Express shedding for dogs is a service provided in pet grooming salons. It is designed to relieve the pet and its owners from the hassle that is inevitable during the period of hair loss.
- 1 What is express molting 1.1 What is the procedure
What is express shedding
The service has alternative names. Among them are combing the undercoat or a steam bath. Owners should not be confused by the variety of definitions. In all cases, the set of measures to rid a dog of excess hair is approximately the same.
What is the procedure
The implementation of the service is divided into the following stages:
- Combing. The pet's fur is tidied up. Carefully distributed fur will not get into shreds and will be easier to remove at the final stages of the procedure. In addition, the already fallen cover that has lingered on the animal is removed.
- Bathing using special veterinary products. Sometimes it is necessary to select shampoos and cosmetics for a specific breed so as not to spoil the coat.
- Treatment of a dog's fur coat with a special mixture that warms the fur and the upper layers of the epithelium. After application, the animal is wrapped in a blanket or blanket to maintain the temperature for a while.
- Rinse off the warming mask and dry with a hairdryer. At this stage, the hairs from the bulbs are blown out with a powerful air stream.
- Intensive brushing. This removes most of the fur.
Optionally, the salon can provide nail trimming and eye cleaning services in combination with shedding. As a result, the pet gets rid of excess fur and acquires a neat appearance.
In addition, the procedure is beneficial for hygiene - a light dog sweats less, and this reduces the risk of skin diseases, diaper rash and attracting insects.
Why does hair fall out in winter?
If any problems happen to the dog, the owner does not notice alarming symptoms until hair loss begins. What is hidden behind molting in winter and what to do?
Unfortunately, unscheduled winter shedding is a problem that most dog lovers face. If you notice that the animal is shedding, carefully analyze the previous month - were there any alarming symptoms? Maybe the dog was itching more than usual or was very lethargic and inactive.
Tip: A good way to stop shedding is to let your dog bathe in clean snow.
Reasons for early shedding in winter (for example, in February):
- Then carefully examine your pet's skin. If there is redness, you are probably dealing with dermatitis. It is easy to cure, but this should only be done under the supervision of a specialist.
- Often, your dog may react to shampoos or other detergents. Do you wash your dog more often than usual in winter?
- A lack of vitamins A and E, as well as fatty amino acids Omega-3 and Omega-6, significantly worsens the condition of dogs' hair, especially in winter and during the off-season. Be sure to take vitamin courses if you feed your dog dry food.
- Impaired body functions may be a reaction to the environment. An animal may react negatively to the reagent or salt that is sprinkled on sidewalks. Carefully examine your pet's paws - are there any wounds or ulcers on them? An unpleasant odor will also be a bad symptom.
- Infection with parasites may also be the cause. Fleas or lice can appear on an animal even in winter. Inspect the fur, especially the ears, belly, and inner thighs. Look not only for the insects themselves, but also for traces of their vital activity - red dots from bites and larvae.
IMPORTANT: If you find a lice eater, be sure to take an additional anthelmintic. After all, lice eaters can carry worms.
Cost and showrooms in Moscow
Often the cost of express moulting is not fixed. The price depends on the size of the dog. So, in Moscow, removing excess fur for a small pet weighing up to 3 kg will cost the owners about 700 rubles. For a medium-sized animal, the service will cost about 1,500 rubles.
The procedure can be ordered at special dog hairdressing salons. The most famous of them:
- Zooartsalon
- Maitre Groom.
- Salon of Canine Perfection.
The service is especially relevant for breeds that have a massive coat and shed for a long time. There are also varieties of dogs that shed fur almost all year round. Then the owners are forced to clean out clumps of fur from everywhere and intensively comb the pet. This measure is rarely a salvation, and the problem can only be solved with the participation of professionals by requesting an express molt.
What breeds of dogs and cats is the procedure suitable for?
Express shedding is suitable for all breeds of dogs that are not trimmed or cut, as well as for all breeds of cats (except hairless ones, of course). It should also be remembered that not every cat will withstand this procedure. For such cats we offer either a “haircut”.
Express shedding is best suited for breeds with an undercoat, such as Spitz, Pekingese, Huskies, Samoyeds, mixed breeds, and so on.
Smooth-haired breeds (Jack Russell Terriers, Labradors, Pugs, Beagles, etc.) are also suitable for this procedure, but the effect does not last as long, so it will need to be repeated more often.
