Keeping Double Coated Breeds Cool In Summer
A dog’s undercoat is exactly as it sounds, it’s a second coat beneath the outer coat that keeps your dog warm in winter and cool in summer. Breeds that are native to colder areas generally tend to have undercoats and these include the German Shepherd, Pomeranian, Chow, Husky, Malamute and Samoyed.
Double coated breeds have long and course outer coats that protects the undercoat that is usually fluffy and soft. While dogs shed their outer coat all year round, the undercoat is usually shed seasonally.
Breeds with an undercoat require a lot of maintenance all year round, but need a full deshed and blow out at each change of the season. You need to brush the undercoat all year round to prevent any matting and during shedding time to remove all of the loose fur. This can be done with a rake or a deshedding tool.
Shaving a double coated dog is rarely done for the below reasons:
The best way to keep your dog cool in summer is to ensure that your dog is groomed regularly and has a de-shed at the beginning of each season to remove all of the dead hair and to ensure that the outer coat can work as it is intended, as an insulator.
Brushing alone does not get all the undercoat. Brushing in conjunction with regular bathing promotes shedding and then drying with a high velocity drier to push out a lot of the undercoat.
The best thing to reduce/prevent shedding is to have regular grooming every 4 weeks. Speak to your local Jim’s Dog Wash franchisee, who can put your dog on a regular cycle for grooming to keep your dog’s coat in top condition.
Call Jim’s Dog Wash on 131546 to speak to one of fully trained operators who can advise you on a schedule that suits you and your dog.
How Long Does It Take Dog Hair To Grow Back After It’s Been Shaved?
Depending on several factors, dog fur shaved to the skin will usually take 3 to 4 months to grow back after being fully shaved. This is usually about the length of a season. So if your dog is shaved at the beginning of spring, their coat should be back to normal by early summer.
However, that is only the simple answer. In reality, the length of time that it takes for hair regrowth is much more complicated. It starts with the type of coat your dog has and the factors that affect healthy hair growth.
Help! My Dog’s Hair Won’t Grow Back After Clipping!
Sometimes the coat just doesn’t seem to grow back after a dog has been clipped, even 9 to 12 months after the shave. This is called post-clipping alopecia. This is most common in arctic breeds such as Huskies, Malamutes, or Samoyeds, and it’s one of the reasons that sled-dog enthusiasts especially abhor any kind of shaving.
In these cases, normal treatments won’t help. Your vet first needs to check your dog for an underlying disease such as Cushing’s, hypothyroidism, or sex-hormone alopecia.
If there is no health problem stopping the coat from regrowing, then melatonin and levothyroxine are the best treatment for a coat that won’t grow back after clipping.
Your vet will prescribe as needed, but Dr. Patty Khuly claims to have had the best results with melatonin given 1 to 3 times daily. Small dogs should 3 mg per dose. Medium dogs should be 4 to 5, and large dogs should get 6 mg.
MASSIVE Undercoat Removal On Lion Dog
Whether your pooch has had a trim at the vets or been to the groomers, often owners are left wondering how long will it take for my dog’s hair to grow back.
Dog breeds with a single coat take about 3 months to regrow hair, whereas dog breeds with a double coat can take as long as 6 months. Double-coated breeds will most likely not regrow hair to the standard it was before being shaved.
Although the terminology will be used interchangeably hair and fur are different when it comes to dogs. Hair does not produce as much dander, and does not shed as fully, but regrows faster. There are a few differences between dog hair and dog fur that influence the coat texture, how fast it grows, and the amount of shedding that the dog will do each year.