THEautunno it is a very special time for cats and dogs. The days are shorter, the temperatures drop and our pets must prepare to face the physiological process of moult of the hair.
The renewal of the hair
Our four-legged friends shed their fur throughout the year, but before summer and before winter this phenomenon intensifies. In fact, a deep renewal of the mantle to face the change in climate. As the colder months approach, the hair will grow back thicker.
The duration and intensity of the moult is not the same for all animals and depends on factors such as breed, type of coat and lifestyle.
How to intervene: brushing the hair
To help our dogs and cats in this completely natural process, the main thing is to try to keep the coat as brushed as possible.
Daily, and if possible even several times a day, we must take care of brush the hair of our four-legged.
This gesture will help remove excess hair and to avoid the formation of knots, unsightly and even dangerous, especially for those with long hair. In fact, dirt and parasites can nest in the nodes and if they become too large, a clean cut will have to be made, risking the non-homogeneity of the coat.
Brushing the hair will also help keep it healthy and shiny, stimulating skin oxygenation.
To facilitate brushing operations, there may be useful detangling and polishing lotions which, in addition to undoing the knots, will make the hair soft and fragrant.
Stop the hairballs!
For our cat friends, brushing is even more important as it will help them counteract the problem of cats hairballs. The accumulations of hair that the cat ingests during its normal cleaning operations by licking the coat, go to deposit in the stomach and intestines. This can lead to coughing, vomiting, and even more serious problems that require veterinarian intervention.
Removing excess hair using the brush will decrease the possibility of ingesting large boluses.
Parasites? Not just in spring and summer!
In colder times many of us have a habit of discontinuing pesticide treatments. Unfortunately, this is not a good practice. In fact, due to climate change, some parasites are also present in the winter months and in any case the maintenance treatments will help to better deal with the months of more intense presence of fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and sand flies.
It's time for a bath!
In addition to brushing, a nice one can be useful for our furry friend bath. The cleanliness and hygiene of the coat are in fact very important, as is the choice of the product to use. One mild and natural shampoo it will certainly be more suitable, especially during the moulting period in which coat and skin are subjected to strong stress.
If very often washing dogs and cats is not easy and becomes very stressful for the animal - but also for the owners! - we can use some dry shampoo which will help us to maintain the hygiene of the coat.
The moulting of our pet: how to clean the house
We have said that during the change of the hair, the coat of our dog or our cat will come off in tufts. Despite constant brushing, these will inevitably also settle on the floor of the house, under the furniture and on chairs and sofas, as well as in the kennel or carrier.
Vacuuming more often will help us maintain clean the house, but it won't be enough! In fact, to ensure hygiene it will be useful to use sanitizing products, safe for our pet and for the whole family.
Conclusions
La moult of the hair of our animal represents for him a very delicate period. Helping him with a few simple gestures will favor his well-being and consequently coexistence with him. Brushing and taking care of the hair can also become for us a moment of relaxation, carefree and complicity with our four-legged friend.
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