Seasonal vs Abnormal Shedding: When to Worry About Your Pet
In order to meet a pet’s needs, we can observe and assess their behavior to gauge overall health. Another important indicator of wellness concerns how a pet looks. For example, a healthy coat signals strength and vitality. And while shedding is a natural process (even hairless cats shed dander!), hair loss can also be connected to various medical issues. The Gentle Vet team can help you differentiate between normal/seasonal shedding and other reasons for concern.
Normal and Natural
Most pet owners are resigned to living with pet hair. Whether it piles up on our clothing, furniture, or flooring, pet hair simply comes with the territory. Shedding can increase depending on the season (we’re looking at you, summer), and is more common in pets with longer coats.
Despite all of this, shedding can sometimes cross a line. When a pet loses more hair than can be explained by seasonal shedding, it is time to get to the bottom of the cause.
Other Causes of Hair Loss
If your pet’s shedding goes beyond the normal cyclical process of shedding old hair and replacing it, and also appears excessive, take a closer look at the look and feel of their coat. Bald patches and/or symmetrical loss of hair can be caused by and signal any of the following health conditions:
- Skin itchiness or inflammation caused by allergies (food, environmental, or flea infestations)
- Overgrooming (often seen in animals suffering from anxiety or stress)
- Parasitic infestation
- Fungal infection, including ringworm
- Blocked anal glands
- Presence of demodex mites in the hair follicles that cause demodectic mange
- Cushing’s disease, caused by an overactive adrenal gland
- Thyroid, liver, or kidney disease
- Cancer
First Things First
Before applying shampoos or other topical treatments, please schedule an exam with our team. We can determine whether your pet’s shedding is related to an underlying condition. Often, excessive shedding can be addressed by providing a healthy diet for cats and dogs, and adjusting environmental triggers.
Diagnosing and treating associated health problems is key to pet health and comfort. We look closely at shedding patterns, hair quality and appearance, the presence of secondary infections, and issues on the skin. Skin samples can identify allergies, bacterial infections, hormonal issues, and even cancer.
We can prescribe medications, nutritional supplements, and parasite preventives to address problems of the skin and coat.
The Upshot of Abnormal Shedding
Excessive or abnormal shedding can pinpoint larger problems that, if left alone, may decrease quality of life and affect lifespan. As a signal that something is wrong, shedding can lead to a quick diagnosis and effective treatment. In many cases, the health conditions that either cause or lead to excessive shedding can be solved and the hair can grow back naturally.
Please call us at (330) 665-5915 with any questions or concerns about your pet’s fur coat. Our staff at The Gentle Vet is always happy to help.