The Scottish Terriers, also known as the Scotties, have a soft, wiry top coat that is dense underneath. The coats can either be a black, wheaten yellow, or brindle-stripe pattern.
Do they shed their coats?
Yes. Scottish terriers shed their coats. They have very thick coats and so shed regularly.
In fact, Scotties can shed on a daily basis. You would need to groom and brush their coats regularly to keep the shedding at a minimum.
As earlier mentioned Scotties have a top coat and an undercoat, so it is not surprising that they would shed often.
In this article, we would be answering most of your concerns about your Scottish Terrier’s shedding. We would be looking at why they shed and what to do when they are shedding too much.
Why Scotties shed?
As I earlier pointed out, due to their thick coat Scotties shed because they would have to make room for new fur growth. Their thick coat serves to protect their body from outside elements like the weather.
Therefore, seasonal changes can cause your Scottie to shed at either a higher or lower rate.
This is why dogs have something called shedding season, which appears about twice a year, falling during the spring season and in the autumn season.
However, there are other factors that could affect your dog’s shedding, causing him/her to shed more than they should.
It’s important to understand what these elements are in order to be prepared against them in the coming shedding season.
A few of these elements can be controlled and managed if you’re willing to dedicate time and energy to caring for your pet, but most would simply be out of your control. It is because these elements have a lot to do with the environmental aspect and the genetics of your Scottie.
Let us begin.
Temperature Fluctuation
Temperature fluctuation is one of the main causes of your Scotties shedding. If you live in a place where the temperature tends to fluctuate, then it is certain that your Scotties would shed.
In addition, if you, for instance, adopt a young Scottie from another country, he/she would certainly shed some of its fur to adapt well to the change in weather and environment.
Therefore, when the weather or temperature in your city changes, your Scottish Terriers would naturally shed its coat to adapt to the new temperature or weather.
Quality of the Scottish Terriers coat
The rate at which your Scottie sheds also depends on the quality of his/her coat. If your Scotties coat is of bad quality, he/she is going to shed heavily
A bad quality coat is often an indication that your Scottish Terriers is not healthy, thus, heavy shedding might be a sign of an unhealthy dog.
Therefore, you should try your best to ensure that your Scottie is always healthy and also try to keep their coat properly groomed to manage their shedding.
Also, it would be in your best interest to adopt your Scottie pup from a reputable breeder whose puppies and who can offer health insurance on their puppies.
Do not adopt a puppy from a puppy mill because it has been found that they generally do not care about the health of their puppies.
Scorching Sun
If you notice that the sun has been blazing hot and shining for hours, it should be a sign to you that your Scottie would shed in the future.
Your Scottish Terriers would naturally shed his/her coat to overcome the overwhelming heat after getting overheated due to the scorching sun. Shedding some of its furs would allow them to feel cooler.
An extended time in the hot sun is certain to affect your Scotties shedding in the future.
Scottish Terrier’s Age
Your Scotties age plays a huge role in how much they shed. When Scottish terriers are still puppies they shed at a very low rate or not at all.
As they grow older, they begin to shed and would surely move from a moderate level to a much higher rate in the future.
Therefore, it is very normal and appropriate for older dogs to shed more than younger dogs.
If your Scottie is an old dog and you’ve noticed that it is shedding more than it used to, it might only be a sign of old age.
Female Scottish Terrier’s heat cycle
If your Scottie is female, her heat cycle could also affect how much she sheds.
A female Scotties heat cycle plays a huge role in how much they shed. This is because, during the heat cycle, Scottish terriers experience a sudden fluctuation of hormones leading to them shedding more than usual.
Therefore, sometimes your female Scottie shedding more than usual is quite normal as it is only an indication that she is experiencing a heat cycle.
How to maintain your Scotties Coat
From what we have discussed so far, it is clear that grooming and how you care for your Scottie’s coat affects their shedding. Here are a few tips for maintaining your dog’s coat:
Make sure you brush your Scottish Terriers coat daily in order to prevent their fur from getting matted. Brushing your Scotties coat daily would also help to keep their shedding at a minimum.
It’s important that you choose the right brush for your Scottie. There are different types of brushes for catering to a dog’s coat, but the ideal brush for a Scottish Terriers coat is a slicker brush.
In order not to get your home messed up and filled with tufts of hair, brush your Scottie’s coat outside your home.
When brushing your Scottie’s coat, brush it in the direction of their hair growth as this would be seamless and your dog would experience less pain.
While it is good for your Scottie’s coat that you bathe your dog regularly, avoid bathing him/her too often as this would make their skin become dry. Dry skin would cause heavy shedding in your Scottie.
It is advised that you bathe your dog once every month or every six weeks with good quality shampoo that is good for Scottie’s coat.
A good quality shampoo is going to ensure your Scottie’s natural hair oil doesn’t get washed away with the water, and would also keep your dog’s skin well moisturized.
Another way to maintain your dog’s coat is by feeding your dog the best quality meals that contain good ingredients and are high in protein. As we’ve noted before, a healthy dog would mean a good quality coat. And Scotties with good coats do not shed heavily.
What to do if your Scottish Terriers starts shedding a lot
Through our discussion so far, you must have come to see that your Scottie shedding is no reason for you to panic. Shedding is simply how your dog removes excess or damaged hair.
We have also noted that there are situations where your dog could be shedding too much. Below I noted some of those situations and what to do.
Check for an underlying medical condition
Your dog could be shedding too much due to an underlying medical condition. Check your dog’s coat for skin irritations like bumps, redness, rashes, or scabs.
Other signs of an underlying health condition include bald spots, thinning coat, or if your Scottie is itching a lot and licking excessively.
If you notice any of these symptoms on your Scottie, take him/her to a veterinarian who would be able to determine what they are actually suffering from.
Up your Scottie’s nutrition
Your Scottie could also be shedding too much because he/she is lacking some essential nutrients. Nutrients like Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are great for a healthy coat. Up your dog’s nutrients by feeding him/her food rich in this.
Check your Scottie for stress
Another cause of abnormal shedding in Scotties is stress. If you think your Scottie might be shedding a lot due to stress, try to provide a normal, predictable daily routine for him/her. Take your Scottie out for walks at a scheduled time each day. Play games and have fun with him/her as this is what your dog really needs to destress.
Brush and Bathe your Scottie
Although this has been mentioned repeatedly before, ensure to brush your dog consistently and bathe him/her regularly. Brushing your dog daily is one of the best ways to curb excessive shedding.
Brushing and bathing your dog regularly, would take care of old and damaged hair and keep your dog’s coat looking neat and healthy.
Conclusion
The aim of this blog post was to provide you with all the information you need on your Scottish Terrier shedding, the causes, and what to do if you think your dog shedding has become excessive.
What is important to remember is that it is very normal for Scottish Terriers to shed. However, if you feel that your dog is shedding too much and could be sick, take him/her to see a vet.
