Hair loss is normal in a postpartum dog.
Pregnancy causes many physiological and hormonal changes in dogs, including yellow labs. In a postpartum yellow lab, hair loss is a common occurrence and not a cause for concern. Pregnant and nursing labs are affected by stress and hormones that alter the normal hair growth patterns.
Hair Growth
Normally, hair grows in three stages. The first stage is when the hair is actively growing, called anagen. The second stage, called telogen, is a transitionary phase when the hair is renewing itself for growth activity. The third stage is catagen, when the hair is detaching itself from the follicle.
Hair Loss
When a yellow lab's hair follicles enter the telogen phase, the coat sheds more easily. Telogen is the beginning of new hair growth under the old coat. The new hairs growing push out the old coat hairs. When a dog loses a significant portion of its hair, it is often referred to as "blowing the coat." The technical term for this is telogen effluvium. The dog might even lose large clumps of hair, according to the Pet Education website.
Postpartum Influences
Stress on the body caused by both pregnancy and nursing can cause more of the yellow lab's hair follicles to enter the telogen growth phase than is normal. According to the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, hormonal changes associated with pregnancy and nursing can also affect the hair growth stages in the same way.
Care
If your yellow lab is going through significant hair loss, brush it daily to decrease the amount of loose dog hair in the home. Take care to ensure that a postpartum dog is receiving adequate nutrition, especially if the dog is nursing puppies.
Considerations
Even though the postpartum dog is losing a considerable amount of hair all at once, the hair loss is only temporary. New hairs are growing in underneath the top coat as it is being pushed out and shed. Once the puppies are weaned, the dog's regular hair growth cycles should resume.
Related posts
Hair Loss in ColliesHair loss, or alopecia, is usually a sign of an underlying disease or condition in dogs. While hair loss can affect any breed of dog, collies are more susceptible to certain di...
Bulldogs need particular care.The British bulldog is descended from the mastiff, but we now know it as a much more placid breed. Many dog-lovers choose the bulldog for its affectionate and faithfu...
The flowing white coat of a Maltese groomed for the show ring is striking.The Maltese, which was once known as "Ye Ancient Dogge of Malta," is known to date back more than 2800 years. Pu...
Giant schnauzers are a large dog breed from Germany used for herding and farm work. Breed standard for giants recognizes two coat colors, solid black and a combination called "pepper and salt...
Create a headband bow for a newborn baby.Hair bows for newborn baby girls are often difficult to attach to their fine, soft and usually sparse hair. Attaching bows to an elasticized headband is th...
