10 best dog food for shedding [2023] DIY remedies

We all love our fur-babies, but a primary concern for dog owners is the presence of hairballs all over the house. This evidence of dog shedding can be found almost everywhere from your favorite blanket to the living room sofa. We have put together a comprehensive list of dog shedding solutions including the best dog food for shedding.

What is the Dog Food for Shedding?

We reviewed several products and narrowed them down to five premium dog food options you can choose from. Find out the strengths and weaknesses of different dog food for the shedding category. Check out the reviews below or click on the links to go directly to products.

1. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Dog Food
2. ORIJEN Dry Dog Food
3. Iams Proactive Health Adult Minichunks Dry Dog Food Chicken 
4. Whole Earth Farms Natural Dry Dog Food
5. Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Adult Dry Dog Food & Wet Dog Food
6. NUTRO Limited Ingredient Diet Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
7. Diamond Natural Dry Food For Adult Dog
8. Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food
9. Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein, Natural Adult Dry Food.
10. Royal Canin Small Breed Adult Dry Dog Food

How to Stop Dog Shedding Home Remedy?

You can even notice your dog’s hair stuck on your favorite sweatshirt after a cuddling session; this gets even worse when the season changes.

We all want our pups to have healthy fur that feels soft to the touch. So here are seven home remedies that you can use to improve your dog’s coat health:

Regular Brushing

Brushing is the most straightforward technique to reduce shedding. You might find it annoying at times to brush your pooch daily, but it is indeed the quickest remedy. It is also essential to choose the right type of brush according to your pup’s coat. There are various types available in the market such as:

Slicker Brushes

These brushes have rows of wire bristles and are mainly used to remove hair tangles. They are most suitable for dogs with medium to long coats such as the Bearded Collie.

Wire-pin Brushes

The bristle tips have rubber or plastic coating on them, they are ideal for dogs with longer coats such as the Long-haired German Shepherd.

Bristle Brushes

These are the most common type of brushes that are suitable for all coats. They come in large varieties according to the space between the bristles.

Bathing is important for Dog Shedding

You should bathe your pooch once a week in summers; use a type of shampoo that doesn’t strip your dog’s coat of the natural oils as that can increase shedding.

Bathing also helps you identify if there are any allergies, infections, or dry patches that might irritate your dog’s skin. Use products that contain Tea tree oil, Oatmeal, or Aloe Vera, you can also ask the vet to suggest you the best anti-shedding shampoo.

Preventing fleas and ticks

Fleas cause scratching and irritation which promotes shedding. It is critical to avoid manifestations of these insects and to keep your pup clean. You can use flea control products prescribed by your vet. A flea comb can also aid in removing the fleas and eggs.

Essential oils can be used to repel these insects. You can use a drop of Lavender or Eucalyptus oil to make a spray for protection against fleas.

Feeding raw apple cider vinegar might also help; you can add two teaspoons of the vinegar to your dog’s drinking water. Make sure your dog gets plenty of probiotics, vitamins, and essential fatty acids to help prevent flea attacks.

Groom your dog

It gets easier for ticks and fleas to survive in long coats so get your dog’s hair trimmed short. You can shave the hair yourself by using hand-held clippers, but it is always better to get it done by a professional.

Choosing the right wardrobe

Clothing can help reduce shedding by covering all of your dog’s hair and preventing loose fur from falling on any of the surfaces of your house.

Make sure the clothes you choose are comfortable and don’t hinder his motion. Your dog might not like wearing a jumpsuit initially so gradually get him used to it.

Focus on nutrition to Stop Dog Shedding

If your pooch gets the required nutrients through his diet, his shedding can reduce massively. Omega 3 fatty acids improve coat health thereby minimizing the shedding.

Fish oil, coconut, flaxseed, and olive oil are foods rich in omega 3, so you should incorporate these into your dog’s diet. You can drizzle a little oil over his meal or sprinkle coconut, chia seeds and almonds are also beneficial.

If you prefer buying commercial dog food, then do extensive research, buy dog food for shedding that contains natural ingredients and is full of nutritional goodness.

Dogs shed no matter what you feed them. In some cases just focus on what the dog needs, and be more active with the vacuum cleaner. For example, pit bulls need a lot of protein to gain muscle.

