# Shedding German Shedder!!



## Luvpups (Jan 12, 2016)

We rescued a 6 year old gsd about 5 months ago and HOLY COW!!! The shedding is THE WORST we have ever seen!!! It seems as though we have accumulated a colony of lifeless fur balls that resemble small German shredders that refuse to live in their proper home...the vacuum bag ? I use the furminator on her as well as a rake brush and I brush her every single day (no exaggerations there)-not with the furminator-but her shedding is incredible still! If we pet her the hair literally "falls off" into our hands/clothes/furniture and floor. I've gotten rid of almost all of the rugs in the house, but there is hair on everything (stove, fridge, sinks, counters, dressers etc) 
She was eating Fromm's but we've found she has a sensitive stomach (or so we've been told) I tried her on raw and she suffered severe diarrhea (we introduced the new foods very, very slowly) we've found she does much better with holistic foods for some reason and is currently on Solid Gold for Large dogs. I've read that they are shredders, but this seems extremely extremely hard to keep under control....
Does anybody have any new brushing techniques/suggestions, and brush suggestions, any food or supplements and REALLY good vacuum suggestions lol, I have an Oreck and its just not cutting it at this point  I'm open to everything!!! Thank you!!


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

They shed a lot. Spring is the worst (because they're blowing out the winter undercoat).

With a rescue, I often find they go through the mother of all blow outs as they are getting healthy, and then the new coat grows in lush and beautiful with good nutrition (adding a fish oil capsule a day to her bowl will help with that, over time).

Also, prior owners sometimes haven't brushed them...ever. You may be pulling out years' worth of old, dead undercoat, and have to gently work through mats that are way deep in there, over a period of weeks.

We use a Dyson Animal. It's not perfect, but it's pretty good (and most importantly: bagless, so it can be dumped as it fills up). I hate my mom's Oreck because of the need for bags--ridiculous how often the bags fill up with this dog hair, and expensive to replace them.


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## Luvpups (Jan 12, 2016)

Thank you so much!!!! I will go out today and buy some fish oil!!

Is this normal for her to be "blowing her coat" for soooo many months? I've read about seasonal blowouts, but this excessive shedding has been going since a month after we got her!!


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## GypsyGhost (Dec 29, 2014)

You can also try a grooming dryer/blower. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00063KHPE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_sfl_title_4&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

Lisl is just finishing up. Enough hair for a whole 'nuther dog.

I brush her every time we go outside. Must be three to five times a day.


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## voodoolamb (Jun 21, 2015)

Mako hasn't even STARTED blowing his coat yet. And we have had weeks of 70 and 80 degree weather. 

 

I wish he would start already. He must feel miserable. 

Otherwise he does not really shed. I really have to rough his fur up to get some stray hairs out. 

My dog eats ziwipeak "kibble", raw grass fed beef and lamb, and lots of other fresh whole/real food. Kefir, raw goats milk, eggs, fruit, veggies, seeds, oils, etc

I don't brush my GSD. I use a Furminator on my senior (who HAS started blowing his coat. Weeks ago)

Best vacuum I have ever found - a cheap $40 walmart one. Called eureka. Better then my very expensive Dyson as far as suction power. Have to keep it on high setting because low and it grabs onto the carpet so well I would hurt myself trying to push it. It's made of cheap plastic - so I have it well reinforced with duct tape. I bought it as a cheap replacement for the week or so between the death of my old Dyson and waiting for the delivery of the new one. I sent the new Dyson back. Between my eureka and roomba life is good lol


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## viking (May 2, 2014)

I use krill oil instead of fish oil and it made a *very* noticeable difference in the amount of shedding. Also, try a Furminator brand comb/rake. They're pricey but really do a great job of grabbing the loose undercoat. Just be a little careful with it at first, don't go too hard.


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## Luvpups (Jan 12, 2016)

Thank you everyone!!! I'm not sure if the excessive shedding is from the undercoat or her "regular" coat (I apologize I'm new to German shepherd hair lol) 
Her undercoat seems to be short and fluffy and she loses that in clumps, it also brushes out in clumps...the excessive shedding is from the long, coarse hairs she has...I literally had her outside for about 2 1/2 hours and the poor things head is covered in loose, long strands of course hair, not even 20 minutes after a thorough brushing!! I can't begin to express my appreciation to you all!!!!!!! 

For those that do fish oil or krill oil...how many capsules do you use? She is 80lbs?

Thanks again everyone!!! ?


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## Luvpups (Jan 12, 2016)

*was brushing her outside for 2 1/2 hours* 
*question mark at end should be a smiley face*


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## Staciownsadog (12 mo ago)

Magwart said:


> They shed a lot. Spring is the worst (because they're blowing out the winter undercoat).
> 
> With a rescue, I often find they go through the mother of all blow outs as they are getting healthy, and then the new coat grows in lush and beautiful with good nutrition (adding a fish oil capsule a day to her bowl will help with that, over time).
> 
> ...


This explains my rescue german shepherd and she is dumping TONS of fur. I'm not sure she was ever brushed. My nice clean house now has fur flooring and our clothes are covered in it. We eat sleep breathe fur..haha. I knew she was blowing her coat, but I had no idea it would be this bad..brushing helps a tiny bit. I hadn't thought about the fact that she may been getting rid of years worth of fur. I'm glad I looked through the page today.


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