SHEDDING!!! I Need help!!!

[Lyn1Lyn]

My 15 month EM has not stopped shedding in about 8 months (fall, winter, summer and spring)... It is absolutely ridiculous and it is so so much. To the point where I thought something was wrong with him. I have even taken pictures and sent it to his breeder, to see if this was normal.&nbsp; She said "it could be him blowing out his coat from winter but oh.... his father is a terrible shedder.. " <br>I honestly wish i would have known that before I got him, because I probably wouldn't have gotten him from her ( or gotten his type of breed period) I would have tried to search for a sire and dam that don't shed this much in hopes of getting a pup that doesn't as well. Somewhere along the line I missed the part about EM's shedding so much, (completely my fault I know)<img src="images/smilies/booboosign.gif" alt="" title="Booboosign" smilieid="37" class="inlineimg" border="0">..I am sweeping up several times a day and the amount is so much that it can fill half to a whole of a shopping bag each time I sweep. He is 135lbs and about 28 inches at the withers.&nbsp; Aside from constantly brushing him and using the furminator is there anything else I can do. I am beyond exhausted with cleaning up after him constantly. I clean up in the morning, when I come home from work in the evening and in the night before I go to bed, and still its constant.<img src="images/smilies/frown.png" alt="" title="Frown" smilieid="11" class="inlineimg" border="0"><br><br>Unfortunately my husband is really pissed, because as I said somewhere along the line I missed the part about the possibility of all this shedding all day everyday for the dogs entire life. He only agreed that we could get a dog because we thought we would only have the seasonal blow out of the coat. Not an everyday thing... So now there is constantly hair all over my house in tufts and he is a bit peeved..&nbsp; <br><br>To make matters worse he had his own room in my house (den) which is 12x12 and&nbsp; has a nice 6 foot open doorway, and a superyard xt gate across the doorway so he could feel like part of the family even when he needed to be in there because I couldn't keep up with all the shedding. It is easier to keep the hair confined to one room, when I was exhausted from work and dealing with 4 kids. Fortunately (but unfortunately for him) Our oldest daughter just moved in permanently and unexpectedly and she needs that room to be her bedroom. So now he has to be moved to my living room (which rolls right into my dining room and kitchen)... I need to figure out a way to get this shedding under control.&nbsp; Because my living room is a much bigger room and I can't see dog hair all over my furniture and floor and in my kitchen and stuff. I think that might be a breaking point for my husband as well, as he is trying to be very tolerant and not complain too much, but I can tell it is really getting to him alot. As he is a clean person and doesn't like animal hair on his clothes and stuff. He agreed to let me get the dog so I can feel safer when he is away from home for work, but on the grounds that I didn't get a long haired dog because they shed alot. So we got a short haired dog with all the properties we were looking for. Except ...... I missed the part that they shed profusely all year long. <br><br>Aside from the shedding Zeus is a wonderful dog and he is very well behaved, I have invested a lot of time, love and money into my little guy and I would hate to be forced to let him go because I can't get this shedding under control in order to keep my house clean and husband happy. <br><br>Please Help Me With Suggestions if you can<img src="images/smilies/pray.gif" alt="" title="Pray" smilieid="147" class="inlineimg" border="0"><br>Thanks in Advance

 

[seeknoxrun]

What are you feeding? Diet really affects coat health and shedding. You can also try an oil supplement for improved skin and coat health.

 

[Buddha's Dad]

Yea, salmon oil added to the dog food might help, most pet stores carry it. It will also make the coat soft and shiny. I'd also take a closer look at the dog food too.

 

[dsaw247]

I agree with the others, it could be the food. Do you feed him anything with wheat in it? Our EM has a wheat allergy that caused him to lose a lot of his hair.

