how can i stop my rat terrier from shedding?

Question

ive tried several different dog foods, treats, shampoos and i give him a cooked egg about once a week. any suggestions?

Answer 1

I have two rat terriers. I have tried endless things myself. All dogs have some shedding. I don't think there is much u can do other than grooming them often and thats about it. I've tried the shampoos to. I say what outfit isn't complete with a little bit of dog hair. I love my rat terriers and the shedding that goes with them. Proud owner of a 15yr old rat terrier and a 13yr old rat terrier. Just enjoy them they are great dogs.

Answer 2

All that is good...but you will never stop the shedding....however you can reduce it by brushing and bathing frequently. Try checking with some grooming shops in your area and see if they use "Shed-X" It's a process that uses special shampoo and high velocity drying along with brushing with a special tool that really removes the loose hair.

Edit: Jess has a good point and mentions that frequent bathing can dry the skin leading to more scratching...this can be true, however, I believe that if you use a good shampoo made for dogs, it shouldn't dry out the skin. Frequent bathing can also remove loose hair....that's why I mentioned it.

Answer 3

Rat teriers have stiff little hairs that are very hard to vaccum. They seem to latch onto my couch. Shedding is a natural process and we cannot stop this. My advice is to shampoo them during shedding season. This will take out extra hairs alot at a time, instead of more slowly. Also regular brushing will loosen up those hairs so shedding happens more quickly. Also try one of those lint brushes with the sticky tape right on your dog. He will probably enjoy the massage.

Answer 4

I am not sure about the diet thing if you think that it may be the culprit as far as the hair loss you may want to take him to the vet just to see if there is something they can do that will be more permanent. Either way I know that at most pet stores they have these brushes that you can buy that not only get rid of the top coat but also remove any of the undercoat that may be loose but still adhering. This is a simple way to try and get rid of any loose hair. Not sure if you have a pets mart but they carry them at places like that. Make sure to get the one that targets shedding and helps remove under coat they may be a little more expensive but they may help!

Answer 5

I have never found anything that truly helped with shedding other than a brush and comb. Really...... You can improve diet, get good shampoos at dog shows, put additives in the food, etc but dogs shed and that's all there is for it.

Answer 6

High quality food such as Innova, Canidae, or Solid Gold to name a few can help. It can take up to 6 weeks to start noticing a change. (that's with any diet related issue)

Daily brushing.

Less frequent baths. Dogs only need to be bathed every few months unless obviously dirty. To frequent bathing leads to dry itchy skin, higher risk of skin infection due to scratching, more doggie, and overall unhealthy skin.

Now if your dog is shedding to the point of going bald, that's another matter entirely. This is indicative of underlying health issues, such as thyroid problems. If this is a case a trip to the vet is in order to get the health issue under control.

Last thing, raw eggs are better than cooked. You can feed them shell and all, the shells are full of calcium.

Answer 7

Dogs with fur shed. It's a fact. Brushing it every day will help minimize the shedding but there is nothing else to do. If there is significant, visible hair loss, see your vet. Next time choose a dog with hair, like a Yorkie.

Answer 8

MY DOGS EAT IAMS AND EVERY NIGHT THEY GET BREWERS YEAST W/ OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS AND GARLIC TABLETS...YOU CAN GET THE SMALL TABS IN WALMART BUT I ORDER FROM CHERRYBROOK....A LARGE BOTTLE W/ 216 TABS IN IT...THE DOSE IS 1 TABLET PER EACH 50 POUNDS, SO MY BIG DOGS ONLY GET 1 1/2 TO 2 TABS EACH NIGHT AND MY PUG GETS 1/4 OF A TAB...NOT ONLY DOES THIS NATURAL DAILY SUPPLEMENT HELP TO REDUCE SHEDDING, IT GIVES THEM A BEAUTIFUL, SHINY COAT AND THEY HAVE NEVER HAD FLEAS...BLACK PUGS, OF WHICH I HAVE, SHED MORE THAN THE FAWN ONES AND I HAVE HARDLY ANY SHEDDING AT ALL WITH ALL OF MY DOGS...THIS STUFF IS GREAT!! YOU SHOULD BRUSH YOUR DOG THO ABOUT ONCE A WEEK AND THAT TOO WILL HELP...GOOD LUCK!!

Answer 9

Animals shed to some degree, you need to take your dog to the vet if you think his shedding is excessive or if he is getting bald spots.

Canidae chicken and rice is specifically for dogs with skin issues, I use it for mine and it has made a marked improvement on their skin and coats.

Answer 10

He is a dog, he's going to shed. There's no stopping it. Humans shed too. Brush him often, to pick up those loose hairs. But other than that, there isn't much you can do.