Cavapoo Shedding: Are They Hypoallergenic?

Several potential dog owners look for beautiful low-shedding dog breeds because they’re worried about allergy attacks.

In fact, the ACAAI reported that at least 10% of American citizens are allergic to dogs. Since many people believe that Cavapoos are hypoallergenic, do Cavapoos shed?

Do Cavapoos Shed?

Many dog lovers classify Cavapoos as hypoallergenic dogs because they believe they are non-shedders, but this is untrue. All vertebrate animals, including humans, shed dead skin cells and hair due to various environmental factors.

Since a Cavapoo falls into the vertebrate class, it sheds. However, knowing how much a Cavapoo will shed is difficult since It is hard to forecast the number of genes a Cavapoo inherits from either parent.

One of the parents, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, sheds a lot while the other parent, the poodle, is a low-shedding breed.

The level of shedding that your dog will experience mainly depends on how many coat genes it inherits from the parents.

If the spaniel’s coat gene is more dominant in your pup, then you should expect a significant amount of shedding, especially during season changes. However, if the poodle’s coat gene is dominant, you should expect minimal shedding in the pup.

Reasons Why Cavapoos Shed 

All Cavapoos shed at different rates depending on various factors. In most cases, it is possible to influence some of these factors, but in some cases, it is not. The following factors are the significant determinants of the amount of shedding in your Cavapoo.

Wrong Bathing Method & Products

It’s a great practice to maintain proper hygiene for your Cavapoo by bathing or washing them often. However, cleaning them too frequently can lead to skin dryness which will eventually translate to excessive shedding.

Many Cavapoo owners also wonder if the hair loss they noticed recently in their dogs has anything to do with the bathing product they use. The short answer is YES!

Your dog’s hair will shed if you use bathing products that irritate its hair follicles and skin or disrupt hormonal stimulations and overall health.

The first sign you’ll notice if your dog has irritable skin is the frequency of itching and scratching. Incessant scratching can increase shedding.

We do not recommend using human shampoos for your dogs because the pH levels in humans and dogs differ. Therefore, you need to shop for specialized dog shampoos separately when shopping for shampoos.

If there are any odd skin changes (such as red patches, sore spots, dry skin, and any inflammation) in your dogs after bathing them with a shampoo brand, we advise you to stop using them.

Wrong bathing products will exacerbate shedding in Cavapoos during periods that hair loss should be at the barest minimum. Therefore, be careful when choosing a bathing shampoo for your dog.

Coat Type

Since Cavapoos are mixed breeds, their behavior and appearance depend primarily on which parents they take after most. So, let’s briefly look at the Cavapoo parent type to understand this phenomenon better.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: This dog breed naturally has bushy, shiny, and floppy hair around its ears and a long cascading coat on the rest of the body. The Cavalier breed typically sheds a little more than the average single-coated breeds.

Poodle: The poodle is the second parent of the Cavapoo breed. This breed has short, wavy hair, which is not as smooth as the Cavalier. Their hair is also curly and bushy, but not as long as the Cavalier. Poodles are low-shedding dog breeds.

Generally, a Cavapoo has a soft and short coat that could either be wavy or curly. If your Cavapoo has a wavy coat, it takes after the Cavalier parent and will likely shed a lot. However, if they have a poodle-like coat type, they’re a lot less likely to shed.

The prevalent parent DNA in your Cavapoo is a significant determinant of how shedding you can expect from them.

Nutrition

Nutrition plays a significant role in a Cavapoo’s overall health, and particularly their coat. Generally, an unbalanced diet can lead to poor growth in your pests, and Cavapoos are not exempt.

A protein-rich diet promotes hair growth and strengthens hair follicles in Cavapoos. Therefore, protein deficiency in a Cavapoo’s diet will weaken the hair follicles, causing them to shed more and sometimes develop matted or faded coats.

Most dog owners feed their pets with foods that contain high carbohydrates and less protein. The carbohydrate only increases your dog’s weight; it can even lead to excessive weight gain in dogs.

We advise that you do thorough research before feeding your dog with any food brand.

As a general rule, ensure that the food brand you choose for your dog has nothing less than 20% protein content and should contain other essential nutrients like Vitamin B, chrome, and zing. Doing this will improve your dog’s hair growth and contribute to its overall health.

When Does Shedding Start in Cavapoos?

A puppy Cavapoo’s coat is different from that of adult Cavapoos. Cavapoo puppies have fluffier, softer skin when they’re still less than six months old.

The puppy hair gives the Cavapoo an attractive look, protects them against cold and injury, and serves as padding for them as they explore.

Cavapoos gradually start losing their puppy hair at the six-month mark as they increase height and weight. A more rigid and dense coat develops as the dog matures.

The shedding process is a natural one that shouldn’t bother you. The Cavapoo is unlikely to shed this much in later stages of its life.

It is essential to groom your Cavapoo regularly (for about 20 minutes daily, if possible) as it loses its puppy fur.

This practice will improve the health of your dog’s hair in the short and long term. Regular grooming prevents matting in dogs.

Dealing with the clumps of tangled hair that result from matting can be painful for your dog. Besides preventing matting, grooming your Cavapoo also prevents the loose hair from spreading over your clothes, sofa, and carpet.

Cavapoos Shedding at Adult Life Stage

Shedding does not stop when the Cavapoo puppy grows into an adult. However, the shedding at this stage is much less than you’ll notice in the puppies.

