The timing of hair change is mainly influenced by the duration of daylight and the ambient temperature. However, some cats and dogs shed year-round. This can often be observed in castrated animals.
Shedding involves shedding and regrowing hair. The whole process can take up to six or seven weeks. Dogs and cats shed more intensely in spring than in autumn because the winter coat is much denser. In addition, the change of fur is usually faster in young animals than in old ones.
In order to make this phase easier for the animals, Coat well combed and brushed daily – especially the undercoat is to be removed with special combs. Brushing out tangles and tangles gets rid of dead and loose hair. The skin is massaged by the brushing and better supplied with blood. The sebaceous glands are stimulated to produce protective fat.
There are also dogs that don’t shed their hair: poodles and Yorkshire terriers are among the breeds that rarely shed their hair. Your hair is constantly growing and should be trimmed or clipped regularly.
You can support the change of coat with important nutrients. In addition to zinc, vitamin A and the B vitamins, particularly unsaturated fatty acids are essential for a healthy hair metabolism. Unsaturated fatty acids are found, for example, in borage, fish or evening primrose oil. All of these nutrients are available in special tablets or oil blends as feed additives. Especially in the «hairy times» you should pay attention to a balanced diet rich in these ingredients.