 

[Lyn1Lyn]

Zeus is on a complete raw diet no grains.. and has been since the day he came to us at 9 weeks old. I haven't changed a thing. He eats several different types of meats and poultry and fish. He shed in the beginning normal amounts... a little here and there, enought to sweep up 1x every 2 days but at about 8 months (around Nov..) he started shedding really heavy and hasn't stopped. I have tried all types of stuff, even changing his diet to kibble (blue buffalo) and that didn't help a bit.. I even thought it made the situation worse by adding other issues, like pooping several times a day instead of 1x... and extremely large amounts of poop at a time. Aside from the added expense the kibble made on my wallet. (I buy my raw from a butcher who makes mixes for me and gives me a really good price because I tend to buy in bulk).. Kibble cost me a good $30-$40 more per month, and it didn't help with the shedding at all. uuugh... I could try the oil again, but I have a feeling it won't help... How much oil do you use for a dog his size..

---------- Post added at 02:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:09 PM ----------

I also tried a supplement just for his coat (GNC brand from Petsmart) and it did nothing.

 

[Lyn1Lyn]

I also tried a supplement just for his coat (GNC brand from Petsmart) and it did nothing.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Has your vet checked for thyroid prolems? Coat problems are a common symptom.

 

[mmyrto]

I heard The Missing Link Ultimate Skin & Coat helps a lot with shedding although it takes a few weeks to work

 

[Duetsche_Doggen]

I may have missed it ( sorry hard to read with no line breaks in the paragraph) but how much is he shedding? Is it to where you stroke him and your hand is covered in clumps of dead dog hair? Or is it just "regular" shedding? I"m a clean freak as well as OCD ,I clean DAILY EVERY DAY, this includes, wiping, vacuum, mopping, and swiffer. Its like clockwork when I get home I have a set schedule of what gets done to ensure there is at least "minimal" pet hair or odors around the home.

Keep in mind it could also be just him, for a short haired dog my boy Thor is quite the shedder. I usually go by his coat, if I stroke him and excessive hair amounts are on my hand I brush him until it subsides a bit. Usually about three times a week depending on the seasons. ( Summer and spring are the worse ) However I also know Thor has allergies so I try not to overdue it with the brushing as it could in more healthy hair loss.

If its that much of a bother keep the dog confined to a certain room. Thor and the little one have access to most parts of the duplex except the bedrooms, kitchen, and bathroom ( unless its bath time) it makes it easier to clean and manage them in the meanwhile. If your willing and committed it can be done if not do what's best for the entire family dog included.

 

[Lyn1Lyn]

Not exactly sure what happened to my post, it didn't look like that before I posted it... somehow all my paragraphs are gone and my breaks are gone too... Yes it is the type of shedding that I can just run my hand and it is full of hair. And it seems that its like this always regardless of the temperature or season...My vet said "well he's a big boy, so that type of shedding isn't abnormal, i get a lot of shedding with my labs as well" ( but I don't think he really understood what I was saying)..

Even after brushing him constantly, even after baths.... Heck even during baths....

As I said (i know its hard to read)... I am no longer able to confine him to one room, because our oldest daughter just came to live with us and his bedroom has now become hers. So therefore his new "room" is my living room.... Uuuugh!!... It will be a complete mess in no time.. I too have a schedule but since this excessive shedding started I have been completely and utterly exhausted with cleaning up after him... I mean its constant.. In the morning before I go to work, when I come home from work in the evening and at night before I go to bed... and still its all over the place in no time... I mean I can actually see it pooooof off of him when he shakes.. And I could have just finished brushing him. ....... Ay Yay Yay... ITS ALL OVER THE PLACE......

 

[seeknoxrun]

I second the idea of having him tested for thyroid problems. From what I understand, it's just a simple blood test.

 

[Lyn1Lyn]

Not exactly sure what happened to my post, it didn't look like that before I posted it... somehow all my paragraphs are gone and my breaks are gone too... Yes it is the type of shedding that I can just run my hand and it is full of hair. And it seems that its like this always regardless of the temperature or season...My vet said "well he's a big boy, so that type of shedding isn't abnormal, i get a lot of shedding with my labs as well" ( but I don't think he really understood what I was saying)..

Even after brushing him constantly, even after baths.... Heck even during baths....