The older your dog grows, the more prone it will be to shedding. This process is called age-related shedding.

When your Cavapoo starts experiencing age-related shedding, it’s better to switch to a softer grooming brush. Soft brushes will be gentle on the dog’s skin but also get rid of dead hair follicles.

Other factors that increase shedding in adult Cavapoo include the following.

Stress

Stress, aging, and difficult life situations can cause humans to lose their hair, and dogs can also experience hair loss. Wondering what difficult life situations your dogs react to? Here are a few of them:

• Abuse
• Lack of stimulation
• Boredom
• Lots of noise
• Conflict-laden home

Your dog will naturally respond to any of these situations by shedding more than usual. So, you may observe a furry bundle when there’s sudden noise around your dog.

Hormonal Changes

Hormonal changes also contribute to shedding in adult Cavapoos. For instance, female Cavapoos will shed more when lactating, if she just delivered her litter, or after being in heat. This shedding is probably due to the increase in the secretion of thyroid hormones.

Hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid does not produce enough thyroid hormone, can also contribute significantly to hair loss in Cavapoos.

Health Issues

If you observe a sudden and significant shedding in your Cavapoo, there’s a chance that they have some health issues. Cavapoos shed excessively when they have health problems like general allergies, cancer, or parasite attacks.

When Is Shedding Most Prevalent in Cavapoos?

Shedding occurs more in Cavapoos during the stage of transitioning from puppy to adulthood. However, your dog’s coat type will determine how much fur it’ll lose during this period.

Seasonal changes contribute to shedding in Cavapoos. Cavapoos tend to shed more during the Summer/Spring season than other seasons as they grow older.

During this season, these dogs try to get rid of old furs that helped them maintain a warm temperature in the winter.

The level of shedding in your dog’s fur increases when there are longer days than nights. However, this is not only common in Cavapoos.

Most dogs (and cats) shed more when the length of daylight time increases, and this is most obvious as summer approaches. Generally, Cavapoos shed less during fall and winter.

Regardless of whether your Cavapoo is an indoor or outdoor dog, it doesn’t change the amount of shedding. However, for most other animals, shedding is more pronounced in those that stay outdoors.

How to Minimize Shedding in Cavapoos

Now that it’s clear that Cavapoos are prone to shedding just like any other dog, it is essential to know that you cannot completely stop the process. Thankfully, there are several ways to reduce the amount of shedding in your Cavapoo significantly.

Maintain a Good Hygiene Routine

The best way to minimize shedding in a Cavapoo is to maintain a good grooming practice. Like we stated earlier, your dog’s fur can entangle if you don’t correctly bathe and brush/comb it. The longer you leave the hair clumped together, the more likely the amount of shedding.

Many Cavapoo owners make the mistake of using a standard brush for grooming their dogs.

A traditional brush does not help your dog’s coat. Fortunately, a proper de-shedding brush is not expensive, and it produces an excellent result on dogs with wavy hair, such as Cavapoos.

Your Cavapoo dog will also benefit from regular bathing, but this shouldn’t be too frequent. Bathing your dog once a month should be enough if it’s not extra smelly or dirty. Bathing can help to remove excess hair that didn’t fall off during brushing.

Get a Good Deshedding Dog Shampoo

Bathing your dogs with de-shedding shampoos instead of conventional shampoo will significantly minimize excessive shedding in your pups.

These shampoos are pretty cheap, so you won’t have to worry about breaking the bank to give your dogs the ideal treatment they deserve.

Feed Your Pup Nutritious Diet

Apart from the lack of protein in their diet, dogs also shed more when they lack Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids. However, by including oil supplements in their diet, the shedding will reduce, and your dog’s coat appearance will improve drastically.

Healthy dog food should also contain all essential vitamins and other food classes, including water. Water keeps your dog hydrated, which in turn reduces shedding. Your dog should drink as much as 1 ounce of water per pound body weight.

We recommend that you consult your vet before changing your dog’s food or adding any new supplements or vitamins to their diet.

Keep Your Cavapoo Away From Stressful Situations

Since Cavapoos respond to stressful life situations by shedding, you should protect them from such conditions as much as possible. Cavapoos prefer a quiet home. Hence, it’s best to prevent sudden noise or disturbance around them.

Cavapoos also have trouble handling their body temperature well during the hot seasons. Keeping them adequately hydrated during these seasons will be helpful.

It’s also essential to reduce their exercise time and other stressful activities that can cause heat stress during this period.

Final Thoughts

There are no 100% non-shedding dog breeds, but Cavapoos are among the lesser-shedding breeds of dog you can find.

There’s no need to worry much about having hair trails all over your clothes and floors with this breed. Besides their low-shedding characteristics, the Cavapoo breed is adorable, cute, and pretty smart.

The amount of shedding that your Cavapoo will experience at every stage of its lifetime varies. Cavapoos shed less as puppies. You’ll only start noticing hair loss in them as they approach the 6-month mark, which signifies the transition to adulthood.

Cavapoos also shed more in the summer/spring season, when they experience stressful life situations and lack the necessary nutrients in their diet.

While it is not entirely possible to completely prevent shedding in Cavapoos, several practices can significantly reduce the amount of shedding. These practices include using the right bathing shampoo and brushes and feeding them with a protein-rich diet.

If you’re allergic to fur but still wish to have an adorable dog partner, getting a Cavapoo is probably your best bet.