Shedding in winter?

[Talkal]

I’ve had Gizmo (1.5-2 yr old neutered male rex) for almost 3 months now and he’s going through his first serious shed with me. However, I thought this would happen in the warmer months but it’s the dead of winter where I am and he’s shedding like crazy.

A bit of context: since I’ve had him, I brushed him once a week or so but rarely got any hair. Last week was the first time he was outside since he came to live with me and that was to get his nails trimmed. Once we got back home, he seemed like his normal self, but he started losing his fur. I thought maybe it was from the stress of the trim and being handled so much, or the sudden change in temperature/environment (from cozy home to crazy cold and back) . But he has continued to shed a lot! I comb him/do the hand ‘picking’ method at least once a day and get a ton out but he still is shedding lots. However, he seems perfectly normal, eating, pooping, and playing as he normally does.

The other thing is that we’ve had massive temperature swings here. From a  frost of -40C with the heating on full blast for weeks to milder weather (around 0C) for the last week or so and no heater on. Can this be the cause?

How long does this usually last? Can I do a better job of grooming? 

[Wick & Fable]

Shedding habits worldwide seems to be off balance since early 2017. It seems any time is shed time now… It could be a result of baby fur becoming fully adult fur, sudden weather changes or environmental temperature, and in some cases, stress which causes fur pulling and fur loss from poor health.

A shed can last as long as it wants really. Wick just stopped his shedding, after going through like, 3 molts back to back. You could see each molt line on him, haha. It lasted literally months. Keep grooming daily and it will help it pass a lot. Some tufts aren’t ready to go one day, but will the next. Gentle persistence is key.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[joea64]

Fernando and Panda have been shedding pretty actively the last few weeks – the weather has been fairly changeable in my area (being close to zero a few weeks ago, and in the mid-60’s Fahrenheit the last few days).

[Deleted User]

Bombur has been shedding like crazy lately. Yesterday at the vet it got so bad that she took and dragged a huge mitt through his fur and I swear he lost half his body weight in fur xD

[Talkal]

I figured out that I can put him on the washing machine where he can’t jump down and pluck away. He HATES being picked up and I do so rarely but I’ve had to do it daily for the past week to groom him. Upside, his shedding is getting under control. Downside, he won’t let me pet him as much and scurries away from me sometimes for fear of being picked up. I feel like this is messing with our bond, which is still in the process of being built. Am I overreacting?

[LittlePuffyTail]

Sterling just went through a big shed and he HATES being brushed. I have to put him on a table and make sure he doesn’t try to jump off. He tires bite and growls. Obviously, I really hate shedding time. My buns never really seem to have a pattern. It would make sense to shed in the Spring and Fall but they just sort of shed whenever.

[Author]

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