tdeven

OMG the decorations comment made me giggle all morning??? my little girl's belly actually IS pretty bald although her coat is beautiful and shiney now that the chunks have been brushed off!!!!....that's normal, yes???

Ditto'sMe

Has anyone had any experience with supplements or pills that are supposed to slow shedding? It seems unhealthy and unnatural to me - but my allergist recommended it. Any suggestions would be helpful - and NO, the dog is staying with me!

Mikey T

never seen one work however depending on the quality of food you are feeding supplimenting with fish oil can help some dogs with a dry coat, but it will not prevent shedding. Keep in mind all short hair dogs have a natural rethym of hair growth at is not going to be effected by any herbal supplement.
Skin & Hair Anatomy & Function in Dogs

hair vs Fur

It is my understanding that it is dander, not hair that most humans are allergic to. Basset hounds a higher incidence of a genetic disorder than is common in the general population of a disease that cause skin cell to turn over faster than usual. This will create much more dander than normal. The condition is called Primary Idopathic Seborrhea

Primary seborrhea

Quote:

Affected dogs commonly have a dull coat with excessive scaling, a greasy feel and smell to the skin (especially in areas of body folds), smelly waxy ears which may be infected, thickening of the foot pads, and dry brittle claws. Some breeds (West Highland white terrier, cocker spaniel, springer spaniel, Basset hound, Shar-pei) are more prone to the greasy form of seborrhea (seborrhea oleosa) with chronic ear infections and greasy skin,

IMHO it is underdiagnosed in the breed I would check with your vet, or one specializing in dermatology. There is no cure but control is possible with frequent bathing (shampoo therapy) with and anti-seborrheaic shampoo like Selsun Blue in which the shampoo must remain in contact with the skin for at least 15 minutes.

Ditto'sMe

Thank you for the info - I think I am going to start carding and spinning all that hair, and make nice xmas gifts!

Mikey T

I sugest the following


Note the breed on the cover, Coincidence, I don't think so

Slow-Go Kennels

I know, Old post but this is worth it. For those that are looking for a great tool for dealing with shedding I reccomend the "Furminator". If you arent familiar with it, it is really worth the time checking it out. Anytime I ask seasoned breeders, competetors, or vets what to use on my hounds, 4 out of 5 will refer me to this system. I have been using it for a year or so now and I wont use anything else.

FURminator

gsally

What size Furmimator is recommended for basset hounds?

Lightning&Stomps

I have the medium size, and it works very well on Lightning. I bought it new and in the package off eBay and paid less than half the normal retail cost.

lizgraeva

My bassett is shedding a LOT and just read through all your articles and have ordered the furminator. We moved to the Tampa, FL area from Va at the beginning of the summer and the shedding increased considerably because of the heat/weather change. We are seeing that she occassionally gets red at her underarms/her front leggs and her belly, it is a skin irritation. I have some spray that we got from the vet. I don't know what's causing it though, it comes and goes and the vet didn't say what it was.