My Schnauzer is shedding a lot?

Question

I owned a Mini Schnauzer in the past and he didn't shed all that much, but the Standard Schnauzer I have now sheds a lot. I've had him for about 6 months and he didn't shed this much when I first got him. We haven't changed his food in that time and I was just wondering what else it might be. He's about a year old.

Answer 1

Here are some common reasons for why a dog might shed excessively:

Dogs do not grow hair continuously, but rather in cycles. Each cycle has a growing phase, a transitional phase and a resting phase. These hair cycles are controlled by such factors as nutrition, hormones, state of health, but most importantly, the amount of light (called photoperiod) and changes in the surrounding temperature. If it's been quite warm where you live, that could explain the extra shedding.

Diet is very important to the health of the skin and hair coat. If the diet is questionable, it is best to change over to one that is well- balanced. Nutritional supplements such as omega fatty acids can help reduce shedding if the cause of the shedding is a fatty acid deficiency.

Using a human-type shampoo,  can cause excessive shedding because these shampoos can be quite harsh to a pet's skin and perfumes can cause hypersensitivity reactions. Bathing too frequently can dry out the hair coat and cause excessive shedding.

Stress can also play a role in hair shedding. it's quite common for dogs to start losing excessive amounts of hair during a visit to the vet. This is because of the effects of the stress hormones that are released into the bloodstream.

Hormones trigger shedding. These hormones in turn are triggered by changes in the amount and length of sunlight and climatic temperatures. A thyroid check should probably be run. Hypothyroidism (not enough thyroid hormone is produced) is a disorder of the Standard Schnauzer breed. Hair loss is associated with Hypothyroidism.

The Standard Schnauzer breed is usually associated with minimal shedding, Because you feel that your dog is shedding excessively, he should be examined by your veterinarian.