When a dog seems to be shedding like crazy and the hair is everywhere, the question that matters is "is this a normal seasonal blow-out, or hair loss that needs a vet - and is it leaving bald spots or getting worse?" PetHealthLog lets you log how much is coming out with a time stamp, note bald patches, itching, redness or thinning, mark where on the body, and watch the trend - so you can tell a heavy coat change from a real problem. Free, no account, works offline.
Start tracking - it's freeVeterinary sources warn that broken, bleeding skin and relentless scratching can lead to infection quickly. If your dog has raw or bleeding skin, open sores, fast-spreading bald patches, intense non-stop scratching or chewing, a foul smell, obvious pain, or hair loss alongside being unwell - drinking far more, a swollen belly, low energy - this is not a watch-and-wait situation - contact your vet now. This tracker is for keeping a record, not for delaying care when the skin or coat clearly looks wrong.
Veterinary sources describe a lot of shedding as often perfectly normal - seasonal coat changes, a breed's natural cycle, and short bursts after a hormone-altering surgery like spaying or neutering, or after a litter. A big upheaval at home can bring on stress shedding too. What changes the picture is shedding that comes with bald patches, thinning, itching, redness, scabs or a dull coat, which can point to food or skin allergies, parasites such as fleas or mites, or hormone-related conditions like thyroid disease or Cushing's disease.
The trouble is that "shedding loads" is easy to half-notice and hard to judge from memory. Is the coat thinning in one spot, or coming out evenly all over? Has the skin underneath gone red or flaky? Is your dog scratching more this week than last? A vague "he has been shedding a ton" is hard to act on, and it is exactly the kind of detail a vet asks about.
PetHealthLog is free, asks for no account and works offline, so each time you notice it you can log how much is coming out, where, and what the skin looks like. The trend is right there, the change is visible, and you have a real record instead of a guess when you call.
A shedding log only helps if it is quick to fill in the moment you notice and turns scattered impressions into something you can read. Here is how PetHealthLog handles both.
Note roughly how heavy the shedding is - a normal brush-out, more than usual, or coming away in clumps - and each entry lands on the timeline with the date. Over weeks you can see whether it rises and falls with the season or keeps building.
Mark whether the coat is even all over or thinning in places, and where any bald or thin patches are - flanks, tail, belly, around the eyes. Even, all-over shedding reads very differently from a patch where the skin shows, and that detail is easy to forget.
Shedding rarely travels alone when something is wrong. Add a quick note on scratching, redness, flaky or greasy skin, scabs, sores or a bad smell. These details fade fast and help a vet judge whether allergies, parasites or a skin condition are likely.
Record the time of year, a food change, a new shampoo, flea-treatment dates or a stressful event, so a pattern is easy to spot - a spring blow-out, or thinning that started after a diet change.
Export a clean PDF of the entries, their dates, how heavy the shedding was, where the patches are and the skin notes. If you do end up at the clinic, the conversation starts from a real timeline instead of "he's been shedding a lot, maybe a few weeks?"
General guidance from veterinary sources - when in doubt, call. The tracker helps you spot these, it does not decide them.
When a vet has looked at the cause, owners often keep a few gentle basics on hand for routine coat care: a de-shedding brush or undercoat rake for heavy seasonal coats, a mild dog-formulated shampoo, and a skin-and-coat omega supplement if your vet suggests one. None of these treat allergies, parasites, a thyroid problem or any medical cause of hair loss, and none replace a vet exam or prescribed care - they just help with everyday grooming once a vet has checked the skin. Never use human shampoo or medicated products on a dog without a vet's say-so.
These search links show popular options on Amazon. They are everyday grooming extras - whether your dog's shedding needs treatment is a question for your vet.
De-shedding brushes → Gentle dog shampoo → Skin & coat omegas →#ad - affiliate links: as an Amazon Associate, PetHealthLog may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Informational only, not veterinary advice.
You notice shedding at odd moments - a handful of fur off a quick stroke, a thin patch spotted during a belly rub, tufts left on the sofa. The last thing that should stand between you and noting it down is a login screen or a spinning loader.
PetHealthLog stores everything locally on your device. There is no account to create, nothing is uploaded to a server, and there is no tracking. It opens instantly, lets you log the shedding or check the trend whether or not you are online, and keeps the data yours. You can export a backup any time and restore it on another phone.
Free, offline, and ready the moment you open it.
Start with PetHealthLogIf allergies are behind the shedding, track flares, itching and triggers to see what is setting the skin off.
If a vet has diagnosed an underactive thyroid, log each dose and keep an adherence record between checks.
For a dog on Cushing's medication, track doses, symptoms and recheck dates so nothing slips.
If your vet suggests an omega supplement, log it daily and note how the coat and skin respond over time.