What Is a De-Shedding Treatment, and Does Your Dog Need One?

If you are vacuuming dog hair every day, a de-shedding treatment may be what your dog needs. It targets the loose, dead undercoat that ends up on your floors and clothes, and removes it in one go instead of a little at a time all over the house.

Which Dogs Benefit Most

De-shedding is for dogs with a double coat: a dense, soft undercoat under a longer top coat. Think Golden Retrievers, Labradors, German Shepherds, Huskies, Samoyeds, Corgis and Pomeranians. These dogs shed all year and drop a lot of undercoat, often called blowing their coat, as the seasons change.

How It Works

• A bath to clean the coat and help loosen the dead undercoat.
• Drying with a high-powered dryer, which blows out a large amount of loose hair.
• Thorough brushing with undercoat tools to remove what is left, right down to the skin.

What It Is Not

De-shedding is not shaving. A double coat helps protect a dog from sun and heat, and shaving it can leave the coat growing back patchy. De-shedding keeps the coat intact and simply clears out the hair that is already on its way out.

How Often to Book

Many double-coated dogs do well with a de-shedding treatment every six to eight weeks, with an extra one when they are blowing their coat. Brushing a few times a week at home in between keeps the results going longer.

Book It at Your Door

Sky Pet Grooming's van comes to your home in San Bruno, South San Francisco, Millbrae, Burlingame, San Mateo and across the northern Peninsula, plus southern and western San Francisco. Add de-shedding when you book online, or call (415) 754-0813 with any questions.