As I said (i know its hard to read)... I am no longer able to confine him to one room, because our oldest daughter just came to live with us and his bedroom has now become hers. So therefore his new "room" is my living room.... Uuuugh!!... It will be a complete mess in no time.. I too have a schedule but since this excessive shedding started I have been completely and utterly exhausted with cleaning up after him... I mean its constant.. In the morning before I go to work, when I come home from work in the evening and at night before I go to bed... and still its all over the place in no time... And trying to keep it off the kids clothes and from getting into their braided hair (especially when they like to roll around on the floor with each other and play alot with the dog) so they look neat when leaving the house is hard as well, when its this much hair constantly all over the place.

My first thought was a medical problem, but my vet says its normal, the breeder says its normal.. everyone says its normal.

I mean I can actually see it pooooof off of him when he shakes.. And I could have just finished brushing him. ....... Ay Yay Yay... ITS ALL OVER THE PLACE......
I am going to try a last ditch effort of investing in a high powered air purifier to place near the area that he will spend the most time and hope that helps.. I really don't want to let my little guy go.. He's so great otherwise..

I feel like I owe it to him to try everything, especially seeing that I blame myself for missing the fact that he might shed this much, when I did all my research (2 years worth)..

 

[musicdeb]

The forum posts do not need <br>. Just double space between paragraphs.

I hope you find a solution to the shedding because it sounds like that you are really stressed out as well as your husband.

 

[Marrowshard]

Definitely sounds like a more ... profuse ... shedder than should be the case. I hate to see dust mice rolling along my floor so I sweep every couple of days and of course when the weather heats up there are a few really hairy days, but nothing that's caused handfuls to come loose on a petting. I agree with the others, have some tests run to make sure it's not a symptom of a more major health issue.
I would definitely say that what you're describing isn't at all typical for an EM. He's not a fluffy by any chance, is he? I wouldn't assume so because he'd look pretty long-haired to even a casual eye but it bears asking just is case. On an super shedder, you can always use a shedding blade. The ones I used to have were for my horse to get rid of his long winter coat, but they would just as easily work for a large dog. It gets out a lot of hair in one go and makes a nice source of scratchies

~Marrow

 

[Lyn1Lyn]

musicdeb I am not putting in the <br> I am just double spacing, its doing it all on its own somehow....lol.... something weird is going on...As you can see it duplicated part of my post as well right before yours...
Yes I am really hoping for some type of solution..Because it is quite stressful... I will definitely try the thyroid test, maybe that will give some insight. See if I can get an appt for next week sometime.

---------- Post added at 08:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:56 PM ----------

No hes not puffy at all, actually I always wonder where the heck all the hair is coming from because his hair lays so flat and its so short..

 

[Lyn1Lyn]

No hes not puffy at all, actually I always wonder where the heck all the hair is coming from because his hair lays so flat and its so short..

 

[ruthcatrin]

Ask your vet for a full thyroid workup, its not a bad idea anyways, to have a baseline. Its not the cheapest bloodwork ever, but not horribly expensive either, just make sure its the FULL thyroid panel, not just the T4. We had Apollo's done at his first year checkup cause TM's occasionally have thyroid issues, so I wanted a 'normal baseline' to work off of later, just in case.

I would also consider a salmon or Omega 3-6 oil added to his food, unless you're feeding fish regularly. It can't hurt and might help (human grade stuff is fine but watch out for soy additives in them).

 

[Buddha's Dad]

The salmon oil I use for Buddha is 1 pump or (1/2 teaspoon) for every ten lbs of body weight, I use this one, http://www.costco.com/Browse/Produc...talogName:BC&D=salmon+oil&Ntt=salmon+oil&Sp=S which is a pretty good deal for 2 bottles, you don't even need to be a costco member to order it either and Buddha always gets comments on how soft and shiny his coat is.

 

[Lyn1Lyn]

Thanks for the link Buddha's dad... I will look into purchasing that later on this week. I will also be asking the vet about the full thyroid workup as well. Hope it helps...

 

[jellokatt]

Our female sheds constantly also - after brushing, after baths, after adding oil to her food. The vet couldn't find anything wrong with her. I've tried switching her food, and even cooking food for her (I haven't tried the raw diet yet). I'm going to try the salmon oil people have suggested on here (I always give her my salmon skin whenever I cook it, and she seems to love it). I'm getting used to the "tumbleweeds" of blonde fur.