Andrew Hillier BVSc, MACVSc, DACVD
Dermatology & Otic Diseases

QUESTION:
I have clients who commonly ask about products or ways to stop or decrease shedding. Any products that you routinely recommend?

ANSWER:
If the problem is a matter of trying to remove hair from the house, then owners should consider frequent bathing, frequent grooming, shaving the pet regularly or getting a pet that does not shed as much (e.g. poodles). The problem may relate rather to humans with allergies. Humans who are allergic to cats, actually have allergy to proteins produced by cats and found primarily in the sebaceous glands. Although this allergen is then secreted onto the skin surface and hair coat, the hair coat itself is not the primary source of the problem, thus it is not really an issue of stopping the shedding. Studies have shown that bathing a cat at least weekly will lead to a dramatic reduction of allergen that is released into the environment. However, it is not always that easy to bathe a cat that frequently. Alternatives include: regularly wiping the cat down, confining the cat to specific areas of the home and possibly relocating the cat to another home.