It is almost inevitable and unavoidable that if you have pets, you will have varying degrees of animal fur at various times of the year! Shedding is a natural process so you cannot eliminate it entirely. Shedding happens, but take heart that in can be reduced!

The volume of shedding does depend on genetics and there are variations within that, depending on the overall health of the animal, their age, how much they exercise, their lifestyle, stress factors, the frequency of grooming, diet etc.

Diet & Supplementation

Diet and supplementation can make a major difference in the amount of hair your animal loses. We recommend species appropriate diets. For carnivores like cats and dogs, the most natural diet and the one that will provide the most bioavailability of nutrients is raw. A carnivore, from their nose to their tail, is designed to eat and process raw meat…and some vegetables. When not on a species appropriate diet, they simply cannot reach optimal health. If your animal is not currently on raw, and you want to switch, make sure you do it correctly. If you are not prepared to do a raw diet, then the next best thing would be home cooked but that too must be done correctly. Dehydrated diets are also very good, all you do is add water! Some premium dry foods can provide exceptional nutritional value with the convenience that comes with traditional dry foods.

We would suggest the following foods for Dogs: Premium Holistic Formula Dog Food
For cats, you could try: Premium Holistic Formula Cat Food

Dogs and cats are not designed to eat grains so in looking for a canned food, make sure it does not have grains and that it's made from human grade ingredients. Grains, especially wheat and rice, can lead to inflammation in the body and one of the ways that can manifest is in the skin and coat. Skin can become dry and itchy and certainly, hair loss and a dull coat can be the result.

Essential fatty acids are very important for the health of the coat. Salmon oil and other fish oils are wonderful. A good multi vitamin is also important to help the body balance and replace nutrients lost through daily living.

Other Causes of Shedding

There are other reasons why your pet might be suffering from hair loss including:

• Hypothyroidism
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Cushing's
• Addisons
• Stress

If your dog or cat is shedding excessively and doesn’t respond to better nutrition and supplementation, see your vet and ensure that any underlying disease is caught early!