Vizsla shedding

[Bigsur009]

My v has started shedding quite a bit lately and I'm wondering what the cause might be. I think I've narrowed it down to a couple of options: 1) I recently switched food (not going to go there!) but stayed within the same brand's product line. 2) Moved to VA and he goes swimming in the ocean probably 4-5 days a week but gets a good hosing down with freshwater everytime we get home.

His coat looks great otherwise and he's put on some weight since the food switch (a good thing), but he sure is shedding a lot more than normal. He's had recent bloodwork done at the vet, so there's no underlying problem as far as I know. My question is kind of threefold. From the above options, which do you think might be more likely to cause the problem? If #1, will more time eating this new food help (its only been a couple of weeks now)? If #2, why would this cause it?

Thanks in advance for the thoughts and advice.

[Greg Jennings]

Hope you're not down-stream from large-scale swine operation. Prevalent in the Chesapeake.

Pfiesteria piscicida is baaaaddddd news.

Greg J.

[phermes1]

Did you JUST move to Virginia? From a colder area of the country? Has he always been a frequent swimmer?

It's also possible that the new food doesn't have some nutrients that his body is used to, and perhaps is now losing hair as a result. That's easy to check - switch back to the old food and see if that fixes the problem.

[MikeB]

IT'S SPRING!! That is when dogs shed. Shedding out the winter coat.

My GSD was looking great with litle hair shedding and now she is blowing out coat all over the house and yard.
Pretty hard to stop till it's done.

[Bigsur009]

Greg - He's swimming in the Atlantic, so hopefully that isn't the problem as he's not really "downstream" of anything.

Phermes - I did just move to VA, but from southern Mississippi where it was a good bit hotter, so its not him getting his summer coat. He's always been a big swimmer, just not too much in saltwater. wasn't sure if maybe that was just drying out his skin, in turn causing the shedding. As for the food, the main reason I switched was to put some weight on him as he is so incredibly active and that has worked. In comparing the chemical analysis from the website, it appears that he's getting the same to slightly more of everything plus glucosomine & chondroiten (sp?). I'd rather not switch back, but would if that was definitely the problem.

MikeB - I figured he'd finished getting rid his winter coat when I was in MS. He shed like crazy for a few weeks there then stopped pretty much completely until I moved up here hence the post.

Thanks again all for the suggestions

[ezzy333]

IT'S SPRING!! That is when dogs shed. Shedding out the winter coat.

My GSD was looking great with litle hair shedding and now she is blowing out coat all over the house and yard.
Pretty hard to stop till it's done.

What a common sense answer. I have never seen a dog that doesn't shed more this time of year. Mine are and it has nothing to do with their food even though I am switching because of the puppies. They were shedding before I switched and they still are till we can get all of the inter coat removed which takes a while.

Ezzy

[Bigsur009]

Okay, Mike & Ezzy, I'll take your advice and stop worrying about it unless it continues indefinitely. Just wanted to rule out me doing something wrong!

[ezzy333]

Good! Hope we are right. Shedding is something every dog does predomiantly at this time of year but a little all of the time. The amount of shedding is directly proportionate to the contrast of color to your rug and furniture. The greater the difference the more they shed. I have heard for years from people with light rugs and furnature how much the black labs shed and the people with dark decor complain about how much the yellows shed. Seems strange to me!!!! :roll: :roll:

Ezzy

[Bigsur009]

I hear you. I grew up with setters, so the tiny little red hairs all over the house right now aren't really all that much to complain about!

[phermes1]

My dogs will shed on occasion for no apparent reason. We don't have a significant season change down here, but they'll still shed. I can't say I ever worried about it too much. If his coat looks fine, if he's behaving normally, and unless you start seeing bald spots or something really crazy, I wouldn't worry about it.

[Greg Jennings]

My experience with V's is that they don't shed, per se. They dribble. At times, they dribble significantly more than normal. That's what we call "blowing coat".

[Sharon]

Shedding is promoted when the light conditions change - spring and fall depending on the amount of light. If spring is dreary for weeks , shedding will be delayed.

[coveycreek]

My two are blowing their coats now as well. The sure fire sign on both of my dogs is that their tails will get significantly lighter in color and have a rougher look to them..

[mountaindogs]

All right I am not trying to harp on or bring up the food issue AGAIN. I will name no brands, but if you ask I will post. I think it does not really matter, anyway, the particular brand. BUT just passing along some recent personal experience. The food I was feeding was at the top end of what I could afford but everybody was eating the same food. They rasied their prices by $4 a bag, so I decided to switch. I ended up switching to a pretty cheap food that is not that well known, but the ingredients and analysis nearly matched another food that many feed and Fatty acid levels were higher even than that. So I went with it. I fed about 4 bags (last me about a month in the warm weather) and all dogs were shedding ALOT. I mean it is time for shedding so I didn't think much about it, but they just kept on, and I curried them and stopped up the drain in my bath tub washing them. They look fine, but just shedding like crazy! After a month of this (they started shedding in late March, they should be done by now with all the curry brushing I have been doing) I decided to try to switch back for another month and see. And sure enough, the shedding slowed way down after only a week. There are thousand reasons why, and I wouldn't begin to guess, but I guess I personally am keeping the dogs that come inside on the better food. I have two that rarely come in, (one wants to eat the cat, and one has had urinary incontinance mildly since her spay) and they are still on the cheaper food. It is enough cheaper that I can maybe still afford the other for my other dogs.

SO I have no idea if that id your issue, but that is my personal experience.

[1vizsla]

Salt water can add to the problem. I would add an oatmeal conditioning shampoo when washing them down and maybe a little salmon oil to their diet. Mine are shedding too right now. We changed to the Native level 3 and are loving it.

Carla

[coveycreek]

One thing a vet told me once is that chlorinated water can cause a problem with shedding as well. The other thing on the food is that some of the larger companies make it regionally and what you are feeding may have been made in a difference plant with a slightly different recipe to fit the availability of the ingredients in that area. That is a possibility as well.

[Buckeye_V]

I have also noticed a significantly less amount of shedding after switching to NATIVE food. COuld be coincidence since we did move as well and are bathing the dogs less.

Justin

[CherrystoneWeims]

Hmmm Could be normal shedding. Could be from swimming in salt water. I would not just rinse but use a very mild shampoo after swimming.

How long ago did you move? The stress of the move could contribute to the shedding. I have seen many dogs shed due to stress.