I have a 12yr old black lab mix who is shedding terribly. I vaccuum every day and come home from work to find piles of hair in places that he has been laying. I can't keep up with him just by brushing as I would be brushing him non-stop. I would just deal with it except for the fact that my baby will be crawling soon and don't want him covered in fur everytime he's on the move. Does anybody have any suggestions how to remedy the shedding, or maybe a good groomer near the Medinah area that can help get all the loose hair off of him?
I want to thank everyone for their suggestions. I've gotten a bunch of great ideas and will most likely use a combination of many of them such as taking him to get "furminated" for immediate results and change his diet and such for long term. Thank you again! I love having this site available.
Hi J.,
Has he always shed this much or has it increased more than normal for him? If it is more then normal you might need to change his food or talk to the vet about it. Sometimes it can signal something more. Also, a simple food change could help. I just changed my dogs to Iams and they are doing much better with their coats. Good luck!
I don't know a grommer in your area, but when you find one, get your dog ferminated. That is what our groomer does for our husky/shep. mix. They wash witha special shampoo and them blow out the undercoat.
Have you talked to your vet about the dog food you feed him? Our dog's coat is amazing and is attributed to the food we give her - which is Nutro. There is also a good groomer on Meacham road - near Schaumburg road behind the 7-11 - just up the road. We live near Medinah - my dh goes to the Medinah train every day. Hope that helps.
M. in Elk Grove Vlg.
You can check out your local Petsmart. I take my dog there, but recently he has been shedding so much I had fur tumbleweeds in my house.
They have a package that is called the furmanator, (I think)
I had them do it and I have had no more issues with him shedding.
Good Luck!
Get the Furminator brush! It's expensive, like $50, but it's cheaper than having it done professionally all the time.
I have 3 large dogs..One is a large German Shepard, 1 is a yellow Lab, and the last is a Red Nosed Pit bull.I also have a cat who thinks he's a dog. Before you ask..yes they are all fixed, and yes they get along better than most people I know...and they were all rescues. They are all also getting up in age.. You wanna talk shedding? I found by talking to knowledgable people at the local Pet Smart, They are able to recommend products and food choices that help lower the amount of hair loss and improve thier coats.. often at less cost than I thought. One was my choice of dog brush. Different brushes work differently and they recommended things I never would have thought would work. But they did alot more than I thought they would! Try asking your questions to the groomers..( Winters are the worst, with dry skin problems..) These people have been God sends to me. Good luck.
And by the way, my vet IS pleased with my animal's health, weights, and coats. Someone must have steered me right.
Hi, I am a petsitter in your area. Quite a few of my clients go to Tails A Wagin on Schick road. Call and ask for Claudia and tell her I referred you - Debbie from Wipe Your Paws Petsitting- she could take a look at the dog's coat and recommend some suggestions. Sometimes, oatmeal baths work and certain lotions and conditioners that she uses. Hope that helps. If you need her number, jsut email me and I can give it to you.
My dogs shed a lot too and the only thing that worked for us is an oil that goes on their food. There are many brands. One we used is called Shedtrol. Many others are just called skin and coat supplement oil. You can get it at the pet store or even walmart. The only problem is that it gets expensive when you have to buy it every few weeks. The dosage goes by the weight of your dog, and we have big dogs. But it does work very well, as long as you keep giving it to them. And i think it is good for their coat and skin.
Hi J.,
We have the same problem with our dog. We just shave her to nothing..... it lasts about 3 months, the hair grows back and we do it again....
We used to take her to the groomer on the corner of Rt. 53 and Irving (can't remember the name, but it's next to Subway). It was getting kind of expensive, so we bought a professional shaver for dogs and now my husband does it. The shaver cost $100, so it paid for itself after 2 uses... This really helps - especially when the kids were crawling and putting everything off the floor in their mouths...
