German shepherd Shedding Hair Rapidly.(Is this warning signs???)

butchboy

my german shepherd pup meecha is 6 months old. I had been feeding her royal canin maxi junior for 2 months which was about €80 for a 15kg bag. It was very expensive as im a student but wanted her to be given the best food i could afford. Unfortanatly i can no longer give her it anymore and Purchased burgess puppy food at a lower cost of €30. I have noticed a big change in the quality of her coat and she is constantly shedding hair. you can literally pull it off her skin its that bad.she was never like this before. Is it down to natural causes that shes shedding hair (shedding winter coat???) or the diet shes on.I was also told she could be in heat to breed as she barks in the back yard at nothing. i was told this is a mating call.could she possibly be breeding at such a young age? she weighs about 30kg

andreac

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Kash

Hi Butch Boy, it could be related to diet, but shedding is pretty normal - especially as we come into the warmer months. Both of mine are doing it at the moment, and sometimes it comes off in great big tufts - especially around the hips/tail/chest. The best thing you can do is to brush her regularly.

But a good rule of thumb with pet ownership is, if you are worried, call your vet's office. They'll tell you to come in if necessary, and give you reassurance if not.

Regarding her coming into season (or being 'in heat'), as Andrea says, they can come into heat as early as six months old. If you are not planning to breed her, then the best thing is to get her neutered.

If you don't - then you'll need to recognise the signs. It can be difficult to recognise at first. But basically, their vulva becomes enlarged, and sometime after that they start to bleed (could be a day later, it could be a week later). Some people get doggy nappies, but we always used an old pair of knickers/boxers.

Behavioural signs could be that they may start humping other dogs, back up into your leg, or hold their tail off to one side. It goes on for about 3 weeks, and happens every six months. During this time you should keep her indoors, or chances are you'll end up with a pregnant dog!

As far as I know, barking is not a symptom but it can definitely be a sign of boredom. Exercise and obedience training would be good for. You could try taking her swimming, or frisbee, as well as her walks. And things like sit/stay/fetch/drop it/recall - all tricks that will make your life easier, but brain stimulating for your pup - and stimulated dogs are happy dogs.

lorebringer

German Shepherds are working dogs and, unfortunately, with working dogs comes barking/destruction/ocd type behaviours when they are bored. Barking at apparently nothing is a typical sign of this. At only 6 months old, you will have a bouncy and very energetic dog on your hands - keeping her mind and body stimulated can be a handful. Walking her for 5 minutes per month of age (so at 6 months, about 30 minutes in total - any more than this can result in joint and bone problems later in life) everyday is important. Walks not only get rid of excess energy but they stimulate their minds - exploring the world and such - so really good way of preventing behavioural problems. Teaching and training is another way of keeping a dog stimulated and preventing behavioural problems. Making sure your dog has company and isn't bored all day will really curb any weird barking behaviours too - you didn't mention your situation (that is, she's an inside/outside dog, has someone home all day etc.) but the more contact she has, the better.

On the coat problem, it's a little late for shedding season but totally possible (although, mine have all finished at this point). In my opinion, it's a bit early for puppy coat shedding but, again, not impossible. Brushing is a must (and it will get her used to it for later in life!), not only does it take out all the dead/loose hair but it stimulates blood flow to the skin and gets rid of dead skin cells on the surface. Because you switched food and she suddenly had problems with her coat, I would say they are directly related. Some dogs are more sensitive than others (like people!) and not all foods will agree with all dogs. If her coat is very bad, even with brushing, it would be a good idea to change foods again to one that may suit her better. Something like Burns or James Wellbeloved (both of which are good for sensitive dogs) may be good options (Burns is around €50 for a bag and JWB is around €55 for a bag, so cheaper than what you were paying before). Just be careful to watch protein content in foods, particularly with a larger breed. You want slow and steady growth, not spurts, to prevent any joint/bone problems (Panosteitis, or Pano, comes to mind), so just read up on the food before you buy!

On the heat situation - females will come into heat on average every 6 months, but season length can differ from dog to dog (just like in people!). It will last 3 weeks and you will need to keep her inside, away from male dogs (don't even risk it once), if you don't want her to get pregnant. 6 months seems a bit young for a larger breed to be coming into heat, but it is possible (just not too likely). Signs to look out for are swelling of her vulva, excessive licking of the area, moodiness and then bleeding. If you don't want to breed her, getting her neutered is the best option for both you and the dog. Neutering can prevent health problems and you won't have the issue of her coming into heat twice a year. She can be neutered before her first heat, and most vets will recommend from 6 months on, so maybe talk to your vet about getting her done.

SingItOut

andreac wrote: »

I would highly recommend you do a lot more research on dog ownership as it seems like you are very inexperienced and lacking in basic knowledge.

Harsh. OP is doing their best.

OP there are definetly better foods out there than royal canin and for a fraction of the price. I was a student last year and was feeding hills science plan but found it too expensive and have since switched to James wellbeloved and its done wonders for both my dogs shedding.

Secondly get yourself some salmon oil to put on her food, Its fantastic for their joints as well maintaining a soft shiny coat.

Thirdly get yourself a furminator, they can be a little pricey but they are a godsend! Especially for shedders like german shepherds etc

edit: I haven't read through everyones replies so appolgies if I echo anyone

**Vai**

GSDs shed their undercoat twice a year OP, its called blowing their coat. I wouldnt worry too much. Also, when shes in heat you will know because of the blood on your floor, believe me.

Without putting it quite as bluntly as was said before, I would invest in a GSD book to up your knowledge on the breed. I got one called Everything German Shepherd from my local pet shop. Im sure it can be orderd online too.

andreac

SingItOut wrote: »

Harsh. OP is doing their best.

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star-pants

andreac wrote: »

How is it harsh? I was just saying they need to do a lot more reading up on dog ownership as they seem very inexperienced on basic stuff

I think they meant the manner in how you delivered your advice, it does come across a bit brash that's all.

andreac

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star-pants

Guys I've removed some posts as they were both OT and some were starting to back-seat mod. Any further posts in this thread is to be related to the topic at hand only please.