The Science Behind Seasonal Coat Changes in Pets
Does it ever feel like your pet is growing a whole new furry friend? If you have been busy vacuuming like crazy, you aren’t alone. Many pets do grow and shed additional fur throughout the year, and knowing what to expect can help you plan for it.
The Hair Cycle
Shedding is normal, and even part of a healthy coat cycle. Dogs and cats of all coat types shed, and there is a method to the madness.
Hair grows in a four stage process which includes:
- Anagen phase (actively growing new hair)
- Catagen phase (when new hair reaches maximum length)
- Telogen phase (non-actively growing hair)
- Exogen phase (shedding hair at the end of its lifecycle)
Pets go through phases where most of the hairs are in the exogen phases, which results in massive amounts of shedding. We most often see this in double-coated dogs at the changing of seasons. Typically though, pets may have hairs in all four stages at any given time.
Indoor climate control can affect the hair cycles as well. Pets in an indoor environment often have less coat growth and loss in the winter months.
Seasonal Grooming Tips
If you have a pet, especially a double-coated breed, our best fall grooming tip is to embrace the brush! Since you are going to be spending a lot of time on pet grooming as seasonal coat changes occur, you may as well make the most of it.
Pamper your pet this fall by:
- Brushing daily and thoroughly to remove as much exogen hair at once as you can
- Massage your pet’s paws with paw balm to help heal paws that are dried out from the changing temperature
- Bathe with a hypoallergenic oatmeal shampoo to help chase away any fall allergy troubles (rinse well!)
- Don’t forget the prevention! Fall is peak flea season here in Michigan, and leaving your pet unprotected is not a risk you should take
Autumn is a great time to take advantage and engage in some major fall pet grooming. So grab that brush and let’s get that hair out in a brush instead of on your black pants. If you feel that your pet’s hair loss is excessive, or if they seem uncomfortable or itchy, give us a call. We can’t stop shedding, but if there is a medical problem, we can surely help.