Friday, March 12, 2010

Shave-down Season

Now that the day's are getting longer and (hopefully) warmer, we are starting to get calls for shavedowns. If you are considering getting your dog shaved, you should understand some of the issues regarding shaving. Remember, dogs sweat from their paws, so having a shorter coat doesn't significantly affect the dog's body temperature. Also, if you are shaving due to the excessive shedding, you should know that shaving will make the hair shorter, but it will not completely stop the shedding. If shedding is your only reason for the haircut, you may want to consider a de-shedding treatment such as the FURminator, which we offer.

Still, shaving can make life easier if you dog is a swimmer, has a skin condition or fungus, is matted or the coat is in bad shape. When we shave a dog, we are careful not to go too low. You don't want to shave all the way down for a couple of reasons. First, dogs can get sunburn and even skin cancer, just like people do. It is important to protect their skin. Secondly, some breeds may not regrow their fur if it is shaved too short, a condition called alopecia. Also, with double-coated dogs such as huskies, fur protects against biting flies and mosquitoes.

And remember, Spring is a busy time at your groomers so call as soon as possible to get your appointment set.