To Shave or Not to Shave?

It's that time of year in southern Arizona where we start getting reminded that we live in a pretty toasty state! In just a month or so it will start becoming uncomfortable outside, I will have pushed my dog walks earlier in the mornings, and even carrying water to give pooches a water break while we walk.

Because we live in a hotter climate, many people believe that shaving dogs and cats will help keep them cooler.  The problem is, the sun is so intense here that our UV index recommends staying out of direct sunlight the majority of spring and summer!  Below is a short but great video by Karen Becker, DVM that discusses shaving cats and dogs.

Our 3 dogs are shorter haired coats i.e. our 2 terriers have a typical single-layer coat and our beagle mix has a double coat, albeit naturally on the short side.  I prefer to have shorter hair dogs since I can maintain their grooming needs myself and can save money by not needing to go to the groomer.  Although, one of my cats, Naveen, is possibly a maine-coon mix and has a beautiful long coat on him, which requires a lot of grooming.  His mother, Nova, grooms him more than he does!  Because of the added duty of grooming herself and her son, she throws a lot of hairballs.  So much that I have occasionally considered giving Naveen a lion cut for the summers.  With his long coat he would look adorable with a distinguished mane and little fluffy feet!  But I have to remind myself that looks alone are not a reason to shave him.  It would be selfish of me. To help Nova with hairballs, I give her a fish oil supplement which keeps her system 'lubed up'.

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One topic that most groomers and pet owners are unaware of is a condition called Alopecia X.  This is a hair cycle abnormality often belonging to nordic breeds and toy/mini poodles.  Shaving doesn't cause this condition, but for a dog who may be prone to Alopecia X, shaving can mean any hair re-growth can be delayed.  This is called post-clipping alopecia and I've seen it a few times!  First, in a husky I worked with in Illinois, who had surgery on his leg.  It took over a year for the hair to come back in!  Second, on my own dog Zoey!  When Zoey was found wandering the streets of Tucson and her family didn't want her back, she became a ward of my animal hospital for a few weeks before I decided to adopt her.  Our Dr spayed Zoey in a non-traditional way, he chose to 'flank-spay' her like some vet's spay cats.  For a visual of where the incision on Zoey was, click here (don't worry, it's not graphic.) Zoey had a small shaved area on her side which took several months for the hair to regrow.

Some other medical conditions can cause hair to not regrow normally after being shaved.  Pet's with hormone disorders like thyroid issues and cushing's disease are likely to have difficulty regrowing hair normally as well.  It could take over a year for your pet to grow their hair back in, and it will often be shorter or coarser than it should be.

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Ultimately most professionals agree it is best not to shave a double-coated dog unless it is medically necessary in which case your veterinarian would be the one recommending it, not a groomer.  If you do choose to shave your dog, your groomer should be honest with you about the potential issues of sunburn and the chance that hair may never re-grow normally.  Some groomers even make you sign a waiver, protecting them from whatever may happen to your pet after being shaved. That should certainly make you think twice!  The best thing to do is to keep your pet's groomed properly so their fur is free of tangles and mats.  Their fur is the safest way to protect them from all of the elements, hot or cold.

Poochy Paw Protection

With springtime temperatures slowly increasing towards our scorching summers, now is a great time to start thinking about keeping your dog's paws safe. Dry and cracked paws can be extra painful when on the hiking trails or the warm pavement. Think about how painful your hands can feel in the wintertime when there is no moisture in the air and handwashing (due to germ season) leads to excessively dry and cracked skin.  All you want is to slather on some thick lotion to get some relief.  The same can happen to your dog's pads.

We all know not to walk dogs on black asphalt mid-day during the hot summer months. Concrete sidewalks luckily don't retain nearly as much heat as black asphalt but they can still become painful to walk on during the day.  Your dog still needs to stretch their legs during the summer so morning walks or evening walks are best, but it is still important to take care of your dog's feet regardless. Here are a few simple options!

Musher's Secret is my favorite paw balm so far.  Originally made to protect paws from winter elements like ice and sidewalk salt, people realized it works just as well in the desert! From Musher's Secret website..

Q: "Is Musher's Secret just for the winter? "

A: "Definitely not.  Mushers protects from hot pavement and sand as well as any irritants your pet may walk through. We have many customers in Arizona and California."

Another great option is doggie boots.  Years ago I bought Pepe a pair of Ruffwear boots to protect his little feet from the snow and ice when we lived back home in Illinois.  We still have his little boots packed away but haven't been touched in years.  I felt like this particular pair didn't fit him as well as I'd like and he would occasionally kick them off.  Luckily there are several types of boots on the market to fit your dog best.  If I was to try another type of boots, these Hiware dog boots would be at the top of my list.  They are longer and have 2 velcro straps for a better fit.  These neoprene dog boots also look like they would be a great fit too!

If you do try dog boots, slowly introduce your dog to them.  Most people put just one boot on, not all 4 at once.   It's pretty comical to watch but you can distract them from their new footware, with a favorite activity like a walk around the block or a game of fetch.  Boots, just like a new pair of shoes for us, need to be broken in so start off with short walks and increase your adventures appropriately.

One option I wouldn't recommend for wearing on pavement are Paws waterproof boots.  I've had experience with these in my animal hospitals and they are very similar to a latex balloon with the end cut off.  They are great for senior pets that might slip on wood or tile floors but I've had someone tell me they almost shrink wrapped her dog's feet when walking outside in the hot Tucson heat.  Again, I think these are a great indoor non-slip option, but not great for wearing outdoors when the temperatures are up.

It is always a good idea to do a general 'nose to toes' look over of your pets on a regular basis, they usually think they're getting a body massage! Looking between toes, under lip flaps, inside ears etc can help detect potential problems before they become serious.