My dog's coat is changing color and shedding a lot. Is this normal?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, this is a very normal thing for Huskies to do! This is called "blowing their coat", and it can take up to 6 weeks for them to shed their undercoat. As I'm sure you are aware, Huskies have a very thick coat of fur, and they typically shed this undercoat as the weather gets warmer to help them better regulate their temperature. It can seem like a huge amount of fur, but it is normal. As long as Bowie is otherwise acting normally (eating, drinking, urinating and defecating normally) and he is not getting any bald spots, he is likely just blowing his coat. You may have to brush him fairly regularly during this time to facilitate this shedding. I hope this is helpful!

Shedding fur, even seemingly large amounts, is completely normal for most dogs. If your dog has never shed like this in the past, or if she is losing so much fur she is having bald patches, then I would be concerned. Poor hair growth and cost condition can be due to poor nutrition/diet or an underlying medical condition like hypothyroidism. If you feel like the amount Soska is shedding is abnormal I would recommend a visit to your veterinarian to have her examined and possibly to have blood work performed. In the meantime you can supplement her diet with some fish oil (specifically omega 3 fatty acids) and see if that helps her coat. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Most dogs and cats are shedding this time of year.To know if it is appropriate is based on breed: does this breed shed? And if there are spots of missing fur or an uneven hair coat. If the coat still looks good and there are not patches of missing fur and Coby isn't scratching, it is likely normal. I wish you the best!

It might just be normal shedding but it could also be caused by a medical condition. You could bathe him with a moisturizing dog shampoo, brush him and add an omega-3 supplement (Free Form Snip Tips) and see if that helps. The black spots could just be normal pigmentation of his skin. If the excessive shedding and spots continues then he should be examined by a vet to determine if there is a problem. Your vet can do some testing to help diagnose. He could have a skin infection, mites, flea allergy, hypothyroidism, etc.

That looks like Chester's undercoat. This is a normal second layer of hair and some dogs have. Nothing to worry about! You may notice some times of year when he's shedding like crazy when the undercoat falls out and is replaced. Enjoy your beautiful pup! Please let me know if this was helpful information and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Hi there. As long as Peter doesn't have bald spots, excessive itching, or other signs of an underlying skin problem, this sounds like normal shedding for a double-coated breed :) These breeds shed an enormous amount of hair in the spring and early summer to prepare for the warmer weather. Having him bathed and blown dry with a forced air dryer should help remove a lot of the loose or dead undercoat to cut down on the shedding for the next few weeks, so you could schedule this with a groomer if you want to.

A Husky will typically shed or "blow" the undercoat twice a year. The shedding you are seeing is likely normal if you are going through a change of seasons. Brush her daily to prevent matting. There is nothing you can do to make the coat grow faster. A fish oil supplement may promote healthier skin and coat.