Dog Shedding: How to Keep Pet Hair Under Control
Everyone with a furry buddy knows how difficult it can be to keep a pet’s hair under control. Dog shedding is a normal process that enables your dog to regulate her body temperature and protect her skin. Depending on your dog’s breed and age, the amount and frequency of shedding can vary significantly. However, if you notice that your furry friend sheds more than normally, you should consider seeking help from a vet because this might be a sign of an underlying condition, such as allergies, hormone imbalance, or a certain skin problem.
Under no circumstances should you give medication, food, or any other products to reduce shedding, regardless of whether your dog is completely healthy or possibly suffering from a certain condition. With proper care and regular maintenance, you’ll be able to keep your pet’s hair under control and your home clean and healthy.
Regular Dog Grooming
You need to groom your furry buddy regularly, which will significantly reduce the amount of pet hair around your house. If your dog has short hair, you should brush her once or twice a week, while dogs with long hair should be brushed more frequently. Make sure to have a designated spot for grooming your pet, such as the garage or an area in your backyard, to prevent hair from spreading around your house.
Bathing your dog is also important, but make sure not to overdo it. Dogs should typically be bathed between once a month to once every several months (for cleaner, indoor dogs) with a special, gentle shampoo that will keep their skin protected.
Proper Diet
Excessive shedding can be caused by hormonal changes and allergies triggered by different factors in your pet’s environment, including her diet. Since your dog’s diet can affect her skin health and hair quality, it’s advisable that you buy dog food from certified suppliers containing ingredients approved by Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) quality systems.
In addition, you should also give your dog food that will provide her with nutrients appropriate for a specific climate. For example, nutritious Advance dog food is designed for Australian pets as it contains ingredients suitable for the continent’s warm-yet-dry climate. High-quality, certified food will contribute to your dog’s general health, which will consequently enhance her hair quality, too.
Keeping Your Floors Clean
By eliminating dog hair from your floors, you’ll prevent it from sticking onto your furniture, which is significantly more difficult to clean. If you have hardwood floors, you should clean them with a dust mop, while tiles should be cleaned with a damp mop. If possible, you should completely remove the carpets because they will be quite difficult to clean. However, if this isn’t an option, you should spray your carpets with water and then brush them with a damp sponge mop to collect the dog hair. Cleaning your floors on a daily basis is of the utmost importance if your dog spends a lot of time in your house.
Maintenance for Hair-Free Furniture
A simple way to keep dog hair away from your beautiful furniture is to use slipcovers or blankets that you can just remove and throw into your washing machine. If you don’t want to use covers, there are other ways to keep your furniture hair-free. You can just put on a pair of rubber gloves and collect dog hair by rubbing the gloves in one direction. Using a dry or damp sponge is another possible technique for balling up and cleaning dog hair. Finally, you can also get a micro-fiber cloth and remove hair from your furniture with just a few brushes.
Cleaning Supplies and Additional Accessories
You should get some necessary cleaning supplies to make the removal of pet hair easier and more efficient. While lint rollers can get pet hair off of your clothes, special vacuum cleaners can keep both your floors and your pet clean. You can find a vacuum cleaner with a special pet attachment that you can use on your dog. Apart from grooming tools, you should also consider providing your dog with their own special corner. Keep in mind that your dog will shed most of their hair in their own bed, so you should get one that is easy to clean, with fully washable covers.
Grooming your dog regularly and implementing these simple tricks will help you keep your home hair-free. However, if you notice that your dog sheds more than usual, make sure to take them to a vet for a check-up.