Whether you own a medium-sized pit bull terrier or a heavy-weight American bully, pit bulls are a loyal, loving, yet fearsome breed. Pit bulls have a coat and shed fur like any other dog breed. While shedding is a natural phenomenon, shedding excessively might be due to dehydration, stress, skin condition, etc.
Keep reading to know exactly how much pit bulls normally shed, the factors increasing the amount of shedding, and the steps you can take to address the issue.
How Much Do Pit Bulls Shed?
Pit bulls have a single coat and shed less than a double-coat dog like a labrador. However, they might shed less than other single-coat dog breeds. Unlike having hair on their coat, pit bulls have short, smooth, coarse fur with equal length, making them a low-shedding dog breed. These dogs have the easiest dog coat type to care for and require minimum grooming.
You can expect your pit bull to shed all year, but the amount of shedding you find around your home will remain the same. Unfortunately, several reasons could be involved if your pitbull sheds more than usual.
Reasons Your Pit Bull is Shedding Excessively
Here are some reasons why your pit bull sheds more fur than usual.
Natural Protection
Just like humans shed worn-out, damaged, or dead skin, dogs shed their hair at a consistent pace throughout the year. The shedding volume increases more than usual during the fall and spring. This increased shedding is the number of daylight hours that change with the transitioning season.
Stress
If you own a pit bull or plan to make one your family member, please remember that this dog breed is highly affectionate and shares an unbreakable bond with its owners. If you don’t get enough time to spend with your dog like earlier, and the dog is given adequate attention and care, it leads to separation anxiety.
This stress and anxiety mainly result from changes like moving to a new home, skipping walks to the park, and spending less time with your munchkin. When a dog suffers from separation anxiety, their shedding frequency increases.
Several medical conditions and fear are also responsible for increasing stress in dogs.
Water Intake
Pit bulls are energetic dogs and need a lot of time to play, exercise and utilize their energy. Keeping your dog hydrated is crucial, especially during the summer. Lack of water intake can trigger shedding if your pet is not provided a consistent supply of fresh and clean water.
Dietary Changes
Switching your pit bull’s diet can sometimes lead to shedding. For example, if you are feeding them a beef meal, switching to a chicken-based meal makes the dog’s body react, leading to excessive falling of fur and loose hair. Make gradual changes to the meal to avoid the possibility of shedding.
Likewise, feeding a nutrient-deficient diet can also cause excessive shedding. Evaluating the nutrient profile of the foods you give is essential so preparing meals with balanced nutrients becomes easier. If you can’t figure out how to prepare meals or what food items you can provide to your pit bull, visiting a vegetarian or animal nutritionist can make it easier.
They are certified professionals who understand your pet’s nutritional requirements and will provide several options you can combine to provide healthy and nutritious meals.
Food Allergies
Like humans, dogs can suffer from food allergies. If you have recently changed your pitbull’s diet and have noticed quick changes in the shedding frequency, the diet changes might be the culprit.
Besides an increased shedding frequency, your pit bull can exhibit symptoms like itchy skin, diarrhea, and vomiting. Other changes can include an increase in aggressiveness, feeling exhausted, and being hyperactive.
Bathing
Pit bulls have short fur and release abundant natural oils to protect the hair and skin for long periods. They don’t require to bathe for a month unless their fur gets dirty while playing outdoors. Excessively bathing your pet decreases the number of natural oils, making the fur and skin dry. This dryness makes the fur lose, making them fall more frequently.
Changing the bathing products like dog shampoo can also result in shedding. Several dog shampoos have added chemicals and extracts that can trigger an allergic reaction. Consulting your veterinarian can aid in finding the right shampoo, as they can recommend an alternative after evaluating the coat.
Parasite Infestation
Mites, ticks, and fleas are common parasites that can increase the amount of shedding in pit bulls. These infestations result in severe itching, the skin turning dry and flaky, and cause excessive hair loss. Fungal and bacterial skin infections are another culprit that increases the shedding frequency.
The symptoms of parasite infestation and dry skin are similar. While you can use a moisturizing shampoo and related grooming products to address dry skin, treating a parasite infestation requires drastic measures. Visit a veterinarian to evaluate the infestation’s severity and take the necessary steps.
How to Manage Pit Bull Shedding
During the shedding season during spring and fall, you’ll see more hair around the premises, and it’s perfectly normal. However, you must closely monitor for a few days to determine no excessive fur loss.
Here are some ways to handle shedding.
Daily Brushing
A daily brushing routine is the ultimate way to keep your pet’s loose hair at bay. Besides brushing off loose hair before scattering, brushing fosters a bond of affection between the pet and its caretaker.
While you brush your pit bull, make it a practice to examine its skin for any signs of parasite infestation. Instead of using a brush, you can opt for a curry comb or a hard bristle brush to remove loose fur and massage the skin, increasing the blood flow.
Remember to bathe the dog at least once a month and use an anti-shedding shampoo during the peak shedding season to control the fur loss.
Using Supplements
Sometimes diet alone cannot provide the right amount of essential vitamins and minerals to the body. This can occur due to a slow metabolic rate, the presence of foreign bodies that use up these essential nutrients before getting absorbed by the body, old age, etc.
Provide your pet with supplements containing Omega fatty acids and Vitamin E to nourish your skin. These supplements are available in pallet and chewable forms and can be given regularly after the veterinarian’s recommendation.
Always purchase your dog’s supplements through a reliable vendor or distributor instead of buying substandard products. Giving your pet a poor-quality supplement can make your pet sick and trigger related health issues.
Tips to Get Rid of Dog Fur
- Vacuuming the premises is one of the easiest and most practical ways to clean shedding.
- If you have rugs and carpets around the household, don’t forget to use the carpet rake to remove pet hair stuck in the carpet’s fluffy threads.
- Lint rollers are another feasible option that quickly collects loose hair on the furnishings or clothes.
- Providing a dedicated resting and play space for your pit bull also limits the shedding in those areas.
- Use covers for the furniture during the shedding season and replace them every other day to minimize the spread of hair. These covers act like a glove and keep loose fur at bay.
- Purchase a robot vacuum if your pit bull roams freely around the household to keep the floor free from fur.
Final Thoughts
Pit bulls are a perfect dog breed for any family; they are low-shedding and require minimum grooming. Due to their low shedding frequency, pit bulls are ideal for people sensitive to allergies.
As long as you keep your pit bull fed adequately, provide them the right amount of playtime, and keep them groomed, you won’t face issues of excessive shedding.
