moulting dog

[bronners]

we have a border collie x labrador that moults like hell.does anyone have any suggestions as to anything we might be able to do to cut down on the amount of hair she loses apart from shaving her bald like my wife wants to do lol thanks in advance

[jules77]

I have been using a new product called Yumega since July last year on my rough collies, and have noticed a vast difference in the amount of hair they have lost. It has some great feedback on their site (my puppy is on there too!), and a lot of collie people are now using it to keep the dogs coat in show condition.

If you order it via www.collienet.com, you get a discount by entering the promotional code COLLIENET.

third ad down on attached link

http://www.collienet.com/collienet_shoppingmal l_hygiene_Petcareproducta.htm

[bronners]

thanks just had a look on that site and the yumega looks good will give it a go.

[Clanad]

Look, any of the longhair working dog breeds will present a problem if not agressively groomed. These dogs were bred to be outside in all kinds of inclement weather. The undercoat is the problem. It cannot be groomed adequately unless the top coat storm coat is lifted and the bottom coat is combed/brushed right down to the skin and this process should be at least once per week.
You don't say how old your dog is, but if he/she is coming out of the puppy coat (about 1 year to a year and a half old) the need to groom the dog goes up by a factor of 2... about 3 times per week until you gain control of it.

We've had working dogs on the ranch here in the western U.S. for years and have found that a good dose of fish oil or pork fat in their diet works wonders in helping make the hair more manageable. We add about a tablespoon of pure lard to the food once per day... I know this can present weight problems unless the exercise is equal to the calorie intake... not a problem with these working dogs, but you'll need to exercise yours enough... Best of luck!

[PatriciaH]

I swear by a "furminator" i got mine from e bay and used once every 2 weeks and the dogs hairloss is cut by two thirds...

[gelda]

Fat of any kind isn't good for dogs it can give them pancreatitis.

[paddywak]

As clanad says a good regular brushing is about the only way. I've always added oil to maxs' dinner and it does help when alls said and done it always comes down to the brush, Max by the way is a long haired GSD

[LoftyLottie]

Would agree with Clanad too. Regular brushing is essential. A little oil is also a good idea and recommended. Dogs in the wild eat the fat as well as the lean!

The only real solution is to choose a dog that doesn't moult or hardly moults. Other than that, I can only say that you can't be houseproud and have animals unless you want to have a nervous breakdown!!

[jules77]

I dont agree. I have had a long haired breed for 25+ years, and apart from when they are blowing their coat I only brush them once a week with a bristle brush.

When they 'blow' their coat I bathe them and use a blaster dryer which will remove any loose coat, including the undercoat. This is the only time I brush them on a daily basis, and just for a few weeks to get rid of any old coat and to stimulate new hair growth. I find the moulting process much less painful for my hoover this way. I never use any kind of metal, pin or slicker brush on them as it will only loosen the undercoat, and damage the top coat.

I was asked to groom someones dog ready for Crufts, not having seen the dog before it arrived I thought it was 'out of coat'. The owner told me that it had never had a coat like what my dogs had and constantly moulted. She then produced a variety of pin brushes, including a furminator, that she was using on an almost daily basis. She was effectively loosening and removing all the undercoat before it had a chance to grow.

[bronners]

Thanks for the feedback on my CeeCee shes 2 yrs old now and moulting is a problem with her but i do groom her at least twice a week and bathe her at least 3 times a year but no matter how much she moults shes still my baby and i have 2 other dogs too a jack and a shiztu so u can imagine i have my hands ful lol but im gonna try some of the hints u have suggested and see how things go cheers buds