Our dog is shedding fur like crazy!

[Sue and Kids]

Our dog, Sparky, is 7 years old and is part wire-haired terrier and part Jack Russell terrier.

Sparky has one health problem - a heart murmur. We give him 2 Enalapril a day and he seems very bouncy and healthy. Our vet gave him his yearly vacinations less than a month ago, and is very pleased with the state of his heart and health in general.

We noticed he was shedding for about 2 months, but it has been a very hot summer here this year. We had him shaved in late spring but his fur grew out pretty quickly. We have been brushing him out every day lately and literally get a handful of fur. We also fund "chunks" of fur everywhere he lays down. We had really brushed him out and gave him a bath yesterday, thinking that might help. But today there was fur all over like before.

We have planned a trip to visit family for this coming holiday weekend for months, and are taking Sparky (along with our 3 cats) with us, so we can't go to our vet for at least 6 or 7 days. I guess we'll be brushing him like crazy and picking up fur knots all over their house!

I know that this is not life-threatening, but I am beginning to wonder if he has some chronic problem. We will take him to our vet when we get back.

I'm sorry this is so long, but I wondered if any of you dog owners have had this problem? Even though we've had Spark for awhile, he is our "first dog" and we are novices compared to our cats.

Thanks for any information you can give us!

[Traci]

Both cats and dogs shed moreso in warmer months, not too unusual.

The key is getting all of the undercoat, not just topcoat. Make sure you're using a brush/comb that can get to the undercoat. Curry combs are good for this purpose (they have several styles available for dogs).

If the fur is unusually dry and britte, and accompanied by dry skin or excessive amounts of dander, ask your vet about adding EFA supplements to the diet. He may also suggest a conditioner if necessary (can apply directly to the coat, but ask your vet for a recommendation)

[Sue and Kids]

Thanks for replying, Traci. Between Sparky (and a couple months earlier), our cat, Shadow, I had to vacuum about every other day!

Two days ago, I did buy a new dog brush for Sparky. I hope it is the type you are referring to. It is two-sided. One sides has metal bristles with little rounded tips and the other is of thick, stiff bristles. I guess we'll just keep brushing him. Unlike Shadow, his fur is not coarse and his skin isn't dry or flaky. So I guess we'll just have to keep on doing a lot of brushing. I certainly wouldn't want to get him shaved again at this time of year where we live - it was 40 degrees last night! Even though he's a house dog, he does have to go out to "do his thing" and would get pretty cold!

It's a little off the subject, but do you remember when I wrote you about 1 1/2 months ago about Shadow? Our vet put her on Oxy-3 fatty acids (did I say that right?) and the results were dramatic! I brought her in to see Dr. Sharon 10 days later, and and the vet was extremely surprised at how much good that supplement had done. Shadow's skin was almost normal. She doesn't itch anymore, has almost no dandruff (just about 3-4 flakes when I brush her), no longer sheds and her fur just shines. I had started giving her diet IAMS, and she had lost almost 1 pound in those 10 days. So far it doesn't appear she has hypothyroidism.

I hope Sparky's problems clear up that well! Thanks again!

Sue

[Traci]

I do, and I'm thrilled to hear Shadow is doing so much better! (although you don't want her losing weight drastically or in a short amount of time).

Do talk to your vet about the EFA's for Sparky, something like DermCaps might be a good idea.

Let us know how it goes?

[E's]

Even way down south in New Orleans, my German shepherd would shed heavily in late summer, as though she was getting ready to grow a winter coat. But I'm wondering about the Enalapril? What is it for and how long has your dog been on it? I ask because I know some humans who began to have hair loss problems when starting some meds.

Dot B
Austin TX

[k9Karen]

I was thinking along the same line as E's - check with your vet (or on-line) to see if excessive hair loss is a side effect of his medication.

One of the reasons dogs tend to shed so excessively this time of year is that the shedding cycle is actually tied in to the sun (this is real obvious in horses). As the days begin to get shorter, the animal begins to prepare to grow a winter coat. This happens even when it's still hot as Hades down here in Florida. The growing-in of the new winter coat pushes out any left of the old undercoat. In the wild, there wouldn't be any left, but because we keep our pets in airconditioned houses, this cycle gets out-of-whack. I have three shelties who are shedding like crazy right now, so I definitely feel your pain.

[Traci]

There's no association or evidence of fur loss in dogs as a result of enacard administration. However, any pet on enacard should be checked regularly while receiving the drug (bloodwork, renal function testing). One concern might be dehydration, which is why electrolytes and renal function are required testing. The concern or risk for dehydration increases when enacard is combined with diuretics (lasix) in the treatment for heart failure.

[mamaof4soon]

I too remember Shadow Glad to hear update! Also glad to hear no Hypothyroidism. My cat had hyper and it was bad even when on the med's. I too have hyper and I dont like it either. So happy to hear no hypo for Shadow!!! Yahhhhhh