Understanding Shedding Season for Cats and Dogs

Your pet adds comfort, character and joy to your home — and they also add hair. It's a small price to pay for unconditional love, but shedding can be frustrating to deal with. Here's what you should know about shedding season for dogs and cats, how to recognize when shedding is a bigger concern and how to minimize excess pet hair in your home so you can focus on the good stuff.

Why Do Dogs and Cats Shed?

Shedding is an important aspect of skin and hair health for dogs and cats. Pets shed to remove dead and damaged hair, regulate their body temperature and release natural oils in the skin. All pets shed to some extent, but genetics determine coat type, hair length, growth cycle and shedding amount.

When Do Dogs and Cats Shed?

Shedding is a normal part of your pet's hair growth cycle, and it happens year-round. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) explains that this cycle traditionally includes three phases:

• Anagen: An active growth phase where hair grows to its genetically determined length.
• Catagen: A transitional phase between anagen and telogen where hair ceases growth.
• Telogen: A resting phase where hair remains in the follicle until it falls out.

Some veterinary dermatologists add a fourth phase, exogen, to describe the active shedding phase.

How long each of these phases lasts depends on several factors, including time of year, overall health and breed (genetics). For example, the AAHA explains that poodles and shih tzus can remain in the anagen phase for several years, growing long hair that requires trimming. Other breeds have a short anagen phase followed by a long telogen phase.

Seasonal Shedding

Most dogs and cats shed continuously throughout the year. However, seasonal shedding refers to periods of heavier or more frequent shedding due to changing weather and light patterns, and it primarily affects pets with longer hair or thicker coats. Seasonal shedding typically peaks in the spring and fall. Spring shedding thins out your pet's coat in preparation for warmer weather, while fall shedding makes room for them to grow a heavier winter coat.

Seasonal dog shedding is usually heaviest in the spring, particularly in dogs with double coats such as Siberian huskies, German shepherds and Labrador retrievers. Some veterinarians refer to these periods of heavy shedding as "coat blows." Your pet "blows their coat" when their undercoat comes out in large clumps in preparation for summer. You may also observe heavy seasonal shedding in cats with denser coats, including Russian blues, Maine Coons and Ragdolls.

Since shedding season is prompted by light and temperature changes, the amount of time your pet spends indoors with artificial lighting and in temperature-controlled environments can affect when and how much they shed.

Abnormal Shedding

Heavier periods of shedding unrelated to seasonal shedding can indicate an underlying health concern or condition. The AAHA lists the following possible causes:

• Stress
• Immune system disorders
• Poor nutrition
• Skin infections
• Allergies (food or environmental)
• External parasites
• Pregnancy or lactation

If you notice your pet is inexplicably shedding more — particularly if it's paired with bald patches, excessive scratching or any other abnormal behaviors — make an appointment with your vet.