Hair loss for an animal is normal. But when the loss is too abundant, this phenomenon can be a sign of dermatosis or another disease.
We often hear it: the skin reflects the general state of health. This is also true for our dogs and cats.
If shedding is a normal phenomenon and which has two peaks in the year, in spring and autumn, hair loss can also be the reflection of a dermatological condition (scabies, leishmaniasis, demodicosis, etc.) or general (trouble hormonal, dietary deficiency, etc.).
Hair loss and cycle
Rest assured, most often, an animal that loses its hair is normal and linked to the hair cycle thanks to which the coat is continuously renewed.
This renewal is exacerbated twice a year, during moulting periods. The latter makes it possible to adapt the insulating capacity of the hair to the external conditions, by modifying the length and density of the coat. Moulting lasts about 5 weeks in a dog. It also allows the elimination of worn or damaged hair.
What can alert on a possible health problem is the concomitant presence of other clinical signs: itching, presence of pimples, crusts, dandruff, redness and or other.
Importance of good maintenance
The autumn moult is less important because the undercoat is preserved, which is not the case in the spring.
It is useful at these times to brush your dog regularly, ideally daily, to get rid of dead hair.
Apart from seasonal variations, the hair cycle also experiences individual and racial variations. Some dogs do not shed, such as the poodle, komondor, bichon frize, and, of course, the Chinese hairless dog!
Did you know ?
There are three distinct types of hair in dogs which are developed by hair follicles of different nature: the main hair, the finer lateral hairs, the whole forming the cover hairs which ensure impermeability, and the undercoat. , thin, flexible and short which is the dog’s main thermal insulation tool.
