The Pet Care Blog

Deshedding tools work. But they only manage what's already leaving the coat. Here's why the shedding keeps coming back, and what actually changes the rate at the source.

If your floors are covered in fur right now, you're not imagining it. Mid-April is peak shedding season for most double-coated dogs in Canada. The photoperiod shift that triggers the coat transition started weeks ago. What you're seeing today is the result. Most owners react the same way: brush more, vacuum more, wait for it to pass. That works — to a point. But there's a difference between managing the shedding and actually influencing what comes next. Why this week matters more than you think The hairs falling off your dog right now were already dead before spring started. You can't stop them from shedding. What you can influence is the coat that's forming underneath — the one your dog will wear all summer. That new coat is being built right now, from whatever nutrients are available in the skin at this moment. The follicles don't wait. They're already working. If the skin is well-nourished — with the right fatty acids to maintain barrier integrity and support follicle health — the incoming coat grows in full, soft, and dense. If the skin is running low, the new coat reflects that: thinner, duller, more prone to breakage, and ironically more prone to continued shedding as the follicles stay weak. This two-week window, right now, is when what you do actually matters most for the coat you'll see in June. What's happening under the skin Spring shedding isn't a surface event. It starts with a hormonal signal triggered by longer daylight hours — melatonin drops, prolactin rises, and the hair follicles enter a synchronized release phase. This is biology. You can't override it with a brush. What you can influence is the skin environment those follicles are sitting in. The skin barrier — the lipid layer that holds everything together — is built from essential fatty acids. When those are present daily in the right balance, the barrier stays intact. The follicle anchors properly. Hair cycles run at their natural pace rather than accelerating ahead of schedule. When the barrier is depleted, the follicle loses its grip earlier in the cycle. More hairs release, more often. The shedding that feels extreme is often a sign the skin is nutritionally behind — not that your dog is unhealthy, just that the barrier needs support. The honest version of what helps Brushing is necessary right now. It moves the dead coat out efficiently and prevents matting, especially on double-coated breeds. A good deshedding tool makes a real difference for managing what's already happening. But brushing addresses what's coming out. It doesn't change what's going in. Daily nutritional support — specifically the fatty acids that maintain the skin barrier — is what influences the next coat cycle. Not immediately. Skin doesn't change in a week. But if you start now, consistently, the coat your dog grows through May and June reflects it. The key word is daily. The skin barrier needs a continuous supply of the right lipids to maintain itself. Three times a week doesn't cut it. It's the same logic as any nutritional habit — consistency is the mechanism, not the dose size. What to actually do this week Start a daily skin and coat routine now, not in a few weeks when the shedding slows. The follicles forming the summer coat are active right now. That's the window. Brush daily or every other day to clear the dead coat efficiently. Use a deshedding rake to get into the undercoat on double-coated breeds — surface brushing alone won't reach it. Add a daily multi-oil supplement to their food. Not just fish oil. The skin barrier needs GLA from borage or evening primrose alongside EPA and DHA, plus Vitamin E. Single-oil formulas cover one piece of a five-piece puzzle. Give it 6 to 8 weeks before you judge the result. The coat you're seeing fall off today took months to get here. The one growing in now will take weeks to become visible. That's not a flaw in the process — it's just how skin works. Spring shedding peaks and passes. What you do right now determines what comes after it. CoatRestore by ZenPaw supports the skin barrier daily with 5 active oils — wild-caught fish oil, borage, evening primrose, flaxseed, and Boswellia. No fillers, no fishy smell. Try it risk-free with the 90-day guarantee.

Most owners blame shedding on season or breed. The real cause is often invisible, and it starts under the skin. Here's what's actually happening.