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Yes, Pomeranians Do Shed (5 Reasons + 6 Essential Tips)

Do Pomeranians Shed

Before getting a Pomeranian in the house, you might wanna know how to maintain their coat and how much they shed.

Here you’ll discover the truth about Pomeranians and shedding.

You’ll learn:

  • When to expect shedding.
  • The 3 types of brushes you can choose from.
  • The vitamins that contribute to a shiny Pom coat.
  • Which ingredients in a dog shampoo can harm your Pomeranian.
  • And more…

Do Pomeranians shed?

Pomeranians have a double-layer coat that sheds seasonally. Pomeranian puppies start shedding their baby coat between their 4th and 6th month. Between their 12th and 15th month, Pomeranian pups grow their adult coat. Adult Pomeranians shed heavily twice per year during spring and fall.

Provided Pomeranians have longer fur, it’s not as hard to get rid of the fallen hairs as it would be if you owned a short-haired breed.

So, it’s totally possible to be able to enjoy a Pomeranian’s company at home without fur getting on your clothes, floor and anywhere else.

How often do Pomeranians shed?

Before we get into that, you should know there are 3 most common types of shedding. 

1st time (Puppy Uglies) shedding

How often do Pomeranians shed

Puppies start shedding when they are between 4 to 6 months old. That’s when they lose their soft baby fur. It’s pretty much like a 5-year old kid who is losing their teeth.

Once the shedding process is over, the Pom starts growing his permanent coat. It consists of an outer and an inner layer. The outer layer has longer hairs while the inner one is thicker and very dense.

While the shedding lasts, your Pomeranian puppy’s fur might look weird. This is because shedding happens disproportionally. In some places of the body, there will be less fur. This is nothing to be concerned about.

The adult fur will start growing when your Pomeranian puppy hits 10 months. After that, it could take up from 2 to 5 months in total for the adult coat growing to be completed.

What’s interesting is that while your Pomeranian puppy sheds its baby coat and acquires a new one, the pup’s fur can significantly change color. The permanent color could vary from the initial one. 

Besides that, you’ll notice the change in texture. Puppy fur is super soft. The permanent hairs will be longer and harsher as they serve for protecting the skin. 

Seasonal shedding

You could witness this at the beginning of spring and at the beginning of fall. The seasonal shedding is light. 

Female Pom shedding

Female Pom shedding has 3 phases:

  • During heat cycles and after they’re over
  • After giving birth and whelping
  • If she’s stressed

After giving birth, female Poms do a full shed. Normally it happens when the pups are between 6 and 8 months old. 

Be patient while your female Pom regains her full coat. It takes up to 6 months until it has fully returned. 

This shedding occurs due to hormonal changes in the Pom Mom’s body. 

Note: Only the undercoat of an adult Pomeranian is shedding and making space for new fur growth. The overcoat stays as it is.

Why does my Pomeranian shed? 5 reasons

All well and good, but do you wonder if your Pomeranian is shedding due to a different reason? 

The first step you take should be to take your Pom for a check at the vet. 

If you notice your Pom shedding more than usual, one or some of the reasons could be:

#1: Having alopecia

Why Do Pomeranians Shed

This skin condition is also known as Black Skin Disease. Besides causing the skin to change color, it leads to gradual hair loss.

When a Pom suffers from this, the fur on his body starts to fall. Only the fur on the head and front legs remains.

The treatment varies depending on the cause. In case you spot signs of alopecia, immediately take your dog to your vet.

#2: Lack of frequent brushing

During seasonal shedding, it’s advisable to brush your Pomeranian daily.

#3: Stressing out

You know how some people lose their hair out of stress? Well, it’s not much different with dogs.

#4: Low-quality food

Remember that a Pomeranian’s coat is the external qualifier of how well the food you’re giving is benefiting your Pom. Your Pom’s fur can tell you a lot about his health. Pay attention to it.

One thing you can do to boost your Pomeranian’s health is to give him vitamins. Bear in mind though that this alone is not enough.

Your Pom’s hair is 98% protein. Not only should the food you’re giving your Pom be rich in protein but it should also have vitamins A, B, C, E, K.

A diet that consists of fresh seasonal fruits and veggies, plus the needed protein, can do wonders for your Pom’s coat. 

Foods that contain plenty of zinc and copper. Eating seeds, raw nuts and grains will supply your Pom with enzymes, minerals, hormones, and vitamins that are not always present in processed or cooked food.

Remember: Ensure your Pom has protein. Without it, the hair of your Pom might grow weaker or not properly.  

