If it feels like your dog or cat is shedding more than they used to, you're probably not imagining it — and brushing it away after the fact is only half the job.
What's actually causing it
Most shedding isn't a problem to fix, it's a coat doing its job: pets grow a heavier undercoat for cold months and shed it out as the weather warms, on top of a slower year-round turnover of old hair. Diet, stress, and skin health can make it heavier than normal, but for most pets, twice-a-year "coat blow" is just biology.
The part you can control is where that loose hair ends up. A pet that's never brushed carries all of it until it falls out on its own — onto the couch, the car seat, your clothes. Regular brushing pulls the dead undercoat out on your terms, before it becomes a cleaning problem.
Two tools that make it easier
A basic brush works, but two things make deshedding sessions faster and less of a fight:
- Steam. A fine warm mist loosens mats and tangles before the bristles even reach them, so there's less pulling — which matters if your pet already dreads the brush. Our 3-in-1 Steam Grooming Brush combines this with a soft massage head most pets actually lean into.
- Suction. For pets that shed heavily between brushings, a handheld pet grooming vacuum pulls loose hair directly off the coat instead of leaving it to fall wherever your pet happens to be standing.
A simple routine that works
Brush in the direction of hair growth, working in short sessions rather than one long one — five to ten minutes is usually enough to keep on top of it, especially during shedding season when daily attention makes the biggest difference. If you're using the steam brush, let the mist do the work on tangled spots before brushing through, rather than forcing the bristles.
If shedding suddenly increases outside of season, comes with bald patches, or your pet is scratching more than usual, that's worth a vet visit — it can point to a skin or diet issue rather than normal coat turnover.
