OESD and hotweather
Contrary to popular belief, shaving your long-haired dog will not keep him/her cooler during the hot, summer months. Unlike humans, the skin of dogs and cats does not contain the vast network of blood vessels and sweat glands designed to dissipate body heat during hot weather conditions. True, dogs do possess sweat glands in their footpads, but these glands play a minimal role in overall thermoregulation. Despite being sweat-gland deficient, dogs and cats have an uncanny ability to vaporize large amounts of water from their lungs and airways, water that carries heat from the body when they pant. Shaving pets for the summer can actually predispose them to sun burn and to heat exhaustion/heat stroke. Long hair and thick undercoats act as insulation against the sun's rays and their effects. Coats that are kept well-brushed and mat-free allow for good air circulation through the hair, which in itself can actually have a cooling effect. On the contrary, matted, unkempt hair coats stifle air circulation and do little to help cool the body. In other words, daily brushing is a must during the hot, summer months. |
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| I would like to print this and hand it out to every person that gives me a look and says oooooh they must be so hot. Like I am abusing them. Great information thanks. |
| Thank you for posting. I have 2 Aussies as well as Violet and even though I live in Florida, always keep their hair long. Violet's I've trimmed only because of some matting periodically. |
| People trim for other reasons beyond heat control: time allotment for brushing, dogs constantly in the water, bramble season when trash is more easily caught in the hair and finally preference for a shorter coat, not scalped, but shorter coat. |
| It can be a real uphill battle sometimes. Telling people is one thing, but some folks (like my mother!) need "independent" confirmation. Benson found two sources for her last blog (http://bensonthedog.wordpress.com/2013/ ... on-part-5/) to support her long coat, from the ASPCA and the NEOESR. The interesting thing to me is that the ASPCA specifically says "never" shave your dog! (A little extreme, but helpful if you're trying to make a point.) She's not a swimmer, either, so that makes it a LOT easier to keep her coat long. |
| That makes sence-I hadn't thought of that. At the weekend when we were at a classic car show with our green goddess (fire engine) so many people said "bet he is very hot" and "Why haven't you shaved him-that is cruel" type things. I was beginning to think that they may be right when a kiddy kicked a ball and Sprocket was off playing with him like a rocket-if he had of been "suffering" then I don't think he would have run about playing.Allyson.x |
| I only posted not for the reason that you should not shave your dog as other issues come into it. Its just for info |
Getting this EVERY day at the moment  here in our rarity - yup - genuine sunshine!Then I get them to feel him through coat and it's "Oh! he's not hot is he?"  Meanwhile nobody says it to the multitude of steaming black labs! Archie is going in the river several times a day too for a slurp! sometimes he'll bound out to find who I am talking to and thinks "the uprights must be hot?" and shakes himself down    |
| I did print this threaad off and showed it to our down the road nieghbour-she was lost for words. Oue son has a short haired "cross" that lives with us and he seems to suffer more than Sprocket in the heat.x |
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