SeattleSteve Posted June 6, 2003 Report Share Posted June 6, 2003 My border collie eats a balanced diet, has no allergies we know of and has been taking a regular dose of doggie vitamins from the vet. We brush him at least three times a week and he gets bathed every other week. His shedding still appears excessive to me. Anything we can do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSnappy Posted June 6, 2003 Report Share Posted June 6, 2003 Originally posted by SeattleSteve:My border collie eats a balanced diet, has no allergies we know of and has been taking a regular dose of doggie vitamins from the vet. We brush him at least three times a week and he gets bathed every other week. His shedding still appears excessive to me. Anything we can do? It depends what you mean by "excessive" shedding. This breed does shed a lot. If you have an air conditioned house, the tempature changes daily can wreak havoc on a dog's coat. I don't bathe my dogs but once a year, as I find them relatively self cleaning and bathing seems to increase the shedding anyway. They are forever dropping clumps after their yearly bath. A shedding rake also does the trick nicely, and I brush them every couple of weeks. RDM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeattleSteve Posted June 6, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2003 thanks MrSnappy. What exactly is a shedding rake? Sorry for the rookie question. I use a brush recommended by the vet but he certainly didn't call it a shedding rake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northof49 Posted June 6, 2003 Report Share Posted June 6, 2003 Steve - here is what a sheding rake looks like - basically.... a rake! Pet Supply House Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailrider Posted June 6, 2003 Report Share Posted June 6, 2003 As an owner of another breed with longer hair, I should recommend less brushing. More brushing stimulates growth of new hair and the loss of more older hair. A dog in a heated, A/C home will also continue to shed all year continuously, and well as the big shed. The rakes work well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sea4th Posted June 7, 2003 Report Share Posted June 7, 2003 Trailrider, Did you mean MORE brushing, instead of less brushing? Everything else made sense. Also, Steve, just curious, why is your dog getting vitamins from the vet if he is already eating a balanced diet? My border collies & I don't live in an air conditioned environment. A yearly "blowout" is what I've noticed. I don't know how long you've had this dog, Steve, but if it hasn't been long, then this could just be the "blowout", and as time goes on you'll notice a pattern to the shedding. I use a rake & pin brush on my dogs, a shedding blade on the smooths. You can expect about 2 weeks worth of daily brushing until the shedding is done and all the dead coat is removed. And when brushing, go against the grain. Vicki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailrider Posted June 7, 2003 Report Share Posted June 7, 2003 Brushing once or twice a week is more than adequate. More brushing will stimulate the hair to increase the new growth and shedding that goes along with it. I don`t brush my border collies except during the big sheds. They usually shed for summer, near their birthday, and three months after being in heat. Some hardly shed at all. Maybe jumping into the lowland waters keeps it on - haha. They love to belly down at every opportunity. Even in the icy water in winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sea4th Posted June 7, 2003 Report Share Posted June 7, 2003 Actually, I want that new hair growth stimulated. That new hair will be shed eventually but during the next shed cycle. Brushing not only gets rid of the old coat, and encourages new hair growth, but helps stimulate circulation in the skin too. I have 2 caucasian mountain dogs. They are a prime example of what to do with a shedding dog. I have never seen such heavy shedders. They shed heavily twice a year. I am plucking, brushing constantly, for about 2 weeks. Same concept. Remove old hair, encourage new hair growth. The more you can help the process the better. One good brushing isn't going to do it, because the old coat is constantly dislodging itself during the shedding cycle. My whole aim is to get rid of the old coat and encourage new growth. It's going to do it on it's own eventually anyway if left alone, but the only way to minimize the dog hair all over is to brush and brush some more. Vicki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sea4th Posted June 7, 2003 Report Share Posted June 7, 2003 Steve, One other thing----as a rule, if the diet is decent, there is no need to bathe your border collie every other week. Mine get a bath possibly once a year---and they are indoor dogs. A decent diet & regular brushing should keep your dog looking good. Frequent baths are not only unnecessary, but can be detrimental as well. Something to consider. Vicki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeattleSteve Posted June 7, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2003 My wife often jokes that Shake only