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Haircoat Problems in Dogs
Shaving long haired dogs for warm weather
Shampoo for dogs
Shedding and itching
Dry Hair
Sticky stuff in Fur
Hair Growth - hot climate
also see Allergy
also see Hair Loss
also see Skin Problems
also see Demodex
Shaving long haired dogs for warm weather
Quick question: Is it ok to have my collie mix and my st.bernard mix shaved
for the summer? I have been having it done professionally for years but the
new groomer at my vets' accused me of being cruel and said that it was
dangerous. My dogs swim in a pond every day in the summer, have plenty of
trees to lie under for shade and can go in and out of the house at will. I
know it makes life easier for me (they dry off faster) and they don't seem
to have suffered for it.
Thanks
Answer: Noreen-
I am squarely on the side of shaving long haired dogs down in the summer. I think that dogs feel better and are less likely to have skin disease when long hair coats are shaved in warm climates. I do not know if it helps them stay cool, or not. In theory, since dogs don't sweat, there shouldn't be a lot of effect either way on heat dissipation.
People who groom and who show dogs often feel that it is better not to shave long haired dog breeds. Their reasoning is usually that the coat serves as an insulator from the heat or that the undercoat will grow back faster than the outer coat, producing different texture to the overall hair coat, which is undesirable to them. I am not sure whether that happens or not. However, maintenance of the coat (cleansed, combed and brushed properly on a regular basis) is necessary to prevent matting and secondary skin infections. If this is impossible or just impractical then I think that clipping the coat is still better, even with this concern.
Once in a while it does take a long time for a shaved hair coat to regrow. When this happens it can be a sign of an underlying hormonal disorder, especially hypothyroidism. Also, it is probably important to use sunblockers if hair coats are shaved very close to the skin, especially when dogs have white or light colored hair coats -- or to limit exposure to the sun until there is some hair regrowth. I have really only seen a few dogs with obvious sunburns and none with severe sunburns but it is almost certainly best to error on the side of caution with sun exposure.
There are veterinarians with very strong opinions on both sides of this issue but I have not seen anything really conclusive, one way or the other, about the effect of shaving dogs in the summer that compared shaving or not shaving dogs and related it to any skin problems or heat exhaustion. So unfortunately, the best you can get is someone's opinion. Mine is that long haired dogs in my practice area have less skin disease and no more heat exhaustion (or maybe less) when they are shaved in the summer but it is just based on observation and I know that can be a faulty way to come to a valid conclusion.
I wish that I could give you a definite answer.
Mike Richards, DVM
5/20/2002
Question: Dear Dr Mike,
I have searched your site and the only references to bathing or shampoo I
can find have to do with skin problems. Do you see any problem with using
"people" shampoo on dogs, especially if it's a premium type like that sold
in hair salons? Our dog does not have any type of skin or fur problems.Thanks, RTV
Answer: RTV-
I saw a study once, which I couldn't find to supply the reference for,
which was a review of the ingredients of various pet and people shampoos,
as well as a test of factors like pH and eye irritation. In the study, the
authors could find no significant differences between pet shampoos and
people shampoos. So I tell my clients to use whatever they like, or have on
hand.I am sure that some shampoos work better on any particular dog than others
but that the brands that work well for that one dog may not be the best for
another dog.I think that this information is probably also true for conditioners but
have not seen any reviews of the various conditioners to prove or disprove
that.When medicated shampoos are indicated there is some variation between the
availability of some ingredients between pet shampoos and people shampoos
so it is important to follow your vet's recommendations if a medicated
shampoo is called for.Mike Richards, DVM
3/28/2001
Question: Hi Dr. Mike,
This question is for my Mom's two-ish year old Terrier mix (female). I got
her for my Mom from the pound when she was six months old. She is a very
submissive dog (she pees when she meets someone new), but displays sharp
intelligence, a great sense of humor, and although a very active dog, adapts
herself easily to my Mom's more low-key lifestyle.The issue is her shedding and scratching, both of which are driving my Mom
insane! Twiggy is a small to medium-sized dog, probably weighs about 20-25
pounds, but is tall and lanky. Her hair is coarse and long (that
"sproinky"/curly/longish hair some terriers have) and jet black. She sheds
like crazy and for the last several months has been scratching herself
endlessly. For awhile, she was biting her feet, but that seems to have
abated. She doesn't have any hot spots or irritations on her skin. She does
not have any places on her body that she favors with the scratching and hair
is not missing in any spot and I haven't seen any evidence of flaking. Her
outside time is monitored and is in a fenced area. She has room to run
around and play, but she is not exposed to any pesticides, lawn chemicals,
etc. She is crate trained and her blankets are washed when necessary. She
eats Prescription Lamb and Rice formula, is bathed only when necessary and is
well cared for.My Mom has had her to the vet and he can't find a cause. It seems some kind
of allergy is at work here, or at least a skin sensitivity, but wouldn't the
vet be able to diagnose that pretty easily? Do you have any suggestions or
insight?As always, thank you so very much for your response.
