfort! In addition, your dog’s skin can become very dry and itchy when its fur isn’t dried fully combined with the excessively dry air created from indoor electric heaters.

• Getting 100 strokes in: The most important grooming procedure at any time of year is to brush your dog’s coat regularly. Brushing helps to keep away mats and tangles, which only get worse the longer they’re allowed to stick around.  Mats and tangles prevent the distribution of the oils that naturally occur in the skin that help to condition and stimulate the skin and coat. This means an increase in dry skin, dull coat, and worse: infected hot spots. During the winter months, mats are the worst enemy to a properly maintained coat’s natural insulating qualities. A beautiful, mat-free coat helps to insulate body heat and radiates this heat back into the body, keeping a protective barrier between the dog and external cold air. Mats have a tendency to hold moisture against the skin, attracting more snow and debris, creating a perfect breeding ground for bacterial growth and infection.  As you can imagine, with the increase in damp, wet conditions in winter, it becomes even more important to police mats and eradicate them at the first opportunity. Brushing your dogs daily, even for just a few minutes, is critical in the winter.  If mats get out of control, it becomes too painful for the dog and too time-consuming for you to attempt to brush them all out, in which case, the easiest thing is to cut the entire coat short before skin and health problems develop.

• Pooch pedicures:   Keeping your dogs’ feet in tip-top shape is very important in the winter. Throughout the year your dog’s nails naturally wear down from regular walks outside on concrete and asphalt, but in winter, most humans and dogs reduce their outdoor activities. And even if you’re still diligent about taking your dog for walks in the winter, they are probably shorter in duration, and over more snow- and ice-covered areas, so the nails will not wear down as much as they normally would. It’s very important to keep the nails trim, because if the nails grow long such that you hear “click click click” on the floor when they walk across it, this makes it difficult for them to keep their balance on ice and snow. Dogs can fall on the ice too, and we wouldn’t want that!
  It’s also important to trim your dog’s fur around their paw-pads as excess fur attracts snow and iceballs to form, creating severe discomfort and pain to your dog. Hair that accumulates in the pads can become matted, and hold moisture from rain and snow, and even pick up rock salt and ice. Which is sort of like waking around with rocks in wet shoes? Sounds awful, doesn’t it? If your dog tolerates it, dog-sized boots are a great option to keep out the snow, ice, salt, and sand: all harsh enemies of little puppy paws. But if your dog refuses to wear booties, the next best thing is to keep a bowl of warm water by the door and give each paw a little soak and dry after returning from any outdoor activities: the warm water easily melts away the ice and snow and any loose dirt and debris is shaken loose before it can burrow deeper.

• Moisturizing Baths!!: Bathing your dog regularly is one of the most important things you can do for your dog in the winter, as a clean dog is a happy, healthy dog. During the cold winter months, many of us suffer with dry, chafed, and scaly skin due to the combination of cold air, wind, and interior dry air from our forced-air heaters. Even though they’re covered with a layer of fur, our dogs also feel the drying effects of winter, so it’s even more important to use a non-drying, highly moisturizing, gentle shampoo and conditioner. (We use them!)
  

We're Getting Great Reviews for Our Grooming Services!

We've been out here grooming dogs in our mobile shuttle now for 3 months!  We put a lot into making our service the best you (and your dog), have ever experienced and we're so proud of the work we do. 

Here's what people are saying about We Call It Puppy Luv's mobile grooming services.

"The mother and son team who groom my dog are kind, listen well and spend a great deal of time making sure the cut is perfect. I really appreciate every thing they do." - Susan

Awesome Job!!! Loved these two. Our German Shepards are a hand full and Sheri Handled it after the youngest got skunked! You guys are awesome! What a pleasant experience! - Cindy

"It was a great experience overall. Extremely friendly and courteous service. They encourage you to get involved in the process. They were great with accommodating the needs of my dog with her being a little older with some health problems. And being one dog at a time takes away much of the stress my dog normally goes through with all the chaos of a regular groomer. Showed up when they said they would and seemed to go to whatever extra mile they needed to in order for you and your animal to be as happy and satisfied as possible, including a pretty generous military discount Thank you for the wonderful experience! 10/10 would and will always recommend."  -Ryan

"Our standard Poodle Lewis Blackdog II had a full winter coat and was a mess. Sheri picked Lewis up and took the time he needed to make him look great and happy. We will definitely will be back. Thanks Sheri!"  -Greg

"They did such a great job with my dog Schuster! He was a bit of a challenge and they were incredible with him! Five stars! And highly recommend!!!"  -Shannan

"Great job Puppy Luv! Prompt, convenient and reasonably priced. Did an awesome job on my dog and she seemed less stressed than a regular trip to the groomer. Highly recommended!"  -Allen

"Puppy luv does remarkable work. Car rides make my dog anxious, so having the luxury of this service was great for both him and I. They did a great job and he felt and smelled amazing after! He usually gets dandruff after being bathed and he had no dandruff after using their shampoo and conditioner." - Ashley