Should I Shave My Dog's Coat?

Should I Shave My Dog’s Coat

by Dr. Michael C Fleck, DVM

Shaving all the hair off of the pet, especially the double-coated (heavy coated) dogs, does not reduce the heat index nor make the dog more comfortable. "Shave Downs" are not recommended for heavy coated dogs because "Shave Downs" may trigger a skin disease referred to as "Coat Funk."

Increasingly there are more cases of skin cancer attributed to the pet's overexposure of sunlight. Overexposure to sun may result in sunburn, inflammation and dermatitis. All of those diseases may require your veterinarian's attention. With summer upon us, we need to protect our pets just as we protect ourselves from the excesses of the suns UVA and UVB rays. The following are guidelines to protect the pet from overexposure to the sun.

Don't forget, shaving the pet DOES NOT reduce the overheating of the pet and does not make the pet more comfortable. Also remember that shave down of fur bearing dogs like Pomeranians, Chows, Labradors, etc., may lead to Coat Funk, a severe dermatitis that may leave the skin permanently damaged requiring lifelong treatment.

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