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Huskies have a lot of fur and shed twice a year, but don’t let it intimidate you: Grooming is easy if you know the secrets (hint: never shave your Husky’s coat!). Tim Vogel, CEO of dog grooming franchise Scenthound, combs through his top three Husky grooming tips.

How to groom a Husky

Tip 1: Never shave a Husky’s coat

Huskies are double-coated, meaning they have a top coat of longer, harsh hairs and a soft, down-like hair undercoat that provides heating, cooling and protection. Shaving a Husky can make him hotter and cause his skin to sunburn. Shaving also damages the top coat and disrupts the hair growth cycle, meaning it may take years to grow back correctly, Tim shares.

Because Huskies naturally shed, there’s no need for regular trips to the groomer. Focus on brushing and quickening the shedding process with the right tools (listed below) to keep your Husky’s hair and skin looking healthy.

To maintain healthy nails, read our guide on trimming your dog’s nails at home, or visit your professional groomer every 4 to 6 weeks.

Skip the shave for these other dog breeds.

Tip 2: Establish a Husky grooming routine

Husky grooming should include monthly baths and weekly brushing, at the least. This keeps the undercoat from matting, Tim says. A tangled coat is more than just unsightly — it’s straight-up painful, says Tim.

Keeping track of your weekly grooming schedule in a journal helps establish and maintain good habits.

Tip 3: Groom more often during shedding season

Lastly, Tim urges Husky parents to do extra grooming during shedding seasons, which typically occur twice a year in the Spring and Fall. During this time, Huskies shed their undercoats, also referred to as blowing their coats, which regulates their body temperatures during different seasons. Bathe them weekly and brush daily. This removes the loosened coat and prevents matting, Tim says.

Shedding seasons also means hair everywhere! Here are our top picks for cleaning up dog hair.

Tools for easy Husky grooming

The four most important Husky grooming tools are:

With the right tools and knowledge, dog parents will find it easy to keep their Husky tangle free.

Turning your dog vegan is a controversial topic.

But as more humans contemplate plant-based lifestyles themselves, it becomes a relevant idea for dog parents.

Dr. Ilana Halperin, chief of service for Community Medicine at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in California, says since dogs are omnivores, it is possible for a vegan diet to contain all the vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates and fats needed for a healthy diet.

“But in practice, meeting a dog’s protein, amino acid and macro and micronutrient needs is complex and can be difficult to do properly when meat is eliminated from the diet,” she says.

Look for these criteria when buying vegan dog food

Dr. Marybeth Minter, who offers nutritional counseling at Mariposa Veterinary Service in Utah, says there are an increasing number of vegan dog food brands coming to the market.

“It’s best to not just feed straight kibble,” she says. “There are good canned selections on the market. There are some formulas that have some organic ingredients.”

When choosing vegan dog food, Dr. Halperin suggests following these criteria:

• Choose a reputable brand that has done extensive testing and feeding trials on their finished product.
• Find a complete-and-balanced diet that meets Association of American Feed Control Officials(AAFCO) or European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF) guidelines, and the finished product should meet their nutrient profiles.
• The pet food company should employ a veterinary nutritionist or a nutritionist with a PhD in animal The diet should be formulated by the veterinary nutritionist trained in pet food formulation or someone with an advanced degree in animal nutrition.
• The manufacturer should perform ingredient validation, final diet nutrient analysis, toxicology, bacteriology and packaging/shelf-life screenings prior to, during and after manufacturing.

Try these vegan dog foods

If dog parents opt for a vegan lifestyle for their pets, what are some options?

These three vegan dog foods meet the expert criteria mentioned above:

