Why does my Lab/Golden mix shed excessively? Is it a health issue?

Shedding large amounts of hair at one time in a puppy at any age between 4-8 months is going to be normal. There are estimates to when a pet should shed, but again you have to take into account that there is a bell curve with any estimate, so some dogs fall to the left or right of this. Dogs can also shed at multiple intervals, because the entire shedding process can be broken up into phases. You know you are dealing with an actual skin issue when you see patches of bald areas on the skin. As long as she doesn't have alopecia areas then this is considered to be a normal shedding process. Good luck with your new pup!

Adding Fish oil to his food daily (Welactin fish oil in a pump in one easily administered product) will help with the shedding as well as with dry skin if he has that as well. Additionally giving VetriScience Derma Strength chews daily (available on chewy.com) and switching to a higher quality food may help as well (Royal Canin and Hills are two examples of frequently recommended dog food brands). Lastly, purchasing and using a furminator brush to remove as much of the shedding hairs and undercoat at once will likely help as well. Good luck!

There are a number of reasons why he could be losing hair. If his skin seems fine and he's not scratching, his skin looks normal (no redness, scaling, oozing, etc.) it could be part of the natural shedding cycle or due to his age and developing his adult coat. If the shedding seems abnormal, if the skin is involved, if he is losing hair in patches, itching, etc., I recommend you get him seen by a vet who can examine the skin, possibly do some labwork and., based on these results, will be better able to advise you on the cause of the shedding and how best to manage and treat it.

Shedding excessively can have many reasons: 1) change of seasons...your dog sheds his summer hair to get a winter coat (this will depend on your climate) 2) food quality is not adequate 3) ectoparasites such as mange mites, demodex mites, fleas, ticks, etc. itch and the dog scratches excessively and loses a lot of hair 4) some dogs naturally shed more than others. 5) hormonal changes, e.g. your dog comes into heat. Females will shed their hair coat You can do the following: 1) feed a good quality complete commercial puppy food for large dogs 2) Check for ectoparasites and treat for them if present 3) Brush or comb your dog every day This should minimize the shedding.

It sounds like Garry may be shedding due to seasonal changes which is perfectly normal. I find that the best way to combat seasonal shedding is daily brushing - you may want to look into using an undercoat brush if his coat is very thick. If he is shedding so much that you can see bare spots, if his skin seems irritated, or if his coat is dull I would recommend seeing your veterinarian to make sure he doesn't have a skin condition or parasites.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Excessive hair loss can be normal during pregnancy or while nursing, occur during times of stress, or be due to illness. If there are no lesions and your girl otherwise feels well it can be pregnancy related. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!