Adding Supplements

If you think your dog isn’t getting a sufficient amount of omega 3 acids, you can add fish oil supplements to his diet. These can help keep the coat healthy, however, consult your vet before adding any medication to your dog’s food.

Non-shedding dog breeds

“Non-shedding” dogs have greatly reduced shedding. Single coat (no undercoat) plus furnishings (homozygous) – These breeds of dogs shed the least (e.g., Poodle, Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier) ~ Wikipedia.  All dog breeds shed, but here are some of the non-shedding dog breeds:

1. Tibetan Terrier
2. Shih Tzu
3. Brussels Griffon
4. Portuguese Water Dog
5. Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier
6. Poodle (most types)
7. Bichon Frise
8. Havanese
9. Scottish Terrier
10. Yorkshire Terrier

Talking about Supplements and Nutrition, here are more typical Dog Shedding Solutions:

Best Dog Food for Shedding and Dry Skin

Shedding is a common thing for dogs. Every dog sheds a little from time to time, but it is not something that you should be worried about. However, excessive shedding is not normal for dogs and it is a big concern that you need to deal with as soon as possible.

Dry skin causes excessive dog shedding or it might be because of other skin problems. If this happens, the problem is probably related to the food that your dog is eating. Talk to your vet and experiment to find a diet to promote healthy skin.

Yes, your dog’s diet can be one of the causes of excessive shedding and there is a big chance that you don’t have any idea about this. Let’s have a closer look at the effects of a poor diet on your dog and the best dog food for shedding that you can give to your dog to deal with dog’s excessive shedding.

If your dogs are having problems with irritated skin, dry skin, and excessive shedding, it is time to change the diet to the best dog food for shedding. Here are some of the best commercial dog foods that you can feed your dogs.

 

1. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Dog Food

When it comes to real meat ingredients, Blue is always one of the best. They always add real meat as their first ingredient, which is one of the reasons why many people love to buy this premium dog food formula for their dogs.

The Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Dog Food provides high-quality protein coming from real chicken and it will help your dog maintain healthy muscles.

This is a formula that is complete and healthy so you can expect that excessive shedding can be prevented completely if you will feed them this dog food formula regularly.

This dog food formula is also formulated to help dogs with a small breed and it contains high levels of carbohydrates and protein.

It also contains the popular LifeSource Bits of BLUE. It is a blend of antioxidants, minerals, and essential vitamins that were selected by holistic vets as well as animal nutritionists.

2. ORIJEN Dry Dog Food

Dealing with shedding and dry skin might be a big problem for some, but if you know what dog food to buy, you won’t have to worry about this.

ORIJEN Dry Dog Food is a complete dog food with all of the required nutrients for your dogs to prevent shedding and dry skin.

The ORIJEN Dry Dog Food actually provides a diet made with fresh animal ingredients. It contains 85 percent high-quality animal ingredients and it will nourish the dogs based on their biological needs.

It contains raw animal ingredients like meat, cartilage, organs, and bone and it is a grain-free diet for your dogs.

The best thing about this is that all of the vitamins and minerals to prevent excessive shedding are present.

It is high in animal protein and it can also prevent dry skin from your dogs. If you want the best dog food for shedding that is very affordable, this is your best bet.

 

3. Iams Proactive Health Adult Minichunks Dry Dog Food Chicken 

The Iams Proactive Health Adult Minichunks Dry Dog Food Chicken is an amazing dog food filled with all the nutrients and minerals that your dog needs to stay healthy and to prevent excessive shedding and dry skin.

Farm-raised chicken and whole grains are the main ingredients of this dry dog food and provide complete nutrition. It also contains other beneficial ingredients like carrots, spinach, green peas, and more.

There are also a lot of minerals in this dog food for shedding, including zinc sulfate. These minerals are responsible for the healthy skin of your dogs. If you are dealing with excessive shedding or dry skin, this is the best ingredient to look for.

It also contains omega oils that are meant to promote healthy skin for your dogs. Rosemary extract provides more flavors and makes sure that your dogs would love the taste.

4. Whole Earth Farms Natural Dry Dog Food

Whole Earth Farms Natural Dry Dog Food is a very popular dog food brand in the United States and it has all-natural ingredients.

This natural dog food contains chicken and turkey as their main meat protein ingredient and there are also vegetable proteins included like sweet potatoes, potatoes as well as peas and it also contains alfalfa and blueberries that are added to improve the overall health of your dogs.