• Harvey’s Canine Health Miracle Dog Food lends itself well to a vegan diet for canines because it allows for protein rotation in a nutrient-dense pre-mix. In fact, longtime vegan, actress Alicia Silverstone details in her blog how she makes her own dogs’ vegan diet with this food. It’s a blend of six organic grains and nine dehydrated vegetables without dyes, chemicals or preservatives. Preparation involves adding hot water, a protein and an oil like olive oil. A 5-pound bag is $46 and makes 33, 1-pound meals.
• Halo’s Garden of Vegan comes in both dry and wet food They are complete-and-balanced recipes made with sustainable, humane ingredients and are non-GMO. The dry food contains prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics to help support digestive health. Halo also has meat-free treats, including Peanut & Pumpkin; Sweet Potato, Carrot & Quinoa; Oats & Blueberry; and Oats, Peanut Butter & Banana. The dry food is $48.99 for a 10-pound bag and a case of 12, 5.5-ounce cans is $29.99.
• JustFoodForDogs’ Tofu & Quinoa Recipe is made with fresh, whole food, plant-based ingredients, including tofu, sweet potatoes, quinoa, kale, white mushrooms, blueberries and nutritional yeast. JustFoodForDogs is a company that has made a name for itself by offering freshly cooked human food designed for pets. The vegan diet was developed in conjunction with vegan pet nutrition researchers. $79.03 for a 7.8-pound small box.

Should dogs be vegan?

Ultimately the choice of whether to convert your dog into a plant eater is up to you. There are many brands adding vegan lines or that are entirely vegan. If you decide to try dog food, look for a company that has done its research and that also has an eye for quality ingredients — like no GMOs and with organics.

“If a dog owner is dedicated to feeding a vegan diet I recommend working with a veterinary nutritionist to ensure the diet they choose meets the dog’s specific needs and takes into account age, breed, activity level and any health conditions they may be living with,” says Dr. Halperin.

“Many pet owners may be looking into vegan diets as a more eco-friendly or humane alternative to traditional diets. This is very understandable — plant-based diets for humans make a lot of sense when one is trying to minimize our impact on the environment and on animals. However, considering how complex nutrition is and how dogs’ needs differ from humans’ needs, it can be safer for our pets for us to find other ways to promote sustainability such as limiting meat sources in diets to sustainable-sourced fish or working with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist to formulate a diet using humanely sourced meat.”

This article has expert comment from vegan canine nutritionist Diana Laverdure-Dunetz, M.S.

Dogs can have an occasional taste of your morning almond milk, as almonds are not toxic to dogs and can reduce inflammation. Look for unsweetened and unflavored varieties — a good choice lists just water and almonds as ingredients.

In stores, avoid almond milk with the artificial sweetener xylitol, artificial flavorings, thickeners and oils, which aren’t safe for dogs to eat, says vegan canine nutritionist Diana Laverdure-Dunetz, M.S. and author of The Plant-Powered Dog.

“To ensure their dogs’ almond milk is safe, I highly recommend that people make it themselves at home,” says Diana.

Can dogs drink almond milk? Yes, and here are the benefits

A fortified almond milk variety usually includes added vitamins and minerals, including:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin D
• calcium

“Almonds are especially high in vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant that can help decrease oxidative damage to cells,” says Diana. Oxidative damage creates inflammation that can lead to a host of chronic inflammatory diseases, including cancer, she explains.

Vitamins A and E also help your dog’s skin and coat stay healthy and shiny.

Another benefit of almond milk is that it’s lactose-free and less likely to cause allergic reactions, or digestive issues, in dogs than cow’s milk or goat’s milk.

“Note that almond milk is not the best source of protein compared to other plant milks, such as soy,” Diana adds.

So, the next time you’re baking treats for your dog, reach for the almond milk instead of cow’s milk. If you’re picking up goodies from the dog bakery, ask for treats made with almond milk.

Is almond milk high in fat?

Depending on the almond-to-water ratio, almond milk can have a high fat content. A creamier almond milk contains more almonds than water and will be higher in fat per serving. However, the fat in almond milk is monosaturated, the same healthy fats found in avocado and olive oils, Diana explains.

“A good rule of thumb is that almond milk should be considered as a treat, and treats should not make up more than 10% of a dog’s daily calories,” Diana says.

Avoid serving almond milk as a regular treat if your dog needs to lose weight. Foods higher in fat are difficult for some dogs to digest and can result in watery, oily diarrhea. In less common circumstances, eating too many high-fat foods leads to a serious condition called pancreatitis, which can be fatal if not treated right away.

It’s safe to share that small sip of unsweetened almond milk with your dog. And the next time you visit your local coffee shop, ask for whipped almond milk instead of cow’s milk for your dog’s pup treat!