# SHEDDING LIKE CRAZY



## huberm41 (Aug 31, 2006)

Anybody else's GSD starting to blow it's winter coat. I filled 3 grocery bags of hair on Sunday. There are many goods and few bads that come with GSDs. And Shedding is one of the few haha

What are you doing to control it?

I am 

1. Furmanator (amazing tool)
2. Brushing 
3. Picking at noticeable clumps
4. Vacuuming everyday!


----------



## Northern GSDs (Oct 30, 2008)

I swear by a quality groomer's comb - works better than any underake I've ever used. The one end has teeth that are very close together; the other end the teeth are a bit wider apart so I first use an underake, then the wide tooth section of the comb, then the fine tooth section of the comb. I cannot believe how well this manages the coat and the shedding!!!!! I only need to brush about 1-2 times a week and I still don't notice any increase in the hairballs in the corners of my house


----------



## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

GSDs *are* excessive shedders, but if it is more than usual, be sure to check the diet and the thyroid. If either of those are off, there can be increased shedding.


----------



## Northern GSDs (Oct 30, 2008)

Excellent point Lisa!


----------



## Martie (Jun 3, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Nicole LI swear by a quality groomer's comb - works better than any underake I've ever used. The one end has teeth that are very close together; the other end the teeth are a bit wider apart so I first use an underake, then the wide tooth section of the comb, then the fine tooth section of the comb. I cannot believe how well this manages the coat and the shedding!!!!! I only need to brush about 1-2 times a week and I still don't notice any increase in the hairballs in the corners of my house


I swear by combs, too! They work great and if done often enough are easy, fast, and really get as much loose hair out as possible compared to other tools I've used.


----------



## LuvsDieter (Feb 2, 2006)

Yup, it's time to brush the kiddos at least twice a week. That's the schedule we are on in our house with Dieter and our long haired kitty. Poor Mr. B is starting to get mats...









Martin - the weather around here could be making things worse too because it is going from warm to cold then back to warm. I noticed the same thing last late winter/early spring. The weather couldn't figure out what it wanted to do, so neither could the fur kids' coats!


----------



## bethandglen (Jan 5, 2009)

Oh gosh don't tell me this! If you are in Ohio it must be time for it to start for me too because I am in Michigan! So far I haven't noticed that much from Lexi, the cat is shedding like crazy though. Has anyone used that new thing they advertise on tv to get the hair off your furniture, I think it's from Pledge or something??? I almost bought one but wondered how it worked. Lexi HATES to be brushed, she keeps attacking the brush, the only way I can get her to let me brush her is to have treats ready to distract her. My mom got this stuff from the vet that you put on their food to help with shedding, not sure how it works, but the fur has to come off sometime so to me it's kind of pointless, LOL!

Beth


----------



## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

I agree with checking the diet, Sonny actually has decreased in shedding since I have had him on Natural Balance, does he shed yes but not like he did. I am in Ohio too but the days are increasing and shedding is due to the daytime hours not how darn cold it has been


----------



## new_wind (Oct 24, 2008)

Well my girl Shedding is almost none after having me cleaning 3 times a day including vacuum with a industrial Craftsman 6 HP.
I tried “furbinator” and the cheap option from Publix, brushes from the cheapest in Wal-Mart to some saloon stuff, nothing and I mean nothing really work.
Basically I move to Blue Buffalo, I didn’t know if this could work because in the transition my girl start to have pudding like stools, but since she like it I just kept feeding.
I also combine it with BB canned food, under great recommendations from here I reduce the portion in canned and kibbles so she eats 1/3 of the can and 1.5 cups twice a day.
She don't have soft stools anymore.
She also gets EVERYDAY her Kong stuffed and frozen with Peanut butter.
Twice a week I mix raw egg with the canned food.
She has been on this diet for 3 months already
Then I Found the Kong Zoom Grooming and the first week I have to brush every single day, I just wonder why my girl didn’t get bald losing all that hair.
At the second week the shedding was almost gone, now I brush once every two weeks and still the shedding is minimal.
I told the vet the diet of my girl to see if he could pinpoint which one was the right idea, he couldn’t , just said … It could be, It could be, It could be…
He said, the food is very good quality so it could be, the Peanut butter is full of great oils for the dog coat, so it could be, the brushing could take down all the lose hair so it could be even the fat on the egg is great for the coat so it also could be…
With such precision I just can tell you everything I did, hopefully something will work for you.