This formula is precisely for dogs who are suffering from excessive shedding. This dog food for shedding formula contains all the nutrients needed to promote skin health.

It has salmon oil, which is known as a good source of fatty acids and it has balanced vitamins and minerals. There are probiotics added, but there are no corn, soy, wheat, and other additives to prevent allergies, sensitive stomachs, and other food sensitivities.

5. Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Adult Dry Dog Food & Wet Dog Food

The Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Adult Dry Dog Food & Wet Dog Food is one of the best dog foods that you can give to your dogs with sensitive skin.

If you made a wrong choice, there is a chance that your dog would suffer from excessive shedding, dry skin, and other skin problems.

Always remember those skin problems are very hard to deal with and you will have to bring your dogs to a vet regularly.

Because of this, the Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Adult Dry Dog Food & Wet Dog Food is really a lifesaver. This dog food for shedding is for dogs with sensitive skin and it can help maintain their healthy coat. It won’t irritate their skin.

The primary ingredients contain salmon and rice. Salmon would be the main source of protein and as an oily fish; packing is with different nutrients and the required protein for the development of your dogs.

It also has an added prebiotic fiber that will help with the digestive health of your dogs. If you want to make sure that your dogs would have a healthy digestive system, healthy skin, and coat, this is the best option for you.

6. NUTRO Limited Ingredient Diet Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

If your dog seems to react from every ingredient in every diet, the best option is to opt for a specially formulated limited ingredient recipe. And one of the best alternatives is the NUTRO Limited Ingredient Diet Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food.

The key ingredients present in this dog recipe are salmon, chicken peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lentils, canola, sunflower, and beets. And all of them are key sources of vitamins and amino acids which will nourish your dog’s overall skin and coat health.

Salmon is the most important ingredient in this dog food, a key source of omega fatty acids. These omega fatty acids contain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). EPA and DHA ensure your dog’s skin is healthy and forever shiny. Another important fat in this dog food is the linoleic acid sourced from sunflower. This linoleic acid is great in giving dogs a healthy coat that will shed less.

Next, the Nutro limited ingredient diet is a grain-free dog food with no corn, soy, or wheat which can trigger allergies to your dog. We know this is an important feature as some grains trigger allergies, leading to bloat or even excessive shedding.

If you believe your super shedding dog deserves the best, then here is a dog recipe that will leave your dog happy and his coat glowing every day.

Most reviewers are happy with how this food has helped their dogs with severe allergies. They can attest that they have seen a great change.

Here is a review from one of the happy clients.

Pros

• No, chicken, beef, or GMO products
• Made in the USA
• Limited ingredient diet

Cons

• Molds quickly

 

7. Diamond Natural Dry Food For Adult Dog

The Diamond Natural Dry Food For Adult Dogs is a protein-rich recipe tailored for shedding dogs.

This dog recipe has superfoods like kales, chia seeds, pumpkins, and blueberries with lots of macro and micronutrients. All these are beneficial in reducing shedding and ensuring your dog has healthy skin and coat.

One key macronutrient in this dog food for shedding is the omega fatty acids sourced from flaxseed, chia seeds, coconut, and fish. These fatty acids ensure your dog’s coat is never dull as well as nourish his general wellbeing.

Also, this holistic dog food is enriched with strain probiotics that support your dog’s gut health.

Consequently, this well-produced dog food for shedding has no corn, wheat, filler ingredients, or artificial flavors that can trigger food allergies. Rather you will find high-quality ingredients which will leave your dog’s tail wagging with less fur on your furniture or clothes.

Additionally, this natural dog food for shedding has been fortified with glucosamine and chondroitin. These two elements are great for old dogs whose joints have seen better days.

Overall, dog owners like how this protein rich dog food made their dogs get healthier coats. However, some reviewers had a concern with a certain batch which made most dogs get severe diarrhea. At the same time, other dogs didn’t like the food at all.

Pros

• Has soluble and insoluble fibers for digestive health
• Powerful antioxidant sources included
• High protein ingredients

Cons

• Product not packaged and shipped perfectly

 

8. Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food

Hill’s Science is a top brand when it comes to manufacturing dog food with premium ingredients. And one of their best recipes is Hill’S Science Dog Food for small dogs.

