Do Pomeranians Shed? (Explained and Quick Facts)

Pomeranians do shed. These little dogs shed a lot, mainly because of their thick double coats. They shed even more in spring and fall when they lose their old coat.

How Much Do Pomeranians Shed?

Although Pomeranians have thick double-coated fur, they are considered to be moderate shedders. You can expect season sheds of their outer coat in the spring and fall and very light or minimal shedding year-round.

Pomeranians are a long-haired breed, so expect to do extra work when it comes to taking care of their coats and cleaning up after their shedding. Also, long hairs mean that their fur may face matting problems or get tangled up.

All dogs experience shedding to some degree, so brushing their fur should be a part of your weekly or daily dog grooming routine. It can be very relaxing for dogs and humans alike.

Why Do Pomeranians Shed So Much?

One of the main reasons Pomeranians shed so much is due to the change of seasons. When winter is coming around, they tend to shed their lighter coats to make room for their thicker winter fur coats. During this time, you can expect a lot of shedding since they are getting rid of their entire coat.

In the spring, Poms will shed their winter coats for their light summer coats. Typically, Poms will shed the most during spring because their winter coats are extremely heavy and thick.

Another factor that contributes to Pomeranians shedding is malnutrition. Poms who have poor nutrition can experience excess shedding. Many veterinarians claim that buying cheap dog food that doesn’t meet a Pom’s nutritional requirements leads to an increase in shedding.

Things That Factor into the Amount of Shedding

Weather

Your Pom has to shed their coat during different seasons to adapt to these changing weather conditions. Typically they shed the most during spring and fall months. In the fall, your pom will shed their lighter coat in favor of their thicker winter coat and vice versa for the spring. During warmer months, Poms will shed their fur so that they can cool their body more efficiently. This allows air to circulate to their skin easily.

Poor Diet

A poor diet is one of the main factors for excess shedding. A lack of diverse nutrients such as adequate levels of omega fatty acids causes weak hairs and hair loss. Having a high-quality diet made from whole food sources and devoid of artificial ingredients is the key to maintaining a healthy diet for your Pom.

Puppy Shedding

Young Poms have a single coat of short puppy fur, but will begin shedding their puppy coat around the age of 4 to 6 months in favor of their adult coat. The adult coat is much denser with an outer coat of longer guard hairs. By the age of 12 to 15 months, their adult hair will be fully grown.

Elements That Can Affect Your Pomeranian’s Abnormal Shedding

Bad Mood

Anxiety or depression can be one of the significant factors for abnormal and excessive shedding. If your dog is fearful at a veterinarian’s office or nervous on a car ride, you may notice your pom shedding.

A change of circumstance or unknown events that a Pom may experience may induce stress, such as another dog that was overly aggressive or moving into a new home. When your dog is stressed, they release the epinephrine hormones causing them to sweat and experience hair loss.

Illness

Many health conditions can change a Pomeranian’s normal shedding cycle. An infestation of parasites like lice, fleas, or mites can induce hair loss. Immune diseases, cancers, fungal infections, ringworm, and dermatitis can also cause abnormal shedding.

Allergy

Your Pom may experience severe hair loss due to an allergic reaction to something they have consumed or came into contact with. Here are common causes of an allergic reaction for your dog.

• Food: Any canned food or kibble may have an ingredient that they are allergic to. For example, some dogs are allergic to soy, gluten, and other dairy products.
• Shampoo or conditioner
• Medications
• Something in their environment like their dog bed, grooming suppliers or household cleaners
• Pest bites

The best way to diagnose your Pom is to visit a Veterinarian. They will advise you to eliminate potential allergens so that your pet grows their hair back. Slowly introduce these items one by one to determine what is the root cause of the allergic reaction.

Malnutrition After Having Baby

Lactation and pregnancy is another reason for your Pom to shed. This depletes your Pomeranian’s calcium and minerals needed to sustain a healthy coat leading to abnormal shedding. Your dog will shed their fur during the nursing period and after giving birth. It may be worth putting your Pom on a special diet or supplementation to strengthen their coat after pregnancy.

Taking Care of Your Pomeranian’s Coat

Feed Them a Healthy Diet

One of the best ways to take care of your Pomeranian’s coat is to provide them with nutritious foods to eat. Higher quality nutrient-dense dog food will produce beautiful skin that will shed less.

When managing your Pom’s diet, make sure you feed them dog food that is rich in nutrients like healthy fats, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. Ideally, opt to choose grain-free choices, since they usually have more fiber in them to help with digestion and produce a healthy coat that sheds less.

Also, check to see if there are plenty of vitamins and minerals in their diet like calcium, zinc, and Vitamin E.

Avoid dog food that has fillers like soy wheat, corn, and artificial flavors and colorings. Most dog foods that are labeled as grain-free and have fruits and veggies in them are an excellent place to start looking. However, speak with your vet to see the exact types of food and supplementation your Pom can have to help produce a healthy coat of fur.

Bathing

Since Pomeranians are small, it’s much easier to bathe them more frequently than larger dogs. Unlike other breeds, you won’t have to worry about over-bathing your dog. At the bare minimum, you should be bathing your Pom at least once every 3 to 4 weeks. This prevents dead skin and tangling hair. Use a high-quality dog shampoo along with a detangling conditioner to ensure a healthy and shiny coat for your Pom Pom.

Tips for Shedding Season

1. Brush Their Fur Routinely

One way to slow down the onslaught of fur falling in your house during the shedding season is to pre-emptively look to remove dead skin and fur off of your Pomeranian. You can use desheddding tools and brushes to remove fur to prevent heavy shedding actively. If it’s your first time brushing your Pom, they may not enjoy being brushed. Try to comb them while giving them a treat, so they build a positive connection to brushing.

2. Get tape link roller and use a vacuum cleaner

Using a tape lint roller is one easy way to remove fur off of soft surfaces such as your clothes, carpet, sheets, and other areas that are prone to fur lingering in your home.

Additionally, you may use an advanced vacuum cleaner to remove your Pom’s hairs. Regular vacuum cleaners may not be able to grab all of your dog’s hair. However, some vacuum cleaners are specifically designed to remove dog hair by having special filters that catch allergens.

3. Get haircuts

The easiest way to prevent shedding, especially during the spring season, when Poms don’t need as much fur is to get a doggy haircut. Find a local professional groomer to handle your Pom’s haircutting needs.

Do not try to cut your Pom’s hair on your own or shave them since they have double-coated fur. Doing so can cause damage to their undercoats and leave your Pom unprotected. Depending on the thickness of their fur, you can ask your groomer to have their fur trimmed to about 2 inches long.

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