----------



## wentworthsmom (Feb 9, 2009)

I use the Furminator. I am a Dog groomer and this is my 1st choice. I love to use it on my Shepherd.
Out of all the brushes the Furminator works the best.


----------



## huberm41 (Aug 31, 2006)

The fuminator is what I use as well. It is not her diet, this happens every March and going into the winter. I tend to expect it now. I am not concerned about just annoyed and wondering if anyone else is in the same boat as me.

LUVSDIETER --- ya gotta love this Cincinnati weather. I have gotten sick like 3 times now cause of it. Will it just get warm!!!!

Speaking of Cincinnati --- We need to get a get together going soon!


----------



## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

I"m a bit annoyed too. Last week my 7 1/2 y/o female was shedding out clumps and her butt looked like a sheep ready for shearing. This week it turned colder and I"m noticing she doesn't have any more tufts popping out but her tail is looking thicker!

The puppy, it's very strange. Other than normal loose fur, he is not shedding at all. No clumps of undercoat and barely anything comes off when I brush him. Either it's becuase he's 9 months old and didn't really get much undercoat or I might be getting lucky. Doubt I'm that lucky, one of his cousins is shedding out a puppy right now...


----------



## LauraT (May 22, 2007)

We noticed that Kirin is throwing her coat as well, we have tan carpet and now it has black hairballs all over it and it looks terrible. 

The furminator is great if you can keep a 2 year old puppy down for long enough to fill grocery bags of fur!! Furminating the carpet is now a necessity before we vaccuum.









Any suggestions on how you get your dog to stay still while grooming?


----------



## HarleyGirl52874 (Jun 16, 2006)

Oh the shed! Bandit has the clumps falling out, Springer a few clumps here and there, Suesse, a few hairs here and there but not too bad.

I really really really need to buy my dryer! 

I was going to buy a groomers table but my husband made me one, with an extendable arm and I bought a noose at groomers.com I think, I use that when we are going major grooming.


----------



## Happy (Nov 28, 2016)

hi, so I don't need to worry about shedding as a health issue? My black and tan GS has suddenly started shedding like crazy - huge fair clumps...the weather is changing so maybe that is a reason, I can't think of anything else. No change in diet. She is 1 and a half, not spayed yet. Maybe also a hormonal thing? She seems fine in every other way. Do I need to take her to the vet? Advice?


----------



## maxtmill (Dec 28, 2010)

I like to squeeze an Alaskan salmon oil capsule into my dogs' food daily. It seems to help.


----------



## LeoRose (Jan 10, 2013)

This thread is from 2009, barring the last two posts. 

Anyway, double coated dogs (like GSD) can have a fall shed as well as a spring shed.


----------



## Suzy25 (Mar 3, 2016)

Happy said:


> hi, so I don't need to worry about shedding as a health issue? My black and tan GS has suddenly started shedding like crazy - huge fair clumps...the weather is changing so maybe that is a reason, I can't think of anything else. No change in diet. She is 1 and a half, not spayed yet. Maybe also a hormonal thing? She seems fine in every other way. Do I need to take her to the vet? Advice?


Is this for first dog?/ first shedding breed? it just seams like you are surprised and worried about regular shedding 
puppies dont shed that much and their coat isn't normal till around a year old, then they get the regular twice a year heavy blowing out their undercoat, then she will resume the regular moderate shedding the rest of the year. 
Blowing out the summer and winter undercoats to get ready for the next season.
Definitely not a health issue, shepherds are just big shedders (which i'm sure you heard when you did research before getting the dog, but just saying it again) 
its all about the weather, when its gets colder dogs bodies know and start shedding, same with horses, cats, etc.. 
you have a shepherd, embrace all the hair you have years more of it :laugh2:


----------