This high-quality dog food for shedding has natural ingredients with added vitamins, minerals, and amino acids tailored for high shedding dogs.

This recipe, i.e., vitamin E and Omega fatty acids, help your dog develop healthy skin and coat.  One, the omega fatty acid help make your dog hair firm, whereas the vitamin E ensures the coat elasticity is maintained.

Besides that, this veterinary-approved dog food has nourishing prebiotic fiber important for your dog’s gut health.

Do you fear giving your dog new food as every recipe your dog starts seems to bring up food allergies? Then this dog food brand is here to blow your fears away. The reason? Hill’s Science diet dry dog food has no grains, artificial flavors, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that most brands add. These ingredients may lead to allergies like shedding, swelling, and excessive itching.

Additionally, using animal protein as its first ingredient, your thin dog will add more muscle mass in no time. Lastly, healthy immune system, with clinically proven antioxidants like vitamin C and E included, your dog’s immunity will be super boosted, and now vet visits will be a thing of the past.

Pet parents like the size of pellets in this kibble. Others like how their dogs have reduced allergies when on this diet. The only concern that we find is that this diet is giving dogs stinky farts.

Pros

• Rich in prebiotic fiber
• Highly digestible
• No filler ingredients or artificial flavors

Cons

• Costly

 

9. Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein, Natural Adult Dry Food.

A recipe for dogs with sensitive skin should have natural ingredients which will not trigger any food allergies on your dog. And one of the top recipes that fit such a bill is the Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein, Natural Adult Dry Food.

This dog food for shedding has real chicken meal as its first ingredient ensuring your dog’s love of meat is well quenched. Besides its high protein content, this nutritious dog food has a blend of antioxidants and minerals well selected by animal nutritionists and holistic veterinarians. These key elements help prevent excessive shedding on your adult dog.

Consequently, this tasty dog food has omega-three and omega-six fatty acids important for your dog’s skin and coat health. One, they ensure your dog’s hair grows firmly, and his coat is shiny although out.

Adult dogs who have weaker bones and joints will reap many benefits from this top dog food. This dog food for shedding has been super boasted with calcium and phosphorous. Lastly, it’s fortified with glucosamine and chondroitin, important for your dog’s joints.

Moreover, the Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein, Natural Adult Dry Food is a grain-free dog food with no traces of grain in it. These grains are well known to cause allergies which can lead to excess shedding or even bloat. In place of these grains, this dog food for shedding has complex carbs sources like peas, potatoes, and carrots which help fuel your dog daily.

Overall most dog parents love how this dog food has no grains that spike blood sugar levels. However, some dog parents complain the quality of this Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein, Natural Adult Dry Food has gone down over the years.

Pros

• Grain-free dog food
• Perfect for joint health
• Antioxidant-rich dog recipe

Cons

• Inconsistent quality in latest batches

 

10. Royal Canin Small Breed Adult Dry Dog Food

The Royal Canin Small Breed Adult Dry Dog Food is a great option for dogs with excess weight and sensitive skin.

This dog food for shedding has EPA and DHA, key elements in maintaining skin and coat health. These two essential fats help prevent inflammation on your dog’s coat and reduce the rate of skin cells destruction.

Besides that, this dog food for small dogs weighing 9-22 pounds is great in maintaining your dog’s weight through an amino acid called L- Carnitine. This L-carnitine helps metabolize excess fat on your dog.

Consequently, this dog food for shedding has small kibble sizes tailored for your small dog’s jaws. Moreover, this dog food has an irresistible taste that even your fussy eater will find it hard to resist

With the included macro and micronutrients like L-lysine, DL-methionine, vitamin B12 supplements, and other trace minerals, this dog food has everything to free your dog from dry skin and excessive shedding.

Pet Parents like how this recipe doesn’t cause any digestive issues in their dogs. Others like its price. However, some dog parents dislike how this dog food has lots of grains.

Pros

• Well sized kibbles
• Rich in macro and micronutrients
• Well-tailored for small dogs with excess weight

Cons

• Lots of filler ingredients and grains

 

Shedding is something very normal for dogs, especially for the furry ones, but excessive shedding can happen to them if you don’t give them a good and balanced diet. If you are feeding your dogs cheap dog food, there is a chance that they won’t be able to get the minimum requirements for their nutrition.

