Every year as summer approaches, the weather gets hotter. While this is troublesome for us humans, it is also distressing for animals. Many people think they are helping their dogs endure the heat, by trimming or shaving their fur.
When you go outside during this season, you notice many individuals who have recently trimmed their dog’s hair, believing it to be a good way to assist their dogs and keep them cool during the hot season. The Dog Care Center in Dubai in this article aims to guide you on whether or not you should shave your dog in hot weather.
Tips to take care of your dog’s hair
Since dogs are animals that require regular grooming and daily brushing, trimming their hair in the summer is also considered a beneficial practice for these animals.
Note: Don’t shave your dog. we mean only shortening it, not shaving it!
One of the concerns of pet owners is the shedding of their pets’ hair. However, it is important to know that grooming and styling a dog regularly is not a difficult or exhausting task. It helps reduce your pet’s hair shedding by removing dead hair and making its coat shiny.
Additionally, it should be known that dogs experience seasonal hair shedding, and grooming them during their shedding season can help reduce hair loss and facilitate the detection of skin injuries, parasites, and skin flaking.
Grooming and brushing in “short-haired dog breeds” can improve their appearance, and in long-haired breeds, besides enhancing their appearance, it is considered a necessary practice.
Neglecting the care of an animal’s hair can lead to matting, causing the hair to become tangled and matted like a felted fabric.
Should you trim or shave your dog in the summer?
It is better to trim the hair of dogs, but not shave them, because:
- From a human perspective, hotter weather means wearing lighter and fewer clothes. However, dogs are different from humans when it comes to their fur. The idea that having less fur makes them cooler does not apply to dogs.
- Many dogs do not like the feeling of being naked.
- A dog’s hair serves as a protective insulating barrier for their skin, shielding them from sunburn, heat exhaustion, insect bites such as ticks, mosquitoes, and flies, as well as dust, dirt, and water.
- During the hot seasons, the most suitable hours for taking dogs out and going for walks are during cooler times, such as early mornings and evenings. Remember that humans can cool themselves much more easily and quickly than dogs. So if the weather feels hot to you, it will be even hotter for dogs.
Is shaving a dog’s hair appropriate for keeping them cool?
Although the weather gets hotter in the summer, please don’t shave your dog to prevent heat and overheating. Every year, veterinarians and dog owners engage in discussions about the topic of cutting and shaving a dog’s hair during the warm summer months. From a human perspective, warmer weather often means wearing lighter and fewer clothes.
However, this approach is not appropriate for domesticated animals. While humans dissipate body heat through sweating and evaporation, dogs do not have this capability. In simple terms, dogs do not have sweat glands beneath their skin.
The cooling system of dogs works through panting, and their tongue helps evaporate moisture from their bodies. This cools down the blood, which then circulates throughout the entire body, allowing the dog to maintain its body temperature. Also, dogs use their fur coats as insulation. This helps them keep their body temperature cool. Instead of shaving your dog’s hair, it is better to focus on keeping it clean.
End word
While it is true that you are the decision-maker when it comes to shaving your dog, it is advisable to consult with your veterinarian regarding trimming your dog’s hair in hot weather, as it is one of the aspects of dog care. If your veterinarian has no objections to it, you can trust the Dog Day Care Services in Dubai for assistance in this matter. Based on age or lack of mobility, a veterinarian may provide you with recommendations to prevent heat stress or heatstroke in your dog or pet.