How to make your dog's life easier during the warm season? Will a haircut help get rid of shedding and fleas or will it lead to slow hair growth and skin burns?
We are used to thinking that dogs are hot in the summer because of their fur. Owners en masse take their pets to groomers to alleviate the burden of their companions. Some people think that this will save them from waking up fleas and ticks. In fact, under no circumstances should an animal be cut bald, especially before the hot season. Why? It's a matter of physiology.
They should always be cleaned
All dogs require weekly grooming to remove dead fur and dirt. Of course, how often you should brush your dog depends on what his coat is like. Dogs with short hair should be groomed once or twice a week. Anyway. Dogs with long fur usually require at least four brushings per week.
Dogs that shed a lot need brushing on the second day of the season. Plus, it's not just long-haired dogs that shed a lot. For example, Pugs have very short hair and shed a ton of hair.
Features of caring for these dog breeds
Trimming dog breeds with undercoat is a mistake. Instead of helping the animal in the hot season, harm is done to the body. Deprived of a natural defense mechanism, the dog's body begins to overheat, not properly carrying out the process of thermoregulation. The dog does not have sweat glands on the body, except for the paw pads, so there is no process of evaporation of moisture through the surface of the skin. Cooling of the body occurs in dogs through the mucous membranes. In the heat, an animal begins to breathe more actively, opening its mouth slightly, thereby cooling itself.
Grooming a dog with an undercoat causes ultraviolet rays to hit the skin directly, causing the development of solar dermatitis, hemangiomas, hemangiosarcomas, and actinic dermatosis. The process may result in the development of squamous cell carcinoma.
During the hot season, the owner can help the dog by studying some features and recommendations. The main ones are:
- The animal must have a place where it can hide in the shade (applies to private houses and suburban areas). A dog living in an apartment environment can lie down on the tiles. For such cases, you can purchase a special mat that has cooling properties.
- The dog must have unlimited access to clean drinking water.
- To improve air microcirculation in the undercoat, experts recommend regularly brushing the coat.
- Active physical activity, like regular walks, should be moved to the morning or late evening, when the heat subsides.
- You can allow your animal to swim if you have access to a body of water.
Animal grooming is a fashion trend that has appeared quite recently. There are no special reasons to carry out the procedure on all dogs.
Animals with long hair can be slightly shortened using scissors, without using more radical methods. Otherwise, there are risks of developing not only heat exchange disorders, but also other pathological conditions, including oncology.
Basic Rules
In order for the dog to enjoy each grooming session and not experience stress, it is necessary to follow certain rules to make the process as comfortable and effective as possible:
- The animal should not be afraid. To do this, it is necessary to accustom him to the manipulations and sound of working tools from the first months of life. You should start grooming your puppy at the age of 2.5-3 months, starting with simple hygienic treatment. The main condition for the dog’s calm attitude towards the process is the patient and caring attitude of the master. You should not be rude, impatient, raise your voice or punish your pet in any way, especially for the first time. The dog should be as comfortable as possible.
- No movement. The animal must be fixed, since any sudden movement will not only ruin the future hairstyle, but also cause physical harm to sensitive skin.
- Physical comfort. The table on which manipulations are carried out must be covered with a rubberized coating so that the paws do not slip.
Rules for beginners
There are some points that must be observed for the safety of your pet:
- It is better to secure the pet. Grooming tables provide this opportunity - they are secured with a noose on a special stand and have an anti-slip coating. If buying a grooming table is not in your plans, use a rubber mat and an assistant who will restrain an animal that does not want to stand still.
- The machine needs to be moved parallel to the skin along the hair growth. When there are folds, they are straightened out - and only after that they are cut so as not to injure the skin and cut to the same length.
- Trim only a dry and washed animal if you do not want to dull and damage the tool.
- When the process is finished, check to see if the skin is damaged. If there are wounds, they must be disinfected with special powder or chlorhexidine.
- Nails need to be trimmed very carefully, especially when they are dark in color. Keep hemostatic powder or at least hydrogen peroxide ready, as even experienced groomers have such incidents.
The entire tool must be well sharpened, otherwise it will tug and pull the wool, causing unpleasant sensations and forming not the best associations with the haircut. Clippers and scissors should be stored dry and closed.
Why is the original haircut dangerous?
Burns are not the worst thing. Dogs' hair grows differently than humans' hair. This is especially true for dogs with thick fluff. The follicle has several stages of growth. Together with the hair that is ready to fall out, young fur also grows out. If you shave at the root, the spine will “die.” In place of the coarse hair, fluff will begin to grow. This is a protective reaction of the body. One haircut is enough to change the structure and shade of the coat. Why does the “fur coat” lighten? There is less pigment in down than in awn.
After two haircuts, it will be almost impossible to return to your previous appearance. Tangles will appear and the dog will look like a stray sheep. You will have to shave your pet regularly.
Some owners are faced with another phenomenon - follicular arrest. This is slow fur growth. Sometimes after cutting the fur, the animal walks “naked” for up to 2 years. Fur-bearing dogs are at risk: chow chows, labradors, huskies. Scientists cannot yet identify the cause of the disease. They suspect that this is due to poor circulation. Circulation worsens in any case, since defenseless skin is constantly freezing.
If you think that bloodsuckers will not touch a bald pet in the summer, you are mistaken. An animal without hair is a haven for mosquitoes, fleas, ticks and other parasites.
