Mange and Shedding

[holleymarie]

My 8 month old, Holley, was diagnosed with demodectic mange when she was only 2 months old. We have it well under control by now, of course, but she still sheds really bad. (I mean REALLY Bad!!) One of the reasons that we got a boxer to begin with was because we didn't think that a short haired dog would shed that bad. We keep her in the house and this is really becoming a problem. I am a neat freak and all of the dog hair everywhere is driving me nuts! Is this normal or is it the mange or what? Does anyone know?
Angela

 

[JulieM]

If she doesn't have bald spots, then it's completely normal. It's spring, and that means a coat change, which means a lot of hair loss. Even the rest of the year, Boxers actually shed quite a bit - I don't know how the "short hair = no shedding" thing started but it's a common misconception. You just don't see big clumps of hair like you do with, say, Malamutes or something like that. Frequenty grooming with a rubber curry comb will help keep the shedding to a minimum, as will a high-quality diet.

 

[VTbxrFan]

Short haired dogs do shed - it's just shorter hair. Some boxers shed more than others, and often it's just part of them being individuals. I don't know if mange has any effect on shedding, but my guess is that it's not related to the mange if your dog has fully recovered. Do you brush her? If not, try using a rubber curry brush to brush her. That won't stop the shedding, but it will help remove some of the hair - and most dogs love it. I usually do it outside on the deck and then just sweep away the hair when I'm done. I wish that I had good advice to offer you, but dealing with dog hair really is just part of having a dog.

edit: JulieM was faster than me! I didn't mean to repeat the same advice!

 

[Thomas Liggin]

Get a value pack of lint rollers from a place like BJ's, Costco or
Sam's Club.

If you roll your dog daily, you'll remove most of the loose hairs. You will probably have to tear off four or five layers with each rolling before you get most of them. No matter how many layers you peel from the roll, you'll always get more hair.

It will only take four or five minutes per day to roll your dog.


Tom