Natural reasons for hair loss in cavapoo

Have you been noticing your cavapoo’s hair all over the house? And your pup looks like he’s getting less fluffy?

Cavapoo in general are a low- to no-shedding breed due to the genetics it inherits from the non-shedding poodle, which is a dream come true for many dog lovers. While some cavapoo may still shed minimally (if they have inherited more of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel genes), a lot of shedding in the cavapoo can be a reason for concern.

Your cavapoo may shed somewhat significantly around the age of 5 – 6 months old, but that is just their puppy coat shedding to change into their adult coat. That type of shedding is not a reason for concern but a natural state of your pup’s growth. If and when that happens, you can simply try to increase the effort you put in your cavapoo grooming. Combing out the hair will prevent it from spreading all over your house, or getting stuck and matting your cavapoo’s coat.

Your cavapoo may also lose hair during certain times of the year such as spring and summer, when a lot of animals naturally shed more than at other times of the year. Again, you will notice more hair if you cavapoo has inherited more of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel coat, and less if it has more of a poodle coat.

Finally, if your cavapoo is older, they may also shed more simply due to age-related coat degeneration. That is perfectly normal, and unfortunately, something that probably is going to happen to all older dogs (and sometimes older people too!)

Those are all natural reasons for your cavapoo losing more hair than you may like, and you should just accept them as necessary evil.

Here are the cases where you should worry, though.

Why is my cavapoo losing hair: Nutritional deficiencies

Your cavapoo may be losing its hair due to nutritional deficiencies, lack of vitamins and minerals in their system that is probably harming other body organs and systems, and the hair loss is just one of the symptoms. Nutritional deficiencies are usually the result of a poor diet and can severely affect your cavapoo’s health.

To try and fix this issue, re-assess your cavapoo’s nutrition. You can read this article to find out about best food for cavapoo. Correct nutrition is extremely important in keeping your dog healthy overall, and their coat shiny and thick in particular.

There isn’t really a single vitamin or mineral that is likely missing from your dog’s diet, but a whole array of nutrients, which is why it’s important to look at nutrition instead of supplementing artificial vitamins/minerals.

Hormonal issues

Hormonal issues often directly affect the state and quality of your cavapoo hair. Hormonal dis-balances, for example, a dis-balance of nitrogen, may cause your dog’s hair to thin and fall out. Sometimes this happens to neutered or spayed dogs. It can also happen if a dog has thyroid issues. This is one of the reasons to take your cavapoo to the vet if you notice that they are losing a lot of hair.

Why is my cavapoo losing hair: allergy

You probably know a lot of people suffering from various allergies. You might have one yourself! In the modern world, dogs are just as likely to develop an allergy as humans are! It may be an allergy to a certain food you are giving your pup, or your cleaning detergents, a the dog shampoo you are using, and anything else you can think of.

Allergy can easily cause a dog to lose hair simply because they will itch and scratch their skin more than necessary. How do you know if your cavapoo has an allergy? They might sneeze, cough and itch just like humans. If you notice your cavapoo displaying these symptoms, they are likely allergic to either their food, or something in their environment.

Time for you to do some sleuthing! Switch their food to something different and see if that helps. If it’s not food, try to see if your dog is chewing on something that may make them allergic, or is maybe regularly in contact with some chemicals in your house.

Parasites

If your cavapoo has mites or fleas, it can scratch itself to the point of losing patches of hair regularly. Mites in particular cause patchy hair loss, and may be hard to see if you are not paying attention. If your cavapoo scratches itself obsessively and you notice their hair falling out in patches, take them to the vet to see what type of parasite they have and what you can do about it.

The problem could also be inside, not outside. This probably isn’t something you want to hear, but your dog may very well have worms or other intestinal parasitic infections. Worms in particular can release so many toxins in the dog’s body that the dog’s overall health may greatly suffer, including their coat.

If worms are your problem, your vet will do some tests on your dog to see what type of worms they have and prescribe a powerful dewormer to hopefully help you pup.

Dog clothes

To move to a more pleasant topic, one simple reason your cavapoo is losing hair may be that you make them wear their dog clothes too often. Are you one of those owners that loves seeing their cavapoo wear a cute sweater in winter? That cute sweater may irritate your pup’s skin and cause increased hair loss as well.