#5: Low-quality shampoo

Low-quality shampoos are likely to contain harmful and toxic ingredients that will cost you a lot in the future. They can even be cancerous to your Pom. If you use such shampoos, every time you wash your Pomeranian, more toxins will get into his body.

Skin issues

Skin issues could appear due to using shampoos with toxic ingredients. It’s essential to use natural products on your dog’s skin. Half natural won’t cut it. You’d want to avoid causing your Pomeranian skin rashes or allergic reactions.


6 essential tips when your Pomeranian is shedding


#1: How to brush your Pom?

How to brush your Pom

Before you start brushing, always consider the fact that your Pom has a two-layer coat. It’s very easy to take care of the outer coat and make it look great.

The inner coat, however, is more wooly and since it’s the one it sheds, it requires proper maintenance. 

The sooner you start with grooming, the better. If you’ve trained your Pomeranian to enjoy brushing from an early age, the easier it will be to brush him as often as needed in adulthood. That way you’ll show your Pom puppy that brushing is fun and enjoyable.

The ideal time to brush your Pom puppy would be after it has played and eaten. Or in other words – prior to going to bed. Then it will be relaxed and it will be a piece of cake to get it used to being groomed.

When attempting to brush your Pomeranian puppy for the first time, start with a small area of its body. You could pick either the back, tummy, front or hind legs.

See how your pup will respond. Ingrain this in your Pom’s daily routine. Provide your Pom with a treat so he will start making positive associations with brushing.

Experiment – try brushing your Pom in different positions. This way you will teach him to be comfy in any position. It’s also likely he’ll feel less restricted while being brushed.

Note: During brushing pay attention to the places where the Pom’s hairs can tangle or knot easily. These are: behind the ears, under the front legs, the groin area.

Caution: Do not brush your Pom’s coat when it’s dirty. This can cause the hairs to break.

#2: How often should you brush your Pom

It would be best to brush your Pomeranian daily. For some Pom parents, this is a great deal of relaxation. You could do it while listening to a podcast, or to your favorite song, or while watching TV. 

If you’re very busy and don’t have the opportunity to spare the needed time each day, make sure you brush him at least every second day. This will help prevent tangles in the fur.

What’s more is that by performing a regular brushing routine, you’ll prevent unwanted dog hair from getting on your carpet, or on your new clothes. 

#3: Grooming equipment for your Pom

Grooming equipment for your Pomeranian

Finding the right grooming tools for your Pom is the very first step you should take.

Brushes

Although brushes vary in size, shape, and price, there are really 3 types of brushes. 

  • Slicker brushes: great for eliminating tangles, mats, and knots.
  • Bristle brushes: the bristles are either placed further or closer to each other. The longer the hair of the dog, the wider the space between the bristles is. And vice versa.
  • Wire-pin brushes: Best to use without the rubber-tipped ends. The danger of the rubber-tipped ends is that they can damage the coat.

Taking care of mats in your Pom’s fur

The reason why you might find mats in your Pom’s coat could be:

  • A dirty coat.
  • A neglected coat.
  • Chewing.
  • Excessive scratching.

It’s common to find mats in areas where the hair is soft. Examples of this include under the armpits, below and behind the ears, between the hind legs. 

Now that you know where to find them, you can try untangling the hair by gently brushing. If that doesn’t do it and only if you’ve tried it first, revert to cutting the affected hair. Cutting should never be your first option.

How to remove mats

It’s best to know how you can prevent the forming of mats. And this is by doing regular brushing. 

For removing them once formed, use a slicker brush. 

Caution: Never try brushing the mat out of the hair. What you should aim at is brushing the hair out of the mat. 

Grooming done right should go through to your Pom’s skin. If you don’t do it that way, there is a high probability that the fur in the inner coat could get felted. 

If the fur is felted, take your Pomeranian to a professional groomer so he can shave the Pom. In case you don’t do that and try solving this by yourself, you can cause severe pain to your Pomeranian. Felted fur could cause skin irritation and damage.

Cutting out mats

Sounds simple but could be tricky.

Some mats are easy to cut. Others might require a bit more effort from your side. If the mat is very close to the skin, you must secure a comb.

Place the comb between the mat and the skin, so it could act as protection. This way you’ll ensure you don’t cut your Pom’s skin by accident. 

Another way is to cut a big mat into several smaller ones and deal with them step by step. 

Use a slicker brush

Slicker brush to the rescue. 

Use it right: Loosen the grip of your wrist and run the slicker brush through smaller areas of your Pom’s fur. If your grip is hard and your wrist is stiff, you risk removing too much hair.

#4: Secure a healthy Pom coat

Pomeranian Coat

Ensure your Pom has a sufficient intake of vitamins C, A, E, K, Magnesium, Potassium, and water.

