Heat.
Question:
Hi All, We have a two year old sheltie that we have been cutting her coat every summer. About 1/4 from the body. Is this really necessary. We live in Phoenix, Arizona so it is very hot. She is inside in air condition except for walks. Any ideas or comments greatly appreciated.
Response:
> Hi All, > We have a two year old sheltie that we have been cutting her coat every > summer. About 1/4 from the body. Is this really necessary. We live in > Phoenix, Arizona so it is very hot. She is inside in air condition except > for walks. Any ideas or comments greatly appreciated.
After talks with my groomers and vets, they say that the coat is best left on, as it actually insulates her from the heat. She can actually get hotter if it is cut short. Just brush her a lot! Jenn S
Response:
> Hi All, > We have a two year old sheltie that we have been cutting her coat every > summer. About 1/4 from the body. Is this really necessary. We live in > Phoenix, Arizona so it is very hot. She is inside in air condition except > for walks. Any ideas or comments greatly appreciated.
It is not only not necessary, but it is a very bad idea. Double coated breeds should not be shaved down. Their coat acts as insulation from the heat and cold, and by cutting their coat, you are exposing them to more heat as well as sunburn. Plus, it damages the coat and often does not grow back correctly, and in some cases not at all. Please do not continue this type of grooming – brush your dog frequently, use an undercoat rake to remove dead undercoat, and if you must take her to a groomer, just have them trim her underside and leave the rest of the coat. Christy
Response:
> Hi All, > We have a two year old sheltie that we have been cutting her coat every > summer. About 1/4 from the body. Is this really necessary. We live in > Phoenix, Arizona so it is very hot. She is inside in air condition except > for walks. Any ideas or comments greatly appreciated.
Shaving can cause the coat of some breeds to regrow poorly, or not regrow at all…. And as coat length has nothing to do with the ability of a dog to cool itself, why ruin the coat? All dogs have evolved the ability to dissipate heat via respiratory processes….. this is exactly why they pant. There is no need to arrest the nornal hair growth cycle to keep a dog comfortable. Some would argue that scissoring the coat down a bit would be helpful….. my reaction to that is due to time required, (mostly to pull out undercoat) I would have to charge so much for this it would price itself out of reach for most pet owners. The best thing you can do coat wise is brush often and deeply….. keep that undercoat as under control as possible. A good undercoat rake is an invaluable tool. Not a ’shedding blade’, an ‘undercoat rake’. Look at www.neserum.com for a good selection. IF you decide to bathe, a very warm (as ‘warm’ as tolerable <g>) rinse can encourage more undercoat to drop out. The theory is that certain breeds with thick, dense coats have a blood supply at skin level that is a bit more reactive than other breeds. When the coat is shaved, these blood vessels constrict, and hair follicles are not nourished properly, thus causing poor coat regrowth, odd colored hair patches, and strange changes in the texture of the coat. To quote UC Davis re ‘post clipping alopecia’ (pp. 232-233 UC Davis Book of Dogs, Canine Body Systems and Disorders): " The occurrence of post-clipping alopecia predominately in sled dog breeds suggests that such a mechanism could represent an adaptive trait for minimizing heat loss during severe winter weather. The loss of hair usually is complete, although some guard hairs may regrow. Hair regrowth may not be evident for as long as 6 to 12 months after the initiating event. Newly grown hair may be of a different hue. Post-clipping alopecia has a potential for occurring anytime a dog belonging to a BREED AT RISK is clipped. Consequently, clipping should be performed only when absolutely necessary." Breeds at risk listed include Chows, Malamutes, Huskies, Shelties, Samoyeds, German Shepherd Dogs….. that type of coat. — Toni, Certified Master Groomer, yadda, yadda www.irish-wolfhounds.com
Response:
Hi, I’m in South Australia, our summers are pretty, warm temps into the high 30’s. We have an Alaskan Malamute (they have thick double coats too) and she is quite comfortable in the summer. None the Mal’s and Sibes at the local breed club are clipped either. Steve – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi All, > We have a two year old sheltie that we have been cutting her coat every > summer. About 1/4 from the body. Is this really necessary. We live in > Phoenix, Arizona so it is very hot. She is inside in air condition except > for walks. Any ideas or comments greatly appreciated. > After talks with my groomers and vets, they say that the coat is best left > on, as it actually insulates her from the heat. She can actually get hotter > if it is cut short. Just brush her a lot! > Jenn S
Response:
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