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How to Handle Your Adult Dog’s Shedding

If you own a dog, chances are, you deal with the nuisance of shedding fur. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to help keep your dog's shedding to a manageable level.

Bred to Shed

The main factor related to how much your dog sheds is which breed you own. Certain breeds, such as Yorkshire Terriers and Poodles, hardly shed at all, and are especially well suited for people who suffer from dander-related allergies. But if one of these hypoallergenic breeds is not your dog of choice, then chances are you deal with some amount of shedding. Here are some practical tips to deal with all of that hair.

Bad Hair Days

Many dogs are seasonal shedders. As the temperatures begin to drop, so does the fur. Dogs shed their summer coats in the fall as their winter coats come in. The best way to deal with this is to be prepared. Brush your dog more often and vacuum more frequently. This will keep that extra hair from becoming too unmanageable.

Dogs also will go through their own version of spring cleaning. When the temperatures begin to rise in the spring, dogs will begin shedding that extra winter hair. Again, preparation is the key. Regular brushing and vacuuming will help you get through these “hairy” times.

Less Shedding Through Nutrition?

Between the millions of strands of hair constantly growing, some breeds of dogs grow up to a total of 100 feet of fur per day! But, while your dog might not boast those kinds of hair-growth numbers, constantly replacing fur still places a demand on a dog’s system. Thirty percent of a dog's protein needs go toward hair growth. If a dog is not receiving proper nutrition, the dog's body will put the protein he's receiving toward maintaining muscle mass, leaving the coat to suffer.

A healthy, shiny coat is not only a sign of proper nutrition, but it also sheds less than an unhealthy coat. Premium dog food like IAMS™ ProActive Health™ provides dogs with the nutrients they need to keep their coat healthy, which means less shedding.

High Time for Hygiene

Brushing doesn't have to be a necessary evil. Train your dog to enjoy brushing, offering frequent praise during the process, and maybe even a treat at the end. This is easiest done from the time your dog is a puppy, but older dogs can be taught to enjoy brushing as well. The importance of brushing cannot be overemphasized. Just look at all the hair that ends up in the brush, and realize if it weren’t in the brush, it would be on your couch, floor, and perhaps, bed.

Be sure you're using the right kind of brush for your dog's coat. Breeds with thick undercoats need a specific type of brush, while longhaired breeds need a comb.

Last but not least, make sure to give your dog an occasional bath. Aside from the obvious benefit of having a clean, good-smelling pooch, your dog's coat will also benefit. Be warned though: Bathing your dog too frequently washes away the natural oil on his skin and coat, resulting in dry skin and, you guessed it, more shedding.

A Little Extra Time Goes a Long Way

Committing the time to maintaining your dog's coat will help keep his shedding under control. Frequent brushing and vacuuming, and feeding your dog a balanced diet such as IAMS ProActive Health Adult MiniChunks will have you worrying less about an overabundance of hair and more time enjoying your furry friend.

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How to Help Your Overweight Dog
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Obesity is a common problem in dogs, but you can help your pet lose weight. Identifying the causes and following a total weight-management program can result in controlled weight loss and maintenance. A total weight-management program includes evaluating the animal, educating the pet owner, modifying behaviors, and tailoring the program to individual situations.

Definition and Causes of, and Contributing Factors to, Obesity in Dogs
Obesity is defined as an increase in body weight, beyond the limitation of skeletal and physical requirements, resulting from an accumulation of excess body fat.

Obesity is caused when caloric intake exceeds caloric expenditure. This simply means that a dog eats more energy (calories) than it uses and stores the excess energy as fat.

There are many factors that can contribute to obesity:
Overfeeding
Inactivity
Breed
Age and gender
Spay/neuter status
Diabetes mellitus
Hyperadrenocorticism
Hypothyroidism
Owner's weight

Fat, Fiber, and Fatty Acids in Your Dog’s Weight-Loss Program
Fat
Dogs use fat as their primary energy source.
A diet that replaces some fat with highly digestible carbohydrates offers a good low-calorie alternative. Digestible carbohydrates contain fewer than one half of the calories of equal quantities of fat and do not have the disadvantages of indigestible fiber.

Fiber and Fatty Acids
A normal fiber level, provided in a moderately fermentable fiber source, helps create and maintain a healthy gut. This is especially important to the dog on a weight-reduction regimen.
Some weight-loss products for dogs dilute calories with high levels of fiber. High-fiber foods might reduce the digestibility and absorption of many nutrients, including fat. These foods reduce weight by providing what could be considered poor-quality nutrition. These high-fiber diets also might result in large, frequent stools, and decreased skin and coat condition.
Diets that provide an adjusted fatty-acid profile maintain the pet's healthy skin and coat, despite lowered fat levels.

Carbohydrates and Special Ingredients in Your Dog’s Weight-Loss Program
Carbohydrates and Special Ingredients
Feeding a diet that contains the carbohydrates corn, sorghum, and/or barley can result in lower blood sugar and insulin levels as compared to feeding a diet that contains rice as the primary carbohydrate source. Lower blood sugar and insulin levels also can help with maintaining a proper weight.

In addition, a diet that contains L-carnitine can help dogs metabolize fat. L-carnitine is a vitamin-like compound that helps burn fat.

Weight Loss for Your Dog Should Be Gradual
The goal of a good weight-loss-management program should be gradual weight loss. This is especially important in cats, because severe nutrient restriction can result in hepatic lipidosis (abnormal fat accumulation in the liver).
Dogs should lose 1 to 2% of their initial weight per week.
A good way to begin a weight-loss program is to reduce caloric intake by transitioning to a weight-control or reduced-fat formula. Dogs and cats that do not respond quickly should see their veterinarian for a special weight-loss program.

A total weight-management program can lead to successful weight reduction in the obese dog. Complete evaluation by the veterinarian is always recommended, and owner compliance is essential to success.

IAMS™ and professional veterinary products provide optimum nutrition for animals that can benefit from a weight-management program.
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