For most dogs, including beagles, shedding is an essential part of keeping their skin and fur healthy. Beagles are moderate seasonal shedders with two main shredding seasons: spring and winter. If you have a new beagle pup, here is a brief guide on how to prevent your beagle from shedding.
3 tips to reduce shedding
It's actually impossible to prevent your beagle from shedding as it's a natural process, but there are some things you can do to control it. In fact, your beagle’s rate of shedding will depend on various factors, including their hygiene routine and diet.
1. Brush your beagle’s coat regularly
Brushing your beagle’s coat can help get rid of loose and broken hairs, minimizing the amount of shedding they do. It is advisable to ensure that you use the right type of brush or shedding tool. Some of the recommended brush types include:
Slicker brushes
Bristle brushes
Wire-pin brushes
Using a shedding tool can also help you get rid of trapped fur and dirt particles in their coats. Besides reducing shedding, brushing your beagle’s fur will also help stimulate better blood circulation under the skin and help them to relax.
2. Bathe them periodically
Besides brushing, regularly bathing your beagle can also help reduce shedding. Bathing your beagle helps get rid of the oily film covering their coat, reducing fur entanglement, breakage, and shedding. Bathing also helps reduce scratching, which, in turn, minimizes fur breakages and shedding.
A weekly bathing schedule will suffice since beagles are moderate shedders and are generally clean. It is also advisable to use an organic dog shampoo brand and other cleaning detergents to prevent irritation.
3. Feed your dog a healthy diet
Your dog’s diet can determine its overall health, including its shedding rate. Nutritional foods containing vitamins and minerals help strengthen your dog’s hair follicles, reducing breakages and shedding. In contrast, unhealthy food lacking the nutrients your dog needs can make their hair follicles weak, increasing shedding – unhealthy foods can also cause inflammation and itching, making shedding worse. Make sure you're feeding your dog food designed for its breed and never give your beagle leftovers or scraps from your own plate.
It's possible that your beagle will not get all the nutrients it needs from its natural diet, so you can use supplements to ensure your dog has optimal nutrition. Besides food, it is also important to ensure that your dog gets enough water to stay hydrated. Your beagle’s water intake will depend on its weight – a 5KG dog needs one cup of clean water daily.
Some final advice... get an automated vacuum cleaner!
Unfortunately, your beagle will shed regardless of what you do, but this can be problematic for people with allergies, especially if you let loose fur build up around the home. As such, we recommend you buy an automated vacuum cleaner, which will keep on top of any fur on the floor without you having to manually hoover around yourself.
Taking care of a beagle is fulfilling
Caring for your beagle will prove to be a fun and fulfilling experience. Besides reducing shedding, these tips will also help improve your beagle’s overall health and hygiene. Taking good care of your beagle entails understanding the breed’s needs. Fortunately, you can learn everything there is to know about beagles on our platform. You can also get in touch with our professionals for personalized advice.