Sometimes the reason for shaving a dog is heavy shedding. Yes, you will be able to get rid of tangles and hair falling out right now. However, the problem will become more pressing in the future. This is a disservice. Losing all hairs at once is stressful for your pet. It is natural for a dog to shed gradually. You can help him by combing out the dead fur. The furminator copes well with this task. What else can we do for companions?
But very fluffy dogs need to be shaved. At least in the summer
“They are used to the north and snow, try walking around in the summer in such a fur coat!” — unreasonable humanization is very common. “There are breeds with a northern type of coat,” says A. Gil. - These are sled dogs - Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Samoyed Laika, all Spitz, Akita, etc. These dogs have a very large amount of undercoat, separated by guard hair; they should absolutely not be shaved or cut short, but it is very important that the undercoat is combed and allows the skin to breathe. They don't get hot in the summer if they are well-groomed! For such dogs, in the absence of contraindications, the express shedding procedure is ideal.”
Vegans, enlightenment and a tea bag
My colleague hung up. After talking with the guest from room 815, Renat looked very surprised. -Alex, they are asking for a senior about a tea bag. -What?
We looked at each other and started laughing, remembering the Nigerian film “Awesome Transport”.
The time was approaching two o'clock in the morning and smoking guests periodically scurried through the silence of the first floor hall, past the reception desk. Someone was shuffling along the marble in white fluffy slippers, not wanting to change into street shoes. The automatic door of the central entrance began to rotate, letting the courier through. A young man with a package came up to us and lowered his load onto the counter. -Good evening, food delivery to room 815 for Lisa. They asked to leave it at the reception. -We do not deliver parcels or food products. Call the customer, they should meet you.
Muttering something similar to “dapoh,” the boy left. Renat and I looked at each other and decided to hell with him. You still have to get up at the guest’s request. Having decided that since there is nothing to do, we will go together and speed up the process. Perhaps the woman needs to replenish the supply of tea bags in her room. I grabbed the bag with the boxes of food and we headed to the elevator. Renat went to the housekeeping warehouse to get tea and a couple of bottles of water for the guest, and I went to her room. Stopping in front of the door, I straightened my tie and knocked. -Good night, receptionist. You asked me to come over... -Yes, I did! This is barbarism and disgrace!
The disgrace is that I again observe a pretty woman in lingerie while working. Slender body, hieroglyph tattoos. Tunnels in the ears. Maybe some kind of obsessed with the East or yoga? The mantra “om namah shivaya” was heard from a portable speaker in the room.
-My name is Alex. Elizabeth, I would like to clarify what you consider barbarism and disgrace? -Tea station! You have tea bags from manufacturers who use plastic raw materials. I can't drink this. Along with natural fibers, the tea bag also contains plastic fibers! True, there are also bags made from natural raw materials, but here the thread is glued to the bag, and not attached with a paper clip! And they use glue containing casein. Right now, for a month, I have not consumed animal products. Therefore, this is not acceptable for me, and a hotel of your level does not offer an alternative.
All this time, she continued to shake a wet bag of green tea, which I did not immediately notice. Damn vegans. Renat peeked out from behind me, rustling tea bags. After a short “oh them.. Hello,” he froze.
-The courier handed over the order to you, we usually don’t deliver it, but as an exception to the rule. It is for you. In the future, you will need to go down and meet him. As for tea, I can offer you brewed tea from the room service menu, at the establishment’s expense. Please choose what you need and we will deliver a supply of tea leaves and a teapot to your room.
With the words “thank you, savages,” she put a wet tea bag in Renata’s palm and closed the door. We looked at each other and walked towards the elevator. Suddenly, the door behind me opened again. We turned around. Our friend walked towards us with a confident step. There was determination on his face. She was holding a delivery box in her hands. After a couple of seconds, she shook it out in front of me. I looked at my shoes covered in rice and some shrimp.
-This is not quinoa with vegetables! You are all barbarians and cannibals! -You didn’t order this from us.
Tools used
To ensure a quality haircut, you need to arm yourself with scissors and a clipper. Cheap cars make a lot of noise, which can scare your pet. Moreover, such a machine always produces strong vibration. If a dog has too thick a coat, matted areas often form. In such cases, you can use a tangle cutter and a comb.
The wedge cutter can be:
- Vertical. It is shaped like a comb with curved but sharp teeth.
- Horizontal. The cutter is sharpened on one side and rounded on the other.
- Drop-shaped. This is a pocket-sized tool that can be used for shallow cutting.
The dog and its owner should be comfortable and comfortable. The surface must be stable and level. Otherwise, you can injure your hands and injure your pet.
Preparation
Proper preparation for the procedure is the key to its success, so before you trim your dog, no matter short- or long-haired, you need to bring it into a suitable shape
Before you start working with scissors, you need to give your dog a bath. This procedure is important for two reasons:
- Dirt and small grains of sand that settle on the skin and get stuck between the hairs interfere with the process of tidying up the hair and dull the blades of the tools.
- After using special shampoos and conditioners, it will be much easier to sort out the resulting tangles and comb the tangled areas. The fur will be straight and neatly laid, making it easier to work with.
Then the hair is dried with a hairdryer and combed thoroughly. Only after the hair is completely dry and detangled can you start cutting it.
Be sure to accustom your puppy to the sounds of a working hair dryer and machine, necessary procedures from early childhood. Then home grooming will not cause hassle or unpleasant associations for either the animal or the owner.