Robyn
Answer: Robyn-
It is easy to be suspicious about an allergy but it is hard to be certain
that one exists.Food allergies are tested for by using hypoallergenic diets. Lamb and rice
diets were originally developed for this purpose. This has to be done
carefully so that no ingredient that the dog has eaten previously is
included in the diet until a reasonable test period, such as six to eight
weeks, is finished. If the itching improves during that time, a food
allergy is possible. If not, it is unlikely.There are two ways to test for allergies with some accuracy. The first is
to draw a blood sample and have it tested by a lab that can measure the
immune proteins that are formed in response to allergens like pollens and
dust mites. This is an easy test for a general practitioner to do, but it
isn't the most accurate test. There is about a 60 to 70% correlation
between this form of blood testing and successful allergy treatment using
hyposensitization with allergy injections made in response to the testing.The other method of testing for allergies is intradermal skin testing.
Usually this has to be done at a referral practice, since the allergens are
expensive to keep on hand unless they are all used within their expiration
dates. This form of testing is considered to be the most accurate and
correlates with successful hyposensitization treatment about 70 to 80% of
the time.For a young dog, properly identifying an allergic disease and appropriate
treatment can make a huge difference in comfort over the course of a
lifetime. If it is possible for your mom to consider allergy testing it
would be worth strong consideration.There are a lot of things that can help reduce itchiness associated with
allergies. Antihistamines help some dogs (between 10 and 30%). Fatty acid
supplements, such as DermCaps (tm), EFA-Z (tm) or 3V capsules (tm) can be
helpful, too. Air conditioning helps a lot. Regular bathing can reduce
itching, especially if a shampoo or conditioner containing oatmeal or a
time released cortisone, such as Resicort (tm) is used. Just running cool
water over an itchy dog can relieve the itching for few hours. Aspirin
therapy helps some dogs. The most reliable medications for relieving
itching are corticosteroids, though. The only problem is that they have
significantly more side effects and so they have to be used as sparingly as
possible.Shedding problems might get better if the itching is reduced but shedding
is normal behavior and that makes it hard to control and impossible to
eliminate.It really would be a good idea to consider allergy testing, but if it isn't
possible your mom can work with your vet to find reasonable solutions to
the itchiness.Mike Richards, DVM
8/8/2000
Q: Dr. , Our dog is part Cocker and Pekingese. We are concerned with her dry hair. She eats very well and seems to have lots of energy but lacks a shiny coat. Just to pet her seems to feel dry. She has be fixed. Is there anything we can do to help her dry hair? She doesn't seem to have dry skin. Thank you, Frank
A: Frank- The first thing I would try in this situation is using a conditioner after shampooing. One made to help with dry hair would be best and it is OK to use human conditioners. If that didn't help, an evaluation by your vet to see if there is a problem causing the dry hair would be the next step.
Mike Richards, DVM
Q: Yesterday I cut down several 40 year old pine tress, and due to my areas recycling, they will remain in my backyard for several days. My dog decided to be curious, and now he has fresh pine sap on several areas f his coat. Being short haired, I tried to comb it, wrong, I just pulled out hair. Is there a home remedy or product that is safe to remove this STICKY stuff from his coat? Thanks J-
A: J- I am not certain that this solution works but several people I have spoken with suggested that applying mineral oil to the sap and letting it soak in overnight, then washing it off would remove the sap. We have often resorted to clipping out sap with clippers but that is less aesthetically pleasing!
Mike Richards, DVM
Q: Dear Doctor, My name is Gustavo Peña and I live in Hondoras, and it is very, very hot in here. I own a Groenendaeler dog. It's a male 4 years old. I want to know if the hot and humid conditions of my country can affect the length of my dog's hair, for it is not as long as those in the pictures. The average temperature around here is about 35 degrees Celsius. I will appreciate your prompt answer. G.
A: The brief answer is that I don't know. I can find no information that suggests that heat alone will affect the hair growth.
A longer answer is that heat does encourage a lot of other skin disease problems and some of them could affect hair growth. Your vet can help you determine if any other skin disease is present and help develop a plan to deal with the problems.
If no other skin disease is present, perhaps your vet would know more than I do about the effect of the heat.
Sorry I can't help more.
Mike Richards, DVM
Last edited 04/16/04