You may be noticing changes in your dog’s coat as a result of the weather. As the weather gets warmer, your dog will start to shed their heavy winter coat, resulting in a lot more loose hair. With good management and a little extra love, you can minimize the shedding and make sure your dog has a healthy spring coat heading into the hot summer.
Steps To A Healthy Spring Coat
Taking care of your dog’s spring coat is essential for their health and comfort as well as for reducing the amount of hair floating around your home. There are four steps in a good spring coat cleaning and maintenance routine for dogs.
Before you start, make sure that you have all the tools you need for grooming, bathing, and maintaining your dog’s skin and coat. Invest in quality tools so that you can use them throughout the year.
Shedding Management
When the weather gets warmer, dogs lose their heavy winter fur so that they can stay cool. To manage shedding, you will need to brush your dog regularly. Thorough, consistent brushing will remove heavy dead hair and prevent the remaining fur from matting. It also helps increase circulation and promote good blood flow in the skin. Use a high-quality shedding blade or brush appropriate for your dog’s coat regularly. Some dogs with long or particularly thick coats may need daily brushing in the spring.
Allergen Control
Allergens are another spring issue for dogs. When your dog is playing outside, they can get dust, pollen, and other allergens trapped in their fur. Brushing can remove some allergens, but bathing your dog regularly with a gentle hypoallergenic dog shampoo is the best way to get allergens and pollutants out of their fur. Beware of overbathing, however. Bathing your dog too often can dry out their skin and lead to hot spots or infections. A good rule of thumb is to bathe your dog approximately every 4-6 weeks.
Keeping Skin Healthy
If your dog’s skin isn’t healthy, they can get skin infections, hot spots, rashes, and other skin problems that require vet treatment. Take the time to groom your dog regularly, and during the grooming session, pay close attention to their skin. Make sure that you are giving your dog flea and tick preventatives also, because flea and tick bites can irritate your dog’s skin.
Mat Prevention
Dogs with long hair can develop nasty mats in the warmer weather. Mats are dangerous for your dog because they can pull on the dog’s skin and cause ulcers, wounds, skin infections, and hair loss. If your dog is prone to mats, make sure that you brush them often with an appropriate brush made for detangling. If you need help managing your dog’s long coat, take them to a professional groomer.
Get Professional Grooming For Your Dog, Choose Canine College
If you’re not able to put in the work to manage your dog’s spring coat, let Canine College help. Canine College has the experience and tools to make sure that your dog has healthy skin and a beautiful spring coat, no matter what breed your dog is. Contact us today at 781-767-3908 to schedule an appointment!
