Shaving Double Coated Breeds

 

Summers in upstate NY can be hot! Dogs love to cool off with a swim or laying belly down on a nice, cool floor. Many owners want to help their furry friend stay cool, so they bring them to the groomers for a shave down – but does this really help your dog to stay cool?

First, let’s talk a bit about the different coat types. There are double coated and single coated dogs. Single coats are dogs such as Poodles, Maltese and Shih-tzu. These breeds have hair that sheds in a similar fashion to human hair – it’s all one type of hair, and sheds in small amounts continuously. Many refer to these breeds as “non shedding” because they don’t lose noticeable clumps of hair. But this term is not really correct; in reality, the dog sheds, but you don’t notice it. These breeds can be safely shaved down and the coat will grow back with little trouble. You want to take care not to shave too short if the dog is outside often – too short leaves them susceptible to sunburn and bug bites.

Double coated dogs are breeds such as Labradors, German Shepherds, Huskies and Newfoundlands. Even the Pug is a double coated breed! These dogs have two distinct types of hair; a shiny outer layer of “guard hairs” and a fluffy, soft layer of “undercoat” underneath the guard hairs. Often the undercoat is lighter in color, or a different color entirely (like Golden Retrievers with white undercoat).

You can think of these two types of hair like a forest. The guard hairs are the tall trees: they grow very slowly and live a very long time. The undercoat is like the weeds and brush on the forest floor: it grows quickly, densely, and dies off quickly as well. Many double coated breeds shed undercoat year round, with 2 noticeable “blow outs” in the spring and fall.

Double coats are nature’s way of keeping your dog’s body temperature comfortable and stable. In the winter, the dense coat provides a layer of warmth and protection from the elements. Equally as important, during the summer that same coat provides an insulation against the heat and damaging rays of the sun. It also protects against bug bites, rashes and allergens. Think of it like your house – the insulation keeps it warm in the winter and cool in the summer. If your house had no insulation, you’d be hot and sweaty all summer long!

Shaving that double coat will make it almost impossible for your dog to cool itself, and your dog’s skin will be exposed to sunburn, bug bites and abrasions from sticks and other objects. Another common occurrence is called “Post Clipper Alopecia”. This is where the dog’s coat does not grow back properly – often leaving bald patches, uneven growth, or the coat becomes rough and frizzy as the guard hairs don’t grow back leaving only undercoat. Let’s go back to the forest analogy: if you remove all of the tall trees, the undergrowth will take over, choking out the growth of new trees. And even if the trees grow back, it will take a long time – just like your dog’s coat!

So what can you do to keep your dog comfortable this summer? Brush, brush, brush! Removing the dead undercoat by regular, frequent brushing will allow air to circulate through the coat enabling your dog to stay cool and comfortable. If you allow the dead undercoat to remain packed, it blocks air flow and acts like a barrier – your dog’s skin can’t breathe, heat can’t dissipate and he’ll become overheated. If your dog has a super heavy coat, your groomer can shave a “summer belly” which is shaving the belly very short so he can have some direct skin contact on a cool surface when he lays down.

Summer in the Finger Lakes is the best, and with regular brushing, your dog will enjoy the summer months as much as you!

Itching for the 101 on Fleas and Ticks

Everyone remembers being told about having too much of a good thing.  This winter wasn’t our typical Upstate New York season!  While the mild weather was a welcome reprieve, it means that the sub-zero temperatures that usually control the flea and tick population never quite got here.  While keeping this creepy crawlies at bay should always be important, this year proves to be a real handful!  Here’s a quick crash course on what these buggies are and why you should take them seriously!

Fleas are tiny insects, no bigger than an eighth of an inch.  However, they are quite the extreme athletes, capable of moving quickly and jumping the human equivalent of 1,000 feet!  They have a short lifespan of about three months, during which they spend more or less on the same host (unless the host dies).  It makes a home here, feeding on the unfortunate critter’s blood.  When it lays eggs – twenty to fourty at a time and several times throughout it’s lifespan – the host unwittingly spreads them wherever he or she roams, thus contributing to the free loader population.

Ticks, meanwhile, are actually arachnids and are closely related to spiders.  Their lifespan can vary anywhere between a few weeks to three years, depending on the species (there are almost a thousand different species of ticks, and well over two thousand flea species!).  Unlike the flea, they actually spend most of their lives waiting to hitch a ride.  They patiently bide their time – hours, days, weeks, whatever it takes – until a prospect passes by.  The next couple of days is an all-you-can-eat buffet until they’ve had their fill, at which point they fall off, digest, molt, and repeat the cycle anew.  When they lay their eggs, they only do so once and die immediately after.  However, when they do, they lay by the thousands!

It’s not just the fact that these critters are thankless parasites, though.  It’s what comes along with the package.  It’s not uncommon for animals to develop an allergy to flea bites known as pruritis, which shows itself as severe redness, itching, and scabs.  Fleas also can transmit tapeworm, yet another parasite!  Ticks are even worse.  They can carry a whole host of diseases: Ehrlichia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, anaplasmosis, tularemia, babesia, and last but most certainly not least, Lyme disease.  Spread by the deer tick, a prevalent species in the area, Lyme disease can present itself in dogs with a fever, lameness, and overall lethargy.  Humans can catch it just as easily as dogs, and our symptoms are generally flu-like.

So what to do?  Ticks and fleas are everywhere and are generally impossible to avoid, especially if you take your dogs for walks or hikes.  The first step, as in any scenario, is prevention.  Traditional drops like Frontline or Advantage that are applied once a month are one of the most popular.  However, Seresto collars are quickly rising in popularity, as they last for a much longer period of seven months.  For people who are allergic (or simply reluctant to use) chemicals, there are natural options as well.  Sprays with natural oils such as peppermint, eucalyptus, and citrus oils can prove to be effective, such as Flea Flicker! Tick Kicker! or Vet’s Best Flea & Tick Home Spray.  Remember, though: any topical flea or tick control does not 100% guarantee that you will never see a creepy crawlie on your animal.  A flea comb run through your pup’s coat after every excursions is your best backup.

There is also diatomaceous earth, a powder that is actually the finely grounded skeletal remains of composed of skeletons diatoms, tiny prehistoric aquatic plants.  Though the food grade version of it causes your animal no harm, the microscopic sharp edges slice at the bodies of fleas and ticks, dehydrating them.  It can be put on carpets, bed, sofas, and even food!  This is an excellent way to get a good handle on a flea infestation when other treatments just aren’t cutting it.

Fleas and ticks can seem intimidating at first.  But in this case, an ounce of prevention is infinitely worth more than a pound of cure.  Ask your vet what the right course of action might be for you and your pups this year.  If you keep up with preventative measures, those fleas and ticks should pass right over you and your pup with a hop, a skip, and a jump!