Finally Friday and Fall is Hair!

What..who me shedding? Ridiculous!

A cloudy sky has settled over the NorthEast again and we are due for yet more rain! Quite frankly I am sick of the rain but I guess if I lived in Texas right now I wouldn't think that way! It's also the first day of Fall. Time to get rid of all the spent annuals and plant some mums and put out some pumpkins on the porch.

It is also a time for more shedding by the Oz. Though his shedding habits seem to go beyond seasonal to year round as of late. I haven't been able to take him to the groomer since his skin infection so he has attained a new kind of funky dog smell! He was playing with his Pop in his office the other day and they were doing some rough housing. I walked into the room and it smelled like a barn! Now I am not sure who smelled worse but I am pretty sure it was Ozzie.

There are a few things that can improve excessive shedding in dogs :

Diet: too much grain in a dogs diet will result in poor nutrition which leads to excessive shedding. It makes sense that dogs were designed to process meat not grains. A change of dog food to a brand that lists the first ingredient as some kind of protein would be best. Some type of grain is necessary as binder but you be the judge knowing your own dog.

Vitamins-Supplements: They can improve a dogs over all health if they are not getting proper nutrition. Try mixing some Olive oil in your dogs food. Its a less expensive option that helps with shedding.

Groom and Brush: Daily brushing and regular grooming can reduce shedding eliminating loose hair that will otherwise end up on your floors and other places! Plus most dogs just love the attention and the feel of a good brushing. I know Ozzie does. I think I have collected enough fur off of him to knit an afghan or two! As far as baths go Ozzie can take them or leave them. I view them as a necessary evil because dragging a 75 pound Bulldog into the groomers is no pleasure!

If none of these things seem to help just tell your guests when they visit your home that a dog lives here and if they don't mind dog hair then have a seat. If they have a problem with that, tell them "Don't let the door hit you in the butt on the way out!" :)

Have a super weekend folks!