It’s good to keep you cavapoo warm, but they are still a dog and most of the times can really regulate their body temperature without the help of clothes. While some cavapoos happily wear their sweaters or t-shirts without an issue, some more sensitive ones may develop skin and coat problems from constant friction and potentially sweating that happens when they are too warm in the clothes you put on them.

They can also be allergic to something in the clothes! If you have a habit of dressing your cavapoo, try to let them go “naked” for a while and see if that will improve their skin and coat condition.

I hope this article was helpful to you in your quest of figuring out why your cavapoo losing hair. Things like this always involve a bit (or a lot!) of sleuthing work. It’s not always easy, but I hope you will find your reason and help your cavapoo keep their beautiful coat!

If you are looking for a cavapoo to adopt, check out our articles on how to find a reputable breeder. You can find such breeders in: Reputable cavapoo breeders UK, Cavapoo breeders in Ontario, Canada, and Cavapoo breeders in Alberta, Canada. You can also adopt a puppy from Cavapoo Rescue. Don’t forget to read about Cavapoo pros and cons.

Introduction

Every dog smells sometimes. If you have just come inside from the heavy rainfall and your dog is wet, or you just haven’t dried their coat enough after a shower, you will smell a bit of a wet dog scent in your house. But what if your dog smells all the time, and what if the smell, let’s put it nicely, isn’t that pleasant?

Some cavapoo owners, unfortunately,encounter this very issue with their dogs. They usually try to fix the smelly issue by hiding the smell. They may try to wash their dog often and use special scented shampoos to cover their dog’s  odour. Or they may use various sprays and other solutions to get rid of the smell in their house.

However, all those solutions simply mask the symptoms, without addressing the main problem. And the problem is: if your dog has a nasty smell all the time (not just when they roll in something smelly in the backyard) – that means there is something wrong with their health.

While every dog gets dirty or wet sometimes, which can definitely can cause it to smell, constant smell from your dog is a reason to worry. Almost always it means there is something going on with your dog’s health, and that’s what you need to pay attention to.

Here are the five main areas to look at when you smell something “fishy” about your dog.

Why does my cavapoo smell: skin issues

One of the reasons your cavapoo may smell is potential skin issues. This may include over-production of skin oils due to a wrong diet. It may also be a yeast infection or candida, especially if the dog’s odour has sweet undertones in it.

Both of these issues are due to a wrong diet. If you are feeding your dog wrong dog food (such as brands full of carbohydrates, grains and additives), your cavapoo may very well develop digestive issues, which immediately reflect in the state of its skin (along with other body systems). In this case, try changing the dog’s diet to eliminate the odour problem.

Dogs are carnivores and thrive on meat. Try to choose kibble with meat as a main ingredient, and no or minimal other ingredients and additives. Many people say they have been able to get rid of bad odour from their dog by feeding them raw diet. I would definitely recommend that, as raw meat-based diet is very natural for dogs. Read more about the best food for your cavapoo in this article.

If your dog has a yeast infection, it can sometimes be seen on the surface of its body, for example, inside their ears, or on their belly and under the arms and legs. Take your dog to the vet immediately if you notice something wrong with its skin.

Yet another issue that can cause bad odour in dogs is parasites, such as mites, fleas or ticks. Give your dog a thorough inspection, especially if you notice it scratching itself often or expressing any other signs of discomfort. Of course, the best thing you can do is take your cavapoo to the vet and run a panel of tests.

Ear issues

Another sensitive area that can develop a nasty smell is your cavapoo’s ears. In a healthy dog, there is constant production of sebum and earwax in the ears both of which serve certain functions in your dog’s health. However, if the secretion of these substances is increased for any reason, a build-up may occur, which in time can lead to some unpleasant smell.

Your dog may also have a yeast infection on the inner surface of their ears. To avoid ear issues, clean your cavapoo’s ears regularly, and take them to the vet if you see anything unusual in their ears.

