Shaving a Fur Bearing Dog

Last updated 9/16/15, Originally posted on 9/16/15

Bible Verse: Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, The lion shall eat straw like the ox, And dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,” Says the Lord.

The domesticated dog originally came from the wolf.  Today there are still domesticated dogs that would kill and eat a lamb, but one day all the animals shall all dwell together and not harm one another.

In this Creatures Care Info we are going to talk about how some people are harming their dog and often without even knowing it.

Fur bearing dogs are those that shed and also their fur grows to a predetermined length and stops.  Hair bearing dogs, on the other hand, are those with coats that continuously grow in length.  When a fur bearing dog’s coat is clipped too close, permanent damage is done.  Shaving a fur bearing coat is BAD and should only be done if absolutely necessary for medical reasons (i.e. if the coat is heavily matted and it’s too painful to brush out).  “Coat Funk” is often the result of shaving a fur bearing dog.  “Coat Funk”, “Alopecia”, or “Black Skin Disease” are often the results of shaving a fur bearing dog’s coat and results in a damaged coat that will NOT grow back in properly (the coat may grow back very uneven/stringy, have bold spots, or won’t grow at all).  Often owners want their fur bearing dog shaved for cosmetic reasons or they think saving will reduce shedding or the owner thinks it will make the dog cooler in the heat.  These are unacceptable reasons for pet owners to shave their fur bearing dog!  Often pet owners don’t know why these are wrong ideas because their groomer has not explained to them why, or worse the groomer was not educated and din’t know them self!  For those that don’t understand why shaving a fur bearing dog is bad, we will explain to you why it’s dangerous to shave a fur bearing dog:

1. Shaving a fur bearing dog for only cosmetic reasons such as “I want my Pomeranian to look like a lion” can causes permanent damage to the coat and or skin. Here are a list of things that may happen after a shave or trim on a fur bearing dog: Loss of coat growth including thickness to coat,  Coat re-grows in stringy long thin hairs, Coat re-growth in different directions, The coat not growing back in the same texture and color, Darkening of the skin and black skin disease, and or Bald patches on the skin where the coat will not re-grow.

2. Shaving a fur bearing dog to reduce shedding will not only causes permanent damage to the coat but also it will not stop shedding as the dog will continue to shed its newly shorter shaved coat. Also these little short shaved hairs are sharp like little splinters of glass.  Is this what you want all around your house?

3.  Shaving your dog so it will be cooler in the heat will actually put your dog more at risk to heatstroke.  Dogs have a wonderful swamp cooler system that God designed right into their snout and the dog’s tongue. A dog’s coat acts as an insulator.  A dog with no coat at all will have a hard time regulating its body temperature.  A dog’s coat that is brushed regularly and not shaved will keep cool air trapped between the coat and up against the dog’s skin thus keep the dog cooler.

4. Another health problem with shaving a fur bearing coat is, the skin will be exposed to the sun and easily sunburn and that can lead to skin cancer.

5. Some people may say “But I’ve had my dog shaved many times before without a problem”.  Even if every time your fur bearing dog was shaved and the coat grew back just fine your dog is still at risk next time.  Maybe last time the fur grew back no problem but the next time your dog is shaved it is possible that this time it will have big problems growing back in.  Just because last time things worked out, this dose not mean your dog will never devolve a problem after being shaved.  Are you willing to risk your dog’s coat and shave again?  Remember that even if the fur grows back again you are still putting your dog at risk to heatstroke and skin cancer caused by the suns rays.

Teddy the Pomeranian in 2012

Teddy the Pomeranian in 2015

 

Owners need to understand all these health risks, permanent skin and coat problems that may occur after a shave down or trimming of a fur bearing dog.  The after risks of a shaved or trimmed coat are higher with fur bearing dogs but can also happen to hair bearing dogs but it’s rare.  An owner of a fur bearing dog that truly cares and loves their dog, would never have their dog shaved unless it was for a medical reason.  Above you can see Teddy’s before and after photos.  Sadly in 2012 a groomer shaved Teddy and gave him a lion trim.  His owner had no idea this was a bad thing to do to her beloved dog as this so called groomer did not educate her!  The 2012 photo was taken by us on the first day we met Teddy.  It has taken years for Teddy’s coat to grow back in but thankfully it is now much thicker since we first met him.  His tail is still very thin and stingy, his coat grows in a little funny, and his coat texture is coarse especially on his back.  Teddy’s beautiful coat has been permanently damaged! With years of care it has gotten a lot better and even if it won’t ever be the same as it once was this dog was blessed to have his coat looking this nice.