Chihuahua Shedding And What You Can Do About It

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Do chihuahuas shed? Of course! But lucky for us, they aren’t heavy shedders. In this post, learn what you can do about chihuahua shedding.

Shedding is an annoyance for pet parents. It gets on your clothes, on your furniture and carpets too. I even designed a t-shirt about shedding.

We are lucky that although Chihuahuas do shed, they aren’t the heavy shedders that some breeds are (believe me I know, I also have one of those!)

Do Chihuahuas Shed Hair?

Dogs shed to get rid of excess fur, damaged fur, and when the seasons change.

You will likely notice that chihuahua shedding seasons are mostly during the spring and fall. Some dogs shed due to allergies, illness, and pregnancy too. 

Short Hair vs Long Hair Chihuahuas

Many people think that short-haired chihuahuas will not shed as much as long haired chihuahuas. But it’s actually a little less for the long-haired Chis since most of them don’t have the undercoat that (short-haired) smooth coated chihuahuas have.

The hairs from the long-haired Chi will obviously be longer.

When Do Chihuahuas Shed?

Chihuahuas shed all year long but they shed more during the spring and summer when the weather turns hot.

They don’t need as much fur during the warmer months to keep them warm so they shed some of it.

When to See a Veterinarian

If you are seeing any real chihuahua hair loss, bald spots, or red irritated patches of skin, then it’s time to get your dog checked by a Vet.

Another sign to call the vet would be if your dog’s hair is coming out in clumps or falling out when you lightly pull on it.

How to Minimize Shedding in Your Chihuahua

Some dogs will shed more than usual when they are ill or pregnant.

Stress, poor nutrition, skin infections, allergies, cancer, and other diseases can result in your chihuahua shedding hair more than normal.

To minimize chihuahua shedding and dandruff, here are some tips:

• Bathe your dog weekly with mild shampoo if shedding is becoming an issue.
• Learning how to groom a chihuahua can help minimize shedding too. Brush your dog every day. You can use a typical dog’s hairbrush but I really like using a Furminator,  which is a great chihuahua shedding brush, to keep the fur from getting out of control.
  I’m always shocked at how much excess fur I get off of my dogs when I use the Furminator.
• After bathing your dog, and she is dry, brush her again.
• I sometimes rub coconut oil into my dogs’ skin after their bath. They really like the massage and it’s a great way to keep their skin and hair healthy.
• Feed your dog a healthy diet with quality dog food.
• A vitamin/mineral supplement for dogs may help too.
• I haven’t tried this but some people swear by shed supplements.

How to Minimize Dog Hair In Your House

I recently watched a life hacks video for dog owners and learned a few interesting suggestions about keeping your house clean from chihuahua hair shedding:

• Use a squeegee to run over your carpet to pull up the hair. I suggest using a squeegee with a long handle so you won’t have to get down on your hands and knees.
• Run a wet rubber glove over your upholstered furniture to easily get up the hair.
• My tip is to vacuum and sweep more often. Not fun but it does help.
• Also, weather permitting, brush them outside.

Have trouble with your chi shedding and keeping up with grooming? Check out my other article about grooming your chihuahua.

Do you have any tips of your own about dog shedding? Leave a comment and I may add them to the post!