Dogs also have certain requirements for their nutrition and it can help them stay healthy and vibrant. However, if you are only feeding cheap dog foods or leftovers, your dog might lack some of the necessary nutrients to keep its coat shiny and healthy.

A poor diet can lead to excessive shedding. You would want to give your dog the best dog food for shedding there is and it should have all the nutrients that they need to support the health of their skin and coat.

This does not mean you don’t need to spend a lot of money on the best dog food for shedding. You just have to understand all of the necessary nutrients that they need.

You can also find the best dog clippers for your needs on this page.

What to Look For in a Healthy Dog Food

We all know that dogs need a complete and balanced diet. Like humans, dogs also need some nutrients to keep their bodies strong and healthy. You cannot simply give them leftovers and expect that they would be healthy throughout their lives. Leftovers might have a few vitamins and minerals, but they are not enough to keep your dog healthy.

The same thing happens when your dog is shedding. It may mean that your dog is lacking a few important nutrients and minerals so you should look for the best dog food for shedding that can provide balanced nutrition for your dogs. However, what are the things that you need to look for?

Fatty Acids

Fatty acids are very important for dogs because they will help with the growth of their hair and they can keep their skin healthy. Basically, these fatty acids are very important because the dog’s body doesn’t have the capability to make them naturally.

Your dogs need Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids on the food that they are eating. You can do this by feeding them fish oil capsules. Alternatively, you can buy foods that are rich in fatty acids.

Minerals & Dog Shedding

Your dogs need certain minerals that must be present in the food that they are eating. You have to look for dog food that contains 12 essential minerals. It should have copper, calcium, iodine, iron, chlorine, manganese, magnesium, sodium, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, and selenium.

All of these minerals are very important for the overall health of your dogs. You should check the dog food first and check for these minerals. It should have at least half of all these minerals if you want to make sure that they are the best ones.

Natural ingredients to reduce dog shedding

The best dog food for shedding should always have natural ingredients rather than processed foods. This is something that you need to pay attention to because processed foods don’t have a lot of nutrients. You need to look for actual meat ingredients from the nutritional label.

No Fillers in the dog food for shedding

When you talk about fillers, these are additives that don’t have any nutritional value. The worst thing here is the usage, that is, to fill the gaps from the missing nutritional values in dog food. Basically, you need to look for dog foods without fillers.

There are tons of dog foods out there that contain tons of fillers, especially the cheap brands. It is best to avoid them as these fillers won’t provide any nutritional value to your dogs.

Vitamins

Always look for dog food with B vitamins in the formula because it can help support the skin and coat of your dogs and prevent excessive shedding. It should also contain vitamins A, D, E, and K to provide better skin and coat to your dogs and prevent dry skin. You can also buy supplements if the dog food doesn’t have all these vitamins.

Changing to a New Dog Food

If you found out that the food that you are feeding your dogs doesn’t have enough nutrients leading to excessive shedding, the next thing is to look for the best dog food. Once you’ve found the dog food that you are looking for, transitioning to a new one can be a difficult process.

Actually, it is not too hard, but it would take a lot of time. Once you have decided to change the food of your dog, you have to do this gradually to prevent digestive problems. Yes, changing their food immediately might cause problems for their digestion.

You can start by adding 3/4 of the old dog food and adding 1/4 of the new dog food. You can do this again after a week and increase the new dog food by another 25 percent. Do this, until you manage to change the food of your dogs.

It has to be seamless. Moreover, make sure that you do it properly to prevent any kind of digestive problem in the future.

Now you are ready to get the best dog food for shedding

You can follow these tips to reduce your dog’s shedding however if you feel like the hair loss is getting excessive go to the vet immediately. Also keep your home clean, vacuum regularly, and use a lint roller on your clothes to prevent looking as fury as a dog.

Excessive shedding and dry skin are only some of the common skin problems that your dogs might experience, but you don’t need to panic. Just calm down first and think about the current diet of your dogs. You can also bring them to a vet and they will provide a good prescription to deal with the problem.

However, it won’t end there. Even if the problem was relieved, you still need to make sure that your dogs eat the right food. Even if you treat the problem, it will only return if you still feed them the same dog food.

Your dogs require the right nutrients and you need to look for dog food with vitamins and minerals that can promote a healthy coat and skin. Change the food of your dogs and make sure that you do this gradually so they won’t get an upset stomach.