My golden retriever is shedding badly even after grooming could it be something in her diet?

Question

I will spend 10 to 15 min. brushing her and she will still leave a bunch of hair on my hands and clothing a few min. later. Could I be giving her a vit. or something so she doesn't shed so badly.

Answer 1

I read what you wrote, and I had to chuckle...Please excuse me, it's because I've lived through this, and it does make you wonder whether there's something wrong with either you or the dog.

When I ran into the same issue, I asked my vet about it. My vet seems to be very Holistic in her approach, yet has a firm grasp on pharmacutecal/conventional treatment, and I am lucky to have her.

After checking thoroughly for any kind of skin condition and determining that the pooch was fine, she told me that this was actually a sign of how healthy my dog was. Her theory:

A dog with excellent nutrition, and in good health, will shed or grow fur based on a couple of factors...long daylight cycles and/or warm temperatures will cause the dog to naturally shed fur for maximum comfort, while short daylight cycles and/or cooler temperatures will cause the fur to grow thickly to protect the dog from exposure.

When we domesticate these animals, and let them live inside all year, giving them excellent nutrition so that their systems work optimally, we create a situation that simply does not compute for the dogs' bodies. In the winter they get to live inside where it's a toasty 68-70 degrees (which makes the skin want to shed the fur), but where the sun is out only 8-9 hours a day (which makes the "grow fur" signal set off), and their systems, unsure of how to react, opt to do BOTH, leading to some crazy shedding in some dogs. The inverse (with the same net effect) is true in the summer months. Poor dogs!

The vet had me try two things, which worked wonders in combination. First, we cut the dog's vitamin intake by half to quit superpowering his system. Secondly (and this was a little harder to do), through the judicious use of window blinds in the summer, and lights on timers in the winter, I shortened his summer exposure to light, and lengthened his winter exposure to it.

Amazing results! While he's still a pretty healthy shedder, I am no longer confronted by vacum cleaner belts and washing machine pumps that require a service technician for repair due to the obscene fur accumulation, and the handfulls of fur are no longer coming off of him as though he's in doggy chemotherapy. The tumbleweeds of fur flying about the house are now a thing of the past (you know, the ones you think you could collect and make a whole other dog out of in a week's time). I still have to vacum pretty agressively, but I've made it from ridiculous to reasonable.

I know this solution might seem hokey, and that some people might want to sprinkle some kind of magic oil on the dog's food to abate the problem, but it sure worked for me.

On the topic of dog vitamins, I have had extraordinary luck (as have many of my friends, and my vet and groomer both seem to think it's a great product) with something called "Missing Link" which is a powder you sprinkle on the dog's food. It can be found in any of the big chain (PetCo, PetSmart, etc.) stores, but I've found the best deals on the internet by doing a product shopping search (it seems to be a different vendor each time). Again, I'm using half the recommended amount, but the results have been fantastic. In addition to being a pretty complete wellness vitamin, my dog sports the shiniest, healthiest looking coat you've ever seen, and it seems to stabilize the ph of his urine (which the vet says is easier on his kidneys, bladder, etc.) such that the grass is actually healthier in my yard where he pees, instead of creating "burnout" spots on the lawn. They also offer a "Missing Link Plus" which has glucosamine and condroitin for superior joint and bone health to keep the all-too-common aches from developing as the dog ages.

Good luck, and keep vacuming and brushing for a while. It took about 45-60 days for me to really notice the results from this method.

Answer 2

Make sure you are feeding a good quality food that is "nutritionally complete." I like Nutro - it has no "by products" and is reasonably priced. Have your vet check for intestinal worms - they can cause excessive shedding. Don't bathe her too often - no more than once every six months unless she's rolled in something. When you do, use cool water. Warm or hot water baths make them shed more. Also, get shedding blade from the pet store - it's a mini version of the kind they use on horses. That will take out a lot of the loose hair. Other than that, get a Dyson vacuum!

Answer 3

The 2 major factors in a dog's shedding is their hair (of course shedding during warmer months) and their diet. You could contact a veternarian and ask for recommendations on which food and vitamins to give her.

Answer 4

It is probably her diet. I heard recently on one of the news programs that shedding is a sign of poor nutrition. I would take her to the vet; it could be a simple problem to fix, esp. if this has never happened before.

Answer 5

mine sheds for almost 2 months, he lives outside. i will brush him , soak him with the hose, and bush again when he's dried out. don't use soap, don't brush 'backward'. buy a lot of vacuum bags- dogs shed every day, and get new coats twice a year!

Answer 6

Could she just be shedding because of the warmer weather?

Answer 7

it's summer, they shed their coats this time of the year.

Answer 8

mmm... my uncle has one sh sheds like crazy i think its just the breed