Summer Clipping Can Be Shear Folly

To shear or not to shear? That is the question for many dog owners during the dog days of summer.

Fact is, the more hirsute canine is not necessarily the hottest one. Shaggy dogs can be as cool as their less follicly-challenged counterparts provided they are well-groomed and the undercoat has been shed. The hair then actually insulates the pooch from the heat. There are heavy-coated dogs such as German Shepherds working in the heat of Iraq, for goodness sakes, and they don’t get sheared. If you dog’s coat is matted and dirty, however, a trim may be a good idea.

Photo by Karen Lyerly

Having said that, I do trim my two poodles in the summer months. My reasoning, however, has more to do with tick control (it’s so much easier to see them) than heat issues. However, you should never shave your pet. To do so will leave him seriously exposed to sunburn (yes, though dogs don’t tan they can be very prone to burning) and even skin cancer. And close cropped hair also means Fido could be more susceptible to bites from mosquitoes and flies.

Protect your pet in other ways…

I recently installed a bug zapper in the back yard. Although it’s well-shaded we’ve been having a problem with mosquitoes. I’ve tried every type of organic spray I could find, burned endless quantities of citronella and, frankly, they’re all pretty useless against this current onslaught of fiendish bloodsuckers. Chemical products are simply not an acceptable alternative but the zapper seems to be doing a decent job.

As for protecting my pets from the heat, I follow my own advice. Bear in mind, also, that an obese animal is in far more danger of heat stroke than a hairy one.

Do it yourself….

To save the $100 bill of professional grooming I recently began clipping Vinny and Coco myself. The first set of clippers I bought were next to useless, then I found a great Moser Arco Trimmer Kit by Wahl on Amazon at a great price. They’re cordless, quiet, easy to use and hold the charge long enough for me to do both dogs with ease.

“I am joy in a wooly coat, come to dance into your life, to make you laugh!” ~ Julie Church

Your Dog is Dumb but You May be Stupid

It’s that time again……. summer!

I don’t know if the heat addles peoples’ already diminished mental capacity even further but, already, I’m seeing plenty of evidence that the phrase “dumb animal” would be more aptly applied to some humans.

I’m talking about the stupidity people display in leaving their pets in brutally hot cars, or encouraging them to run on hot pavement in the middle of a 90 degree day, or leaving them outside with no shade and no water.

Photo courtesy of Bill Davenport

You know, on a sunny 82 degree day, your vehicle will have an internal temperature of 109. And don’t fool yourself into thinking that cracking the windows makes it OK to leave Fido incarcerated. It will still be near 100 degrees inside. Oh! You think that parking in the shade is the solution? Well here’s news – the sun moves!!!! Do you know how many knuckleheads blithely park under a seemingly shady tree to come back an hour later and find Fido baking like apple crisp in a hot oven?

Dogs don’t have an efficient cooling system; they don’t sweat. And all the panting in the world won’t make a hot dog cool on a hot day. Panting is a way of expelling heat and drawing in cooler air, but if the air temperature is hot your pet doesn’t have much of a chance. So get smart and follow these really basic rules to protect your pet.

1. NEVER leave your dog in the car. Leave your pooch at home, take him to doggy day care, just don’t take chances.

2. NEVER leave your dog outside without adequate shade and plenty of fresh water. And a dog house isn’t adequate shade, by the way. On the contrary, it can trap heat. For the same reason, even a crate indoors can be dangerous – you should only use an open-wire cage.

3. NEVER walk (or run) your dog in the heat of the day, especially on concrete or tarmac. Here’s a little experiment for you. Get down to your dog’s level on a tarmac road on a sunny dog. Feel how much hotter it is? Get it?!!!

4. ALWAYS have fresh water available for your pet.

Heatstroke can happen within minutes and can be absolutely devastating to a dog – liver, nerve and brain damage, heart problems, organ failure, death. So know the signs. They may be one or all of these:

1. Rapid, frantic and noisy breathing.

2. Vomiting.

3. Dark red or very pale tongue and mucous membranes.

4. Dizziness and disorientation.

5. Diarrhea that may be bloody.

6. A rectal temperature of 105F or more.

6. Collapse.

Heatstroke is an emergency and requires veterinary care as soon as possible. But you can initiate immediate measures to improve your pooches’ chance of survival:

1. Get the animal out of the heat and, preferably into an air-conditioned area.

2. Immerse the dog in cool (not cold or icy) water or hose down with cold water. (Cold water will cause the blood vessels to constrict and actually delay the cooling process). Especially cool the groin area; there are large numbers of superficial blood vessels there and your objective is to cool the blood as quickly as possible. DO NOT cover your dog with a wet blanket. This inhibits evaporation and will create a sauna effect.

3. If your pet is wet, NEVER put him in a crate. That would be like creating a steam bath.

4. Rush to a vet as fast as you can. Make sure you keep the air-conditioning on in the car.

Bear in mind, too, that pups who are overweight, older, in poor health and even snub-nosed breeds, are more susceptible to heat than other hounds.

So, please, don’t be dumb! Just be cool.

Resources: http://mydogiscool.com/

“My little dog—a heartbeat at my feet.” – Edith Wharton