sheds once a year, for 12 months at a time. Thanks for all the great tips. I have been bathing Shake as often as I have just to keep him smelling a little better. The park we go to has a pond that is not the cleanest thing in the world. He loves the water but he kind of stinks when he gets home. Vicki, the vitamins were given in an era when when first picked him up from the shelter and he was a tad undernourished and his coat was dry and skin flaky. He really doesn't need vitamins now, but it was sort of a habit. I take vitamins every day and I guess I feel better when he has them too. I should probably stop. They are not cheap. Thanks for the pic of the shedding rake, Northof49, I'll pick one up. I am guessing Petco has them? Shake looks great, but perhaps he is getting too many baths. I'll try cutting back. We live in an air conditioned house - I had not thought of that as a factor before trailerider, but it could certainly be one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Posted June 8, 2003 Report Share Posted June 8, 2003 How about matting? My dog get mats on either side of his tail. Is this more prevelant during shedding season and will the mats fall off when the hair sheds or will they get bigger? They are difficult to brush out because it's a sensitive part of the dog! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sea4th Posted June 8, 2003 Report Share Posted June 8, 2003 Wayne, For mats, get a mat splitter. You start at the outer edge and work your way into the mat. You can always just cut them out too. Chances are, the mats would get worse and not just grow out and fall off, so it's better to get rid of them. The soft hair behind the ears tends to mat in a lot of dogs as well. You don't have to wait until mats get big. In the areas that tend to mat, such as the tail, belly, I use a pin brush on a regular basis. Behind the ears, I use a metal comb. Boy, I thought I'd never admit it, but there sure is something to be said for smooth coats. Vicki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeattleSteve Posted June 8, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2003 Originally posted by sea4th:Boy, I thought I'd never admit it, but there sure is something to be said for smooth coats. Yeah, maybe. But I'll deal with the BC's coat problems just to enjoy it's beauty. I am much more naturally attracted to longer haired coats than shorter haired coats. Before my BC I was looking at Bearded Collies. Talk about going from the frying pan into the fire as far as maintenance goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret M Wheeler Posted June 8, 2003 Report Share Posted June 8, 2003 Steve, A smooth coated border collie has a coat like no other creature I have ever known. To make things even more confusing, there is no such thing as a typical smooth coat. My Nell is in the mid-range: she certainly isn't rough coated, but on the other hand she doesn't have a straight, tight smooth coat like some do. Two of my friends have the straight, tight smooth which is the dog version of an REI layering system: some soft warm undercoat some top coat that seems incredibly non-porous and waterproof. In the middle the two coats meet and interweave. Voila: a weatherproof shell that any mountaineer would envy. Terriers are double-coated too, but I have yet to find a double coated terrier posessed of a coat with the wonderful softness and luster of a good border collie coat. And...the quality that tempts Vicki, a smooth coated border collie sheds very little. Well, at least mine sheds very little, but I'm probably overgeneralizing. A very common mistake with this hybridized breed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted June 9, 2003 Report Share Posted June 9, 2003 Hmmmm...my little smooth coat is still blowing her coat. I was waiting to run her at the Bluegrass and just sat there "plucking" her. When I finished it looked as if someone had sheared a sheep! And she's pretty darn smooth-coated.... But I am partial to the smooths--at least they don't matt and the burrs don't cling! J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret M Wheeler Posted June 9, 2003 Report Share Posted June 9, 2003 See, I knew I was overgeneralizing! Nell just finished her heat and hardly a hair has fallen. Just more good luck when it comes to my girl! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeattleSteve Posted June 9, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2003 Originally posted by juliepoudrier: But I am partial to the smooths--at least they don't matt and the burrs don't cling! J. Your smooth coated BC is truly a good looking dog, no doubt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailrider Posted June 9, 2003 Report Share Posted June 9, 2003 haha Margaret - the shedding comes about the time of faslse pregnancy cycle - about 12 or more weeks after the heat cycle is finished. Wait and see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret M Wheeler Posted June 10, 2003 Report Share Posted June 10, 2003 You're just plain evil, trailrider! ROFLMAO!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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