Mouth hygiene and your cavapoo smell

Your cavapoo’s mouth can be yet another “smelly zone”, both due to digestive issues and teeth issues (which really is the same issue). If you never let your cavapoo “kiss” you because you can’t stand the smell of their breath – this may be your problem. Your cavapoo may develop multiple digestive issues where the food isn’t digested properly and sits in your cavapoo stomach longer than it should, in which case your pup may develop bad breath.

Another reason for bad breath is your dog’s teeth. Your cavapoo teeth may develop a large amount of build-up and tartar, especially if your dog’s diet is full of carbohydrates and additives that aren’t natural for dogs. Excess tartar may cause bacterial infestations which in turn will produce a powerful odour from your pup’s mouth.

Yet another reason, just like with humans, could be tooth decay in your cavapoo, which is also directly connected to the dog’s diet and lack of minerals in it to maintain your cavapoo’s teeth in optimal healthy state. You can brush their teeth every day, but if their diet is wrong, it won’t help against tooth decay. Cleaning your puppy’s teeth professionally to get rid of tartar and build-up may help temporarily, but not in the long term. Unless you change your cavapoo’s diet,  they will continue having stomach and teeth issues.

Anal glands

Now that’s a stinky subject! Yet another reason for bad odour coming from your cavapoo can be anal glands that need squeezing. Every dog has anal glands located – you guessed it – right near your dog’s bum. Anal glands secrete various smelly substances that serve several functions in the dog’s body. In a healthy dog, anal glands get squeezed every time the dog defecates so there is never an issue. However dogs often experience issues with plugged anal glands, when the act of defecation does not empty the glands.

If you have ever seen your dog dragging its bottom on the carpet – they are trying to empty their anal glands. Overfilled anal glands can cause a dog discomfort and pain. It can also make your pup stink! To help the matter, you can empty your dog’s anal glands yourself (there are plenty of videos on youtube on how to do it), or take them to the groomer or vet.

Flatulence in your cavapoo

If you often found yourself in a cloud of bad odour every time you are near your cavapoo – perhaps they are just flatulent? Flatulence occurs in dogs just like it does in people. And, as with people, a little bit of it is normal and healthy. But too much gas is indicative of digestive issues. This takes us back to your cavapoo diet. If you are feeding them high-carbohydrate foods, that can cause proliferation of bacteria in their intestines (bacteria feed on sugar!). That bacteria, in their turn, produce a lot of gas as one of the products of their life cycle.

If your pup is constantly farting, it may be funny, but it’s also a sign that you should look at your cavapoo’s diet and come up with a healthier, more natural alternative to the kibble you may be using now. Your dog will thank you by becoming healthier, stronger, happier and less smelly!

Although changing their diet may help your cavapoo health and the odour in your home, you should still take them to a vet if you notice unpleasant smells or other health-related issues. A dog’s health is complex and nipping issues in the bud is often easier than trying to fix a full-blown disease. Since smells are often a sign of disease, don’t wait to ask for professional help.

Why do you need to clean your cavapoo’s ears?

Cleaning your cavapoo’s ears should be a regular part of its grooming routine. All dogs need to have their ears cleaned on a regular basis. Cavapoo can have long, floppy ears which makes them more prone to infections and parasites due to the build-up of wax, other ear secretions and dirt.

This is why you should clean your cavapoo ears once or twice a week. While cleaning, not only can you help your cavapoo get rid of extra debri and secretions that have built-up in their ears – you can also regularly inspect their ears and notice any changes/issues early enough to be able to quickly help your cavapoo.

Such issues may include redness, inflammation of the ear, or an unpleasant odour, which may mean that your dog already has an ear infection and needs professional help of a vet. Most often though you will just find some wax build-up and will be able to deal with it yourself.

The younger your cavapoo is, the less build-up you will see in their ears. However, it is still important to do regular ear inspections in your cavapoo from the time they are very young, simply to get them used to the sensation of their ears being handled. As they get older, you will have to start to actually clean their ears after inspecting them.

Don’t overdo it

However, you shouldn’t clean your cavapoo’s ears too often either. Build-up of wax is natural for the dog’s ears, and serves its own functions. If you see a moderate amount of dark brown build-up  in your dog’s ears – it’s normally not dirt but earwax which actually helps to protect your dog’s ears from dirt and microbes. 

