10/05/2023
🌞Summer Reminder🌞
In this period of the year, here in Mexico, the weather is particularly humid and hot🏜️ and I came across many posts in some groups where people ask about grooming and the need to trim their dog's coat.✂️
But should we really do that? 🤔
Many people don't know that dogs cool down a lot differently than we do, and shaving really has no big impact on cooling them down. They rely on panting to control most of their temperature regulation.
They also have merocrine sweat glands that function similarly to human sweat glands, however they are located only in a dog’s paw pads, and they activate when the dog is hot to cool down. 🐾
Many dogs should not be shaved at all, depending on their coat type. Shaving can actually have the opposite effect of what you intend and make your dog even hotter. 🔥
Double-coated dogs have a soft, inner coat of hair close to their skin that serves as an insulating layer, helping keep them warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather. In summer, a dog will shed a good bit of this under layer, but what remains will help capture air between the two coat layers, allowing the dog to keep the heat at bay and regulate his body temperature.
Shaving that coat to reduce shedding or supposedly to keep the dog cool also eliminates that insulating layer of fur makes the dog susceptible to heat stroke. A dog’s fur coat protects him from sunburn and decreases his risk of developing skin cancer.
Certain types of single-coated dogs may benefit from having a professional groomer clip their coats occasionally to prevent matting and to keep them cooler, but the coats should not be shaved down to the skin.
So what can we do to keep them cool❓
- Brush your dog’s fur regularly for better air circulation in his coat.
- fresh baths
- keeping his paws trimmed of excess fur can help the sweat to evaporate and cool him off
- keep him in the shade as much as possible
😊😎