The duration of the process depends on how much the wool is “ripe” or “overripe”, that is, on the phase of natural shedding.
If the animal is not accustomed to such care as bathing, blow-drying, combing, you should not immediately sign up for express shedding. You need to accustom your pet gradually. This can be done independently, or in agreement with a groomer. We wrote in detail about home grooming in this article. If the animal is young and non-aggressive, we will gladly meet you halfway and try to put its hair in order. The sooner the baby begins to get used to care procedures, the fewer problems he will have in the future. For all long-haired breeds, timely grooming is a necessity.
When to see a doctor?
You should consult a doctor if you notice at least two of the above symptoms in your animal. If this is your first time encountering seasonal shedding and you don’t know how to behave in such situations, you should also consult a veterinarian.
Diagnostics
A doctor cannot draw a conclusion about a disease based on just one visit. Spare no expense, go to a good clinic. You will undergo a step-by-step diagnosis, the result of which will be a diagnosis. After this, you can begin treatment.
Table 1. Stages of diagnosing a dog
| Stage | Description |
| Inspection | Diagnosis begins with a general examination of the dog. The doctor checks the condition of the skin, reactions, and painful pressure. Other external signs that may indicate the disease are also recorded. |
| Laboratory research | After the examination, the doctor suggests taking blood tests, which will rule out problems with the liver or pancreas. |
| Additional Research | If the tests show a negative result for the presence of problems, it is necessary to take a scraping and an allergy test in order to determine the possibility of developing skin diseases |
| Conclusion | Based on the data received, the doctor tells you the diagnosis |
Only a veterinarian can determine the exact cause.
Useful tips
A special role in the prevention of excessive shedding of cats is given to the use of mineral and vitamin complexes based on taurine and biotin. It has been proven that a deficiency of these elements in the animal’s body causes inflammation of the hair follicles and becomes a common cause of hair loss. A large amount of biotin is contained in the yolk of a chicken egg, but it is not recommended to give this product to furry pets more than once a week, and then in very limited quantities. That is why the product cannot satisfy the need for vitamin H in cats.
All this necessitated the use of ready-made complexes.
Therefore, many breeders of purebred cats are required to introduce the necessary drugs into the food of their pets before exhibitions.
In addition, constant intake of biotin in combination with sulfur has a general strengthening effect on the pet’s body and helps increase immunity, improves tissue regeneration, and accelerates wound healing. Consumption of taurine in combination with biotin normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, helps normalize cardiovascular activity, and has the most beneficial effect on the functioning of the liver and kidneys.
The following vitamin complexes are the most popular among breeders.
- Kitty and Taurin+Biotin is the optimal choice for caring owners, which allows you to maintain the condition of the animal’s coat. The presence of biotin among the components makes the hair beautiful and relieves all skin diseases, and taurine improves the general condition of the pet’s body, normalizes the functioning of the heart, blood vessels, gall bladder and brain. At the same time, the product has a fairly affordable price, which makes it the number one choice among Russian breeders.
- Cat Felltop Gel is a vitamin complex based on zinc and biotin that effectively nourishes hair follicles and relieves incipient skin diseases.
- Cat Fell OK - this drug contains a complex of useful micro- and macroelements, is highly effective and serves as a preventive measure for many diseases of the fur and skin of cats.
- Laveta Super for Cats - the main components of the drug include vitamins B, also E, this includes taurine and biotin. Thanks to the use of the complex, shedding occurs quite quickly, minimizing the risk of dandruff and hair loss. Vitamins help nourish hair, improve the structure and color of hair. This composition is especially popular before cat shows and competitions.
- Derm Caps and Derm Liquid is another biotin-based product with proven effectiveness. It has been noted that its use improves the appearance of the coat and normalizes the animal’s skin.
- “Felvit” is a complex enriched with calcium, zinc, niacin, biotin and B vitamins. The use of the product allows you to maintain the natural pigmentation of the skin and causes overall strengthening of the body.
- Gimpet Katzentabs is a seaweed-based food supplement with biotin. Taking this product has a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora, improves the digestion process and thereby helps maintain the health of the pet’s skin.
If pets receive excessive doses of microelements, then pathological changes occur such as enlargement of the liver and spleen, calcium deposition in organs and tissues, which causes not only hair loss, but also changes in the composition of the cat’s blood.
For rules for combing cats during shedding, see the following video.
