Again and again dogs, especially those with long or fine coats, are affected by hair breakage, hair loss or coat loss in various places. The reasons for this can be varied, as can the solutions!
In this blog post, we tell you what you need to know about this topic.
Achtung: If hair breakage or hair loss in dogs persists over a longer period of time and is accompanied by other symptoms such as severe itching, skin inflammation or wounds, veterinary advice should always be sought.
How does a dog's hair grow?
Basically, hair growth in dogs takes place in five different phases:
- Anagen phase - here the dog's hair continues to grow.
- Catagen phase - this is when the dog's hair begins to recede.
- Telogen phase - this phase marks the resting period in the dog's hair growth and it begins to die off.
- Exogenous phase - the dead dog hair falls out in this phase.
- Kenogenic phase - this is the resting phase of the dog's hair follicles. They are only activated again when the winter coat needs to be formed.
Hair breakage dog causes
Basically, when hair breaks, the individual hairs split, swell and eventually break off. This can lead to unsightly, dull and bald patches in the dog's coat. In addition to the aesthetic aspect, hair breakage is usually accompanied by an unpleasant feeling for the dog. The severity of this varies depending on the cause of the hair breakage. As the causes of hair breakage in dogs are very varied, we have summarized some of the most common reasons here.
Hair breakage and hair loss in dogs due to collars
A common and fortunately easily remedied cause of hair breakage in dogs is mechanical rubbing due to too tight or unsuitable dog equipment.
If the collar sits too tightly on the dog's neck, there is a wide contact surface. Every time the dog moves or the collar is jerked, the collar and fur rub against each other, which can lead to brittle, ruffled fur and hair breakage. Dogs with long or fine fur that wear wide collars are particularly affected.
One way to prevent this is to switch from a flat collar to a Chain collar with long links.
Why does a chain collar help with hair breakage?
TheLong, airy links allow even long and fine dog fur to move flexibly around, through and over the chain links. This reduces the contact surface and results in less friction and therefore less hair breakage.
AdditionalChains usually sit more loosely on the dog's neck than other collars, as they are only pulled tighter around the dog's neck by a fixed or flexible pull stop when there is actual tension on the lead.
Our blog post on this topic tells you which Advantages of chain collars for dogs still have it!
Other causes of hair loss in dogs
Although mechanical causes are the most common reasons for hair loss in dogs, there are other causes that occur more frequently.
Hair loss in dogs due to allergies
Hair and skin problems are often caused by allergies in dogs as well as in humans. If you already know that your dog is generally sensitive to certain ingredients and/or materials and hair breakage is now also occurring in the neck area, a reaction to the material of the dog collar could well be possible. Especially with metals, many dogs react to the nickel contained, which is often expressed by coat discoloration.
Our recommendation for particularly sensitive dogs and dogs with nickel allergies are ourCUROGAN chain collars. These are made from a special 100% nickel-free material.
More about the material CUROGAN you can find out more in our blog post on the topic!
Attention: If new symptoms suddenly appear in dogs with allergies/sensitive dogs, it is always advisable to seek veterinary advice.
Fur loss in dogs due to stress
If the fur loss does not occur in an area that can be affected by mechanical friction from the collar or harness, an unfortunately common reasonStress.
Stress leads to increased production of cortisol in the adrenal glands. This has a negative effect on the entire organism. In this case, the contraction of the blood vessels due to the increased cortisol level leads to an insufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicles. They therefore die off and fall out.
If you are unsure yourself where your dog's stress is coming from, we always recommend Working with an experienced dog trainer.
Coat loss in dogs during shedding
Shedding is a process that no dog can completely avoid. Twice a year it is completely normal for your dog to shed large amounts of dead fur - it is even particularly important to support this correctly! Only if dogs can develop their summer and winter coats according to the current season are they equipped to cope with environmental influences and thus avoid overheating in summer or hypothermia in winter.
EvenFor older and sick dogs It is important to monitor the change of coat closely and support it with care or food supplements as required.
Attention:If bald patches suddenly appear in your dog's coat during the shedding period, a visit to the vet is also advisable here!
Prevent coat loss and hair breakage in dogs through proper coat care
Proper grooming is not only important during the shedding season:dogs of all coat types should be combed or brushed at least once or twice a week.
This not onlystrengthensthebond with your dog, butchanges to the dog's coat or body are noticed more quickly and can be treated at an early stage. The coat remains shinier, more elastic and more resistant - so hair breakage can be prevented before it occurs.
You can find outmore about shedding and coat carein our blog post!
But there's more to consider:
Especially in the warmer months,dogs should also be checked closely for ticks, as these can transmit extremely dangerous diseases and like to hide in particularly warm and hidden areas of the dog's body, such as between the toes.
For dogs with long ears that do not want to miss out on splashing around at any time of year, special attention should be paid to thecare and control of the earsin addition to general coat care.