You have a dog, then, the one thing you know for sure that dog hair is everywhere. And if you a parent of Husky! I feel sorry for you. You always try to keep your house clean from all the hair loss, but before we talk about the causes of hair loss and how to keep your house clean, let’s discuss the difference between dog hair and dog fur.
Is there any difference between dog hair and dog fur?
In fact, we use the term dog fur and dog hair as they are the same thing. Although they are much alike, they’re not exactly the same. Dog hair and fur are both made out of keratin, but they have different care needs. Some people believe that dogs with hair trigger allergies easily in people that are allergic to dogs such as Poodle.
The fact is the texture of your dog’s hair doesn’t affect wether or not an allergy triggered. On the contrary, the saliva, skin and other parts of dog’s body are the protein chains which may cause allergy. However, pooches that shed heavily can trigger more allergies than other dogs.
One of the main differences between hair and fur is the length. Dog hair is longer than fur. The reason why is that dog’s hair has a slower growth cycle that causes less shedding. It has been proven that both dog’s hair and fur growth pass through many phases. The time each phase takes differentiates between them.
The growth cycle:
- The first phase when the follicles become active known as Anagen.
- Catagen growth is a transitory phase where the roots bond to the hair.
- Telogen is a static phase where hair isn’t growing.
- The last phase is likely to happen in the summer months. It’s called “Exogen”. In this phase your dog sheds and the growth cycle begins all over again.
Dog fur usually sheds and goes through the cycle process quicker than dog hair.
Texture differences
You can find that hair is generally smooth and longer than fur. It can be in many types straight, curly, or wavy. Actually, curly hair is more likely to have tangles and knots. If you want to read more about matted dog hair and how to untangle it, check this article Matted Dog Hair: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention.
Dogs with hair have only one coat layer, while those with fur have two coat layers known as “double coat”. As explained previously, dog fur usually sheds heavily and faster than hair which cause a great spread of dander.
What are the causes of hair loss?
The most important thing when dealing with hair loss is to know the cause of it in order to proceed with the appropriate treatment. There are 3 common causes of hair loss:
Allergies are the main cause of hair loss. Molds, fleas, and dust mites can be an environmental triggers that make your dog lose their hair. In addition, food allergy can be another possibility of hair loss. There are many symptoms you can notice reveal your dog may suffer from a food allergy.
Infections such as fleas, ticks, and mites are another cause of dog hair loss. Your canine may lose hair around the ears, eyes and chest in addition to itching and redness, this is can be a result of inflammation.
Another cause to dog hair loss is Cushing disease. It’s caused when your dog’s body tissue is exposure to excessive levels of the hormone cortisol. If your dog suffer from Cushing disease, you will notice hair loss and darkening of the skin.
Genetics. You can find some breeds that are genetically subject to baldness. Dogs such as the Chinese crested and American hairless terrier are hairless dogs.
Bedsores. Also, known as pressure sores, they occur in areas where may contact hard surfaces like dog’s elbows or hips. As a result, the skin begins to callus and your dog will lose their hair. Bedsores usually happen to older dogs, especially, if they are large.
How to clean up your dog’s hair?
I don’t think there is a special pet vacuum that designed to pick up their hair. But there are a lot of basic cleaning tips you can use to get rid of your doggie’s hair.
Dryer sheets
Your dog’s hair is a huge mess, you can find it everywhere. Whenever you leave your house you have to pick up it from your clothes and every time you look to your couch you find it covered with hair. The solution is dryer sheets. They will help you get rid of hair from anything, you can use them on furniture or floor corners and they will keep your house clean.
Sweep before vacuum
You may find a ton of hair embedded in your carpet, don’t panic! You’re not alone, I have the same thing too. If you want to clean up your carpet , you should dampen your carpet at first before vacuuming.
You may use a little baking soda if you find some odors stick to it, but, be careful not to wet your carpet. In fact, wet carpet can be a perfect environment for mold to grow.
A roll of tape
You can use duct tapes or a roll of packing to get rid of all the hair that is over you. They help to pick up dog hair from clothes and furniture, actually, they work wonders.
Window squeegee
You can use window squeegee on carpets to pick up your dog hair. Aside from removing nose prints from windows, they work perfectly at loosening up dog hair. You can rub it along your carpet and you will get rid of your pocch’s hair easily.
Of course, if you have a dog, then your dog’s hair shed all over your place is one of your major problems. You can find many tips to clean up dog hair. I shared some tips that I have used and I found very helpful.
If you have any additional tips please share them with us and I will definitely try and add to my list.