Here’s how each of these benefits your Pom tremendously: 

Vitamin A

What vitamin A can do for your hair, it can do for your Pom’s coat. You can find it in carrots. 

You can give your Pom a small piece of carrot to munch on. Or you could squeeze a bit of carrot juice and add a tiny bit of lemon juice to reduce the sweet taste.

Well, if your Pomeranian isn’t much into carrots, you can substitute them with sweet potatoes, apricots or broccoli.

Reading tip: Here you’ll discover which vegetables Pomeranians can eat.

Vitamin B

Vitamin B deficiency can lead to severe hair problems. Foods that contain vitamin B and can be added to your Pom’s diet are sunflower seeds, peas, nuts, beans, and green veggies. 

For vitamin B-rich dog food, you can consult with your vet.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is full of antioxidants and boosts your Pomeranian’s immune system. It also helps the metabolism. 

Some fruits that contain vitamin C you can give your Pom are oranges, lemons, limes, melons, and berries.

From the veggies, you can choose from cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red peppers.

Caution: In case your Pom has bladder issues, refrain from giving him vitamin C. If he has kidney stones, vitamin C can worsen the situation.

Vitamin E

It’ll provide essential care for your Pom’s heart. You can find it in a variety of foods such as nuts, seeds, avocados, green leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli. 

Vitamin K

Although this vitamin is not as popular as the others, it does a great deal of keeping your Pom healthy. It not only does wonders for your Pom’s hair but also keeps the bones, teeth, and gums healthy. 

You can rely on veggies such as cabbage, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, green leafy ones – spinach, kale, parsley, lettuce to provide it to your Pom. 

Other foods that contain a smaller amount of vitamin K are fish, liver, meat, egg yolks and oatmeal.

The iron levels should be balanced both in the human and the canine body.

Magnesium

If your Pom has a deficiency in magnesium it can lead to hair issues. 

Foods that you can secure to ensure your Pom gets enough magnesium are fish, meat, dairy products, leafy green vegetables, nuts, and whole grains.

Potassium

Take some bananas and there you have it. Cut a part of the banana in small bites and give them to your Pom. 

The role of potassium is to help control the brain and heart function, muscle activity and nerve impulses.

There are alternative sources of potassium if you don’t have bananas or just want to make your Pom’s menu more interesting. Such ones are kelp, meat, fish, oranges.

Water

Water is the best and easiest way for your Pom to get rid of any toxins that might have entered his body. 

You must always provide a sufficient amount of water for your Pom – both at home and when you go on walks.

By giving your Pom water, you ensure he is well-hydrated, toxin-free and that his liver will be busy processing the nutrients in the body. That way they’ll get where they need to be.

Note: Avoid giving your Pom to drink from a water bottle. This can limit his access to as much water as he wants and needs. 

Dogs drink water by putting their tongue into the water and curling it up on the way back. They do this very fast which allows them to bring the water they caught in their curled up tongue right in their mouth.

In short – when drinking from a bottle, your Pom could remain dehydrated. If you don’t have a bowl with you, you can cup one of your palms and sip water there.

Essential Fats

These are super important as the dog’s body cannot produce them on its own. These are Omega 3 and Omega 6.

Omega 3 can be found in flax seeds. It can also be found in dark green veggies, hemp oil, pumpkin seed oil, fish.

Omega 6 is present in sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, kidney beans, sunflower oil.

Cold-pressed vegetable oils can make wonders for your Pomeranian’s coat. A teaspoon of these a day is all it takes for his coat to be vital again.

Caution: Always remove the seeds from the fruit before you give it to your Pom!

#5: Your Pom’s shampoo

Dos and Dont’s when bathing your Pomeranian

Just like when choosing your shampoo, you should pay careful attention to what the ingredients are and what you can expect from it.

Keep in mind that investing the time to do a bit of research on what ingredients to avoid and which ones to look for, can save you a lot of frustration and vet visits.

So, when deciding to buy a high-quality shampoo, remember it’s worth every dollar.

One of the best choices you can go for is a natural shampoo. What you will give your Pom is a product free of pesticides, fertilizers and growth hormones. 

Regular baths and providing your Pom with the right foods rich in vitamins listed above should ensure a healthy happy life for your Pom. This will also reflect on his coat.  

