CARMEL PET CLINIC’S ANSWER TO:  WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DECREASE SHEDDING?

As a Carmel pet clinic, we see every kind of breed of both dogs and cats.  Many of them, just like humans, shed hair all year round.  A question I often hear from clients is, “How can I stop my pet from shedding?”  Although it is not possible to completely stop shedding with most breeds, it is possible to reduce shedding dramatically by following this one simple step.

Brush your pet with a fine tooth comb such as a flea comb shown in the picture.  These combs are very cheap and durable, but are great for removing the loose dog and cat hair that would normally have been all over the house in the next day or two.  The comb clumps the loose pet hair into a small hairball, which should be removed from the comb and is easy to dispose of by keeping a trash can nearby during brushing.  These flea combs are also great at getting out small mats.  Never use scissors to try to remove a mat yourself!  Save a trip to the Carmel pet clinic…It is very easy to cut the skin by accident.

The fine-tooth flea combs work best on cats and long coated breeds such as Golden Retrievers.  Very short-coat breeds such as Boxers should use a rubber-tip grooming mit with short strokes.

Pet hair removal must be done frequently to be effective.  I would recommend de-shedding brush outs daily for best results.  An added bonus of removing the pet fur and dander with regular brushing, is this often helps the humans in the house who suffer from pet allergies!  This will not eliminate pet hair in the house, but it will decrease the amount of pet fur your dog and cat sheds tremendously.

Most pets love to be brushed.  Start out slow and give them a treat reward for sitting still during and after the grooming.  If your pet hates to be groomed, take them to your groomer and let the professionals do the work for you.  Groomers appreciate when you take your pet in regularly, at least every 4 weeks.

Lets reduce shedding in Hamilton county by brushing your pet!  For more information, click on this link to Carmel Pet Clinic.