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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.

A chihuahua being brushed

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!)

Chihuahua Glitter Shirt

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.
chihuahua getting groomed with Petteasey Grooming Gloves

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!

Cathy signature Chi
female vet holding fuzzy dog

Dr. Sara Ochoa

DVM

This article has been fact-checked and approved by Dr. Sara Ochoa DVM. You can read more about her on our About page.

Mary

Monday 4th of September 2023

I am so worried my chi "Twinkle" has been losing a lot of hair. He has lots of bald spots. Have taken three times to his vet who always says its allergies, prescribes pills and sends him home. No tests whatsoever and he seems to be doing worst. Tomorrow we are taking him to a new vet and I hope he runs some tests and get to the problem. bottom of his problem. Has this happened to anyone? He is only 5 years old. Thank you for reading and blessings to all your fur babies.

Cathy Bendzunas

Monday 4th of September 2023

I hope you find the answer Mary!

Robert

Friday 12th of May 2023

The article mentioned the Furminator brush which I may need to order but not the Furminator shampoo which I use and is helpful. I have an eight year old short hair, Apple head female. She doesn’t shed much but I noticed it pick up after a fishing trip I took her on where she and I were in the sun. Can the sun cause it? And can Chiahuahuas get sunburned like I did. Slowed down now. I find duct tape helpful for getting stubborn hair off sofa like a lint roller only much stickier.

Cathy Bendzunas

Friday 12th of May 2023

Yes dogs can get sunburned too. The sun can trigger new hair growth which will cause the old hairs to fall out so yes, the sun can cause shedding.

Barbara

Monday 6th of February 2023

My little rescued mixed breed dog but has chihuahua in her is very anxious. She wants to be held all of the time and acts depressed if I don’t. I am flying 6 hours on a plane and want to take her but I don’t know if she can handle it since she has to stay in a carrier under the seat in front of me. Any advice is so appreciated. This is her third home and I don’t want to damage her any more than she is. Thank you

Cathy

Monday 6th of February 2023

I think I would ask your vet for a sedative for the trip.

Frances McKinney

Saturday 5th of February 2022

I have 3 Chihahuas . Aged 3 , 15 months and a 5 month old . The worst shedder is my short haired girl . I have 2 long haired boys who shed a little bit but not nearly as much as the girl . I brush my dogs most days with a silicon cat brush , I have tried lots of brushes and the one I got from Amazon is the best for me and the dogs love it , it’s called Purrpaw . I bathe them every month or so . I bought a floor cleaner (bissell crosswave) which works brilliantly and gets all the hair off the carpets ,I use it every week or so , it’s like a small carpet washer that does hard floors too and you don’t have to vacuum first. It cost a lot but I needed a new hoover anyway , my cordless hoover only really got the hair up from hard floors . Also I find putting a jumper or T-shirt on the dogs will keep a lot of hair from dropping . My older dog has only just got his full adult long coat at 3 years old and he doesn’t shed as much at all anymore . I will see how it continues as he gets older . They all eat hills science diet kibble and fresh pet small dog food . They are fussy !! Hope this helps , Fran

Cathy

Monday 7th of February 2022

It's funny how often the long haired chis shed less than the short hair chis. I tried to find the Purrpaw cat brush on Amazon but they don't sell here it in the states.

Kathy

Monday 3rd of January 2022

Hi! I have a 17 year old cranky chi who has been my bff for 15 years. He sheds like mad! He hates being brushed and I hate having everything within a 5 ft radius covered in clingy hair when we are done. It finally dawned on me to put him in a dry bathtub. He is contained. The hair coming off is contained. I just use dry tissue to wipe up the mounds of hair and then focus on getting him to forgive me for the betrayal.😄. I use a furinator...gently...he is a very sensitive guy.

Cathy

Tuesday 4th of January 2022

Genious idea Kathy!