My Lab/German Shepherd mix is shedding EXCESSIVELY... does anyone have any insight?

Question

He is 18 months old, and does not have a thick coat. His coat is thinner than a lab's, . He actually has places on his underbelly that are completely bare (it has been this way since he is was a puppy). We got him bathed this past weekend (we bathe him every 4-6 weeks), and since then he has been losing an excessive amount of fur. If I run my hand through his fur, I end up with a FISTFULL of hair. I can see all the roots... it's pretty disturbing. He does have natrually dry skin and hair, and has been on a nutritional supplement since he was a pup to help with that. He eats Science Diet dry and wet food. He is a very well taken care of dog... gets daily walks/runs, goes to the vet regularly. I called the vet and they said I did not HAVE to bring him in unless I started to see bald spots, but I'm thinking about taking him in anyways. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I've never seen a dog shed like this before. Could it be the dryness of my home or may it be serious?

Hi... thanks for all your answers so far you have all been very helpful. Someone asked about the skin condition- it looks a bit pink and dry. I started him back on his allergy medication this week because I thought that might help him. (he definitely has allergies, dry skin etc... but his fur has never fallen out like this before) My home is quite dry right now also..its has been way colder than average for the past week or so.... we are purchasing a humidifier this weekend. I just didn't think that dryness alone could be the cause. I'm definitely taking him to the vet this afternoon after reading all of your posts.

Answer 1

Both breeds are excessive shedders, regardless of what anyone might try and tell you. I live with both breeds. Shorter hair does not mean less shedding.

A variety of issues can cause a larger amount of shedding. Let's look at environment first. If you are in a climate that is usually warming up now or hitting a warm streak, and considering the age of your dog, he might be doing what we call "blowing" his puppy coat. They look about naked when done but then their adult coat will start coming in.
If you recently had your dog neutered, anesthetic can cause hair loss similar to heavy shedding.
Change in diet. Even if they are on the same food, the companies might change the formula, buy the ingredients from a different supplier, etc.
Stress can cause hair loss.
Parasites can cause shedding.

What I would be concerned about and go see the vet if the dog also had a rash, itching excessively, not their normal mental state, or other issues that don't seem normal.

When bathing our dogs right as they are blowing coat, we notice an excessive amount of hair loss the first few days after a bath. it tapers as the week goes on but we do lots of combing and brushing. A flexible rubber curry brush similar to a horse curry works great on shorter coats as well as a horse hair glove.

Answer 2

Shedding is a common occurance in pets. However, in some cases it does become excessive. Sometimes physical problems such as ringworm, skin infections, stress, or other more serious health problems may cause excessive shedding. So I would have your dog checked by the vet for any of these problems.

If there are no medical reasons for the shedding, you may want to check into a special pet product that you add to the dog's food to prevent the shedding. I personally have used Lambert Kay Shed Relief and found it helped A LOT! Science Diet also makes foods to help the skin and coat of dogs. Check to make sure you're feeding your dog the best type of Science Diet for his condition.

Best of luck!

Answer 3

Were mine, we would be at the vet already. Any vet that doesn't think losing hair by the fistful is not a reason to come in is NOT the vet I would put my dogs health in their hands. Science diet is certainly not the worst food out there but it is not the best either. You might want to check this out. Our pets need quality pet food. Read the ingredients list and learn what the stuff on there is and what it does (or does not do) to/for our pets. A quick pet food 101. If the pet food contains corn/corn products or by products it is a poor quality food. Do not pay attention to advertising, they all say there food is great. Corn is a filler that can trigger skin problems. (allergies, skin problems, itching and excessive shedding) By products is anything from an animal not fit for human consumption, including cancerous tissue. Quality foods have meat as the first ingredient. California Natural, Solid Gold, Innova and Merrick are a few of the best brands available. If you want to learn more check out: http://www.sagekeep.com/petfood.htm www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359& more=1 http://animalark.eapps.com/animal/PetFoods.nsf/$$PetFoodsByRating?OpenForm

oops, forgot to say. You're bathing the pup way to often. That could be part of the problem.

Answer 4

Both labs and shepherds shed a lot. You can take him into the vet if you want, but they are obviously familiar with this as they told you that it isn't necessary to bring him in. If you're not seeing rashes or bald spots, then you're probably seeing the prolific shedding that is common to both breeds. Get yourself one of these:

http://www.jefferspet.com/ssc/product.asp?CID=0&pf_id=13146

They are worth their weight in gold! Take the dog outside and use it, and you'll get probably a bushel of loose hair off. (not exaggerating) Do this every day and it will cut down on the problem the shedding presents immensely.

Answer 5

Get a better quality food. Science Diet is not all that much better then the rest of the cheap brands. I have seen a great improvement in my dogs skin and coat by feeding her Canidae.

Answer 6

Definitely take the pup in. He sounds like he's unhealthy, even though you are caring for him greatly. It might be something else, though I don't know what it could be.

Until you can get him in, make sure he drinks a lot of water, and is eating plenty of minerals & protein.

Answer 7

I would think it is caused by allergies, the vet definately needs to take a look at the dog,if you are getting fistfulls..........I call that getting bald spots. What does the skin look like? Red,sore,oozing body fluid? Or is the skin just pink and dry? These are things we need to know to help better,but the vet needs calling. Good luck.

Answer 8

did you switch shampoo? he may be reacting to that. he also might be reacting to the funky weather we've been having. (not sure where you are, but in california, we've been getting 70s one day and then 55 other days.)

if you have a gut feeling, take him to the vet. the people you talk to on the phone are not sure and can only give you advise. the vet can tell you better if they physically see your puppy.

Answer 9

Try a different shampoo. One with more oil in it. Also, you might want to switch foods. My dog had really bad dandruff, but I switched to Iams and his fur is very sleek now.

Answer 10

Vetrainrysecertsrevealed.com for your dog

Petvac for you it works wonders