You don’t have to get rid of it if there isn’t too much of it. If you inspect your dog’s ears and notice red or inflamed surface and bad odour, don’t attempt to clean ears in such condition either. Your dog likely has an ear infection and needs to be treated by the vet.

Prior to cleaning your cavapoo’s ears, gently swab the inner surface of the ear with a cotton ball. If it leaves a yellow trace on the ball, you can leave your cavapoo alone for a  while – their ears don’t necessarily need cleaning just yet. If you see a lot of earwax on the cotton ball, then gentle cleaning might be a good idea.

One thing that complicates ear cleaning in cavapoo is that dogs normally don’t like the procedure very much. An ear is a very sensitive organ, and if your cavapoo isn’t used to having their ears cleaned, they will not cooperate. This is why it is important to train them to let you clean their ears from the time they are still young.

Cleaning your cavapoo ears: how-to

If your cavapoo is still a puppy, you might have an easier time getting them used to grooming their ears. The important thing is to make them feel comfortable and get them to associate the procedure with something nice. How do you do that? You use treats, of course. Treats are the best way to get the animal to relax and accept what is being done to them, and even enjoy it.

Supplies

Have all your supplies nearby. You will need something to clean your cavapoo ears with such as a soft tissue or cotton ball, or gauze (but choose the type that doesn’t leave threads). Do not use cotton swabs or anything hard. It is very easy to damage the dog’s ear using any hard objects while cleaning. Be very careful! You really don’t need anything hard, as wax or other secretions in the dog’s ear can be removed just using soft material like gauze.

You will also need to use a special rinse or a lotion that you can purchase in any pet store or at your vet. Don’t use soap in your dog’s ears! Do not use vinegar either, it can irritate your dog’s ears.

The procedure itself

To clean your cavapoo’s ears safely, first stabilise the dog to make sure it won’t bolt away from you or make any abrupt movements. A good time to clean your dog’s ears is right after a warm shower, when they are still relaxed. If the dog is visibly disturbed and anxious, you might want to pick another time for the procedure.

It is important that your dog is relaxed and calm. You don’t want to traumatise them, either emotionally or physically. Pet them and offer them treats while touching and playing with their ears to let them get used to the sensation of their ears being touched. You can also offer them a chew toy or a kong filled with treats for the time of the procedure. Use anything that will get them happy and occupied for a few minutes.

While getting ready for the procedure, make sure you have all the tools and supplies ready and close to you. You don’t want to have to go fetch a pack of cotton balls or lotion and risk your dog getting too excited or anxious again.

When your dog is ready for the procedure, inspect your cavapoo’s ears. See if there are any signs of infection or inflammation. Use a cotton ball or gauze with lotion to carefully clean the inner surface of the dog’s ear. Try not to get too close to the ear drum. All you are doing is removing the surface dirt and build-up. Do not let water get in the dog’s ear canal. You only need a slightly wet tissue/cotton ball to get most of the dirt and wax out.

To help get rid of the wax, you can gently massage your dogs ears, which helps the build-up to soften and separate from the surface of the ear. A massage will also help further relax your cavapoo.

When you are done with cleaning your cavapoo’s ears, praise them once again, offer a treat, and let them shake – which they will! Dogs like their ears nice and dry and will try to get rid of any wetness/moisture in them.

Professional ear cleaning for your cavapoo

If you are intimidated by the procedure, worried about hurting your cavapoo’s ears or if you have a cavapoo that is particularly stubborn and won’t let you clean their ears, you can always take them to the groomer and ask to include ear cleaning in the scope of the grooming procedures. Professional groomers know how to approach a dog and how to clean their ears safely and with minimum discomfort. 

If your dog’s ears get excessively dirty, have too much build-up or  unpleasant odour, that might mean some ear issues such as infection or parasites, which is always best to discuss with your veterinarian. Don’t let your cavapoo’s ear issues go unattended. Ears can be extremely sensitive, and, in some dogs, really prone to infections and other issues. It is best to pay attention to this area of your cavapoo grooming to avoid potential complications.