A list of the dog shampoo ingredients you should avoid:

  1. The preservatives Diazolidinyl Urea and Imidazolidinyl Urea as they cause dermatitis. The names these are given on shampoo boxes are Gemall 2 and Gemall 115.
  2. Ethyl Paraben, Propyl, Methyl and Butyl as they’re used to boost the longevity of the products’ life on the shelf. They could lead to skin rashes and allergies.
  3. Petrolatum. Manufacturers use it a lot because it is cheap. In human beauty products, it is present in lipsticks.
  4. Propylene Glycol. Does it ring a bell to you? This is what’s used as an ingredient in antifreeze. In cosmetics, it is used due to its cheap price.
  5. PVP/VA Copolymer. This is what provides the ‘hold’ factor in the hair product industry. It can be found in hairsprays, gels, waxes. It’s divided from petroleum.
  6. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. It’s used primarily in shampoos because it gives a foamy effect and is an effective detergent. This ingredient is tricky because it can lead to hair loss, skin rashes, eye irritation. It can even cause dandruff.
  7. Stearalkonium Chloride. It is present in creams and hair conditioners. It’s a very cheap product that’s used for softening fabrics.
  8. Synthetic Colours. These can be recognized by the labels FD&C or D&C, after which will follow the color and a number. It could look something like this: D&C black No. 3 or FD&C Blonde No. 4

    This is a very good example of something you should avoid. One of the biggest and most dangerous side effects it can cause is cancer.
  9. Synthetic Fragrances. Those could have up to 200 separate ingredients. That’s how it is impossible to know the exact nature of the chemicals that are inside the product because the only label you’ll see is ‘fragrance’.

    Side effects due to using such dizziness, headaches, skin rash, severe cough, skin irritation, hyperpigmentation.
  10. Triethanolamine. The side effects of this one include eye irritation, dry skin, and hair. If used over a continuous period of time it can become toxic. 

    Important: Do research of your own. Consult with your vet. Read before you buy. Over a certain time, you will find trustworthy brands you can rely on and use for the long term. 

#6: Haircuts for your Pom

Pomeranian Haircuts

Now you know how to maintain the health of your Pomeranian and his coat by giving him the right food and grooming him regularly. You’re aware which ingredients to look out for when considering shampoo. 

Since we’ve got the essentials covered, it’s time to dive into the fun part – the haircuts your Pom can have.

Some haircuts can help reduce the shedding plus ease the overall care for your Pom.

Before making any decisions, do your own research on haircuts you’re interested in. Then consult with your vet.

Haircuts to avoid

Although giving your Pom a new look can sound cool it could also be damaging for the coat. An example of this is the Shaved Lion haircut. As the name suggests, your Pom’s fur is shaved to resemble a lion’s, only leaving a bit of fur at the end of the tail and on the head plus around the chest.

It looks cute – no doubt about that. It can leave your Pom’s skin exposed to the cold in the winter months. In summer it’ll be easier for your Pom to get sunburned. 

What’s also to consider is that after cutting your Pom’s fur like that, his fur might grow back uneven. So, better stay away from that haircut and opt for something that’s recommended by experts.

In general, avoid any cuts that involve shaving. Pomeranians are descendants of arctic dogs and their skin is not able to withstand everyday conditions.

The double coat is a very strong asset of theirs. If you remove it, you’re not doing yourself or them a favor.

The dangers of shaving include:

  • Some hair not growing back or growing unevenly and leaving patches.
  • Your Pom might overheat during the summer because the hair that you cut provides insulation.
  • Your Pom will be exposed to severe cold in the winter as the missing coat serves mainly as protection.
  • Your Pom could start suffering from skin allergies and rashes, and you’ll have to spend a good deal of money and time at the vet.

Last but not least, your Pomeranian is a living creature and you should consider his needs first. Looks come second. 

Haircuts to consider

The Little Lion Cut

Hold on! Didn’t we say that the Lion Cut was inappropriate? Yes, the Shaved Lion Cut is not okay for a variety of reasons. But the Little Lion Cut is a different thing.

Here we’re not talking about shaving. It comes to trimming. By trimming the Pom’s fur he’ll not be exposed to sunburn or to the freezing temperatures during winter. So, you won’t make him vulnerable to various weather conditions and endanger his health.

The Kennel Cut

This cut is significantly easier to manage than the typical Pomeranian coat. You have the freedom to tell the groomer how long you want the fur as there are no specifications for length.

Show Cut

The Show Cut enhances the feet and the ears while you Pom’s body looks thick. This is one of the cuts that require the longest time spent at the groomer.

It’s a special cut and it comes at a special price. Feel free to go along with it if your Pom is patient enough to stay still for several hours.

The Fox Cut

The Fox Cut is one of the most popular cuts for Pomeranians. A lot of people associate Pomeranians with foxes. This cut adds the final touch to the look.

The Teddy Bear Cut

Remember Boo? He had that special Teddy Bear Cut which left him looking as if a stuffed toy came to life.