Endless SHEDDING!!!

[AngylBelle]

My dog is long-haired...mostly Keeshond, but mixed with who knows what. When he was a puppy, he did not shed at all...but now that his adult fur has come in, the puppy fuzz comes out in clumps all over my carpet and it never ends. I swear I vaccuum at least once a day! Is the only solution to get rid of the puppy fuzz to shave him? I would prefer another solution, but if this is it, so be it. Any suggestions?

 

[Angels forever]

i don't think that there is any other solution. You just have to learn to live with it. I have 2 Jack Russells whose hair always shed and they are relly hard to vacuum up or get rid of. But if you do hear of any solution please do let me know.

 

[Dagna]

Don't shave the dog! It can ruin their coat as they are not meant to be shaven and can make them more susceptible to sunburn and surprisingly, heat. Either take him to a groomer to have him stripped (they'll pull out his shedding fur, but it's expensive) or get a brush meant to get shedding dog fur out of a coat and brush him every day. I had a Great Pyrenees that shed enough fur to equal a pomeranian every summer for 2 weeks straight. I don't know how he still had any fur after, but the only thing I could do was brush him every single night. Yes, there will still be fur coming out, but it'll help.

 

[2Bhumble]

brush brush brush

 

[AngylBelle]

i don't think that there is any other solution. You just have to learn to live with it. I have 2 Jack Russells whose hair always shed and they are relly hard to vacuum up or get rid of. But if you do hear of any solution please do let me know.

The thing about it is that it isn't "normal" shedding. It's clumps of puppy fuzz and because he is long haired there seems to not have been the regular transition from puppy fur to adult hair. The regular shedding wouldn't be a problem, except for the fact that the "clumps" don't vaccuum up very well. And I have a special comb for longhaired dogs that I brush him with every morning...but the clumps never end!!

What is the general cost of the "stripping" at a groomer?

 

[lovestrav]

It's not puppy fuzz, it is his undercoat. Keeshond are double coated breeds. They have a soft fur underneath, to keep them warm, which they typically shed twice a year.

There are brushes specifically designed to pull this out. They are called shedding combs or rakes. They look like a little metal rake, about the length of a pencil with 5 - 7 tines on the end. You can get one at www.petedge.com That's my favorite place.

Since they only "blow" their coat twice a year, once you get it out, you should be relatively shed free until the change of seasons again.

You can also manually pull out the undercoat. It will come out very easily when pulled with the fingers.

 

[lovestrav]

In our area, the avg Keeshond groom would be about $55 - $60, including a bath and brush out.

 

[AngylBelle]

Super! Thanks for the link!

 

[lovestrav]

You are very welcome.

 

[AngylBelle]

Ok, I looked at the site and I don't know which would be best to purchase. I see clippers, strippers and shears. What would be the best tool to remove knotted balls of fur behind/under the ears?? I am always afraid I will cut too close to the skin. Is there a specific tool good for this? I just noticed this a few days ago...I never gave any attention to that area and now its a mess, lol.

(A little off topic, but does anyone know of a good vaccuum for sucking up pet hair off a carpet?...I have been thinking of trying the Dirt Devil Dynamite...it is advertised as being good for this, but I would prefer purchasing a product personally recommended rather than by a t.v. ad.)

 

[lovestrav]

This is the kind that I like here. I like the one with the tines furthest apart. It seems to get further into the coat.

It works well on the knots behind the ears and in the armpits, because the hooked tines hold on to the knot. It takes a little bit of working out the knot, but just like a knot in a child's hair, you start at the ends, taking out the small ones first, working to loosen the large ones.

If you are going to use a scissors next to the dogs skin pull the knot up so that you can see the bit of hair between knot and skin. Insert one blade of the scissors behind some of that hair and then back out. Kind of like a needle with thread. Now when you cut, you should be certain to only cut hair. Most importantly be careful with the points. They are the most dangerous. If you do cut a dog's skin, use some antiseptic and keep it dry. It will heal quickly.

 

[AngylBelle]

Ok...I think I may purchase the 18 teeth rake.

I hope this works. I have a comb for longhaired dogs that works really well but it seems that no matter how long I comb, there is always hair left to come out. Like I said, the regular shedding I don't mind, it's the clumps that never go away. This has been going on for about four months, so this is some long season!!

So you really don't recommend clippers...even to just shorten but not shave?

 

[lovestrav]

I spent some time grooming, and lots of people shave down or just shorten to control shedding, but as another poster said, the fur doesn't grow back as nicely. IMO because most dogs are malnourished because of commercial food sources, but that's another post. It will not affect the dog's health in any other way, but the grown back fur tends to be coarser, doesn't lay down as nicely, and just generally not as nice looking.
If it were my dog, and you din't mind the shave, I would go to the groomer for a shave down, a #7 blade, and you'll have about labrador coat length then. In about 6-8 weeks you'll have a long haired dog again. As the coat grows back though, a little yogurt added to the meals, or some fish oil, or something with Vit E, will help the coat condition. Again, that is just what I would do.
Oh, and to brush out a Keeshound completely would take about 2 hours give or take. so you may just not be getting it all at one sitting. When you run the rake through the coat it will bring out the loose hair, keep to the same spot till you have it all out, but be careful to not irritate the skin. You can make a dog's skin bleed by over-brushing. The areas where your dog is going to have the most undercoat is on the sides and back, especially near the tuckup of the hind legs, on the chest and by the front shoulder blades.

Julie