I know a lot of people shave down their dogs in summer that have heavy coats. Did you know that coat provides insulation both against the heat as well as the cold?
I’m sharing this a little late in the summer, but it holds just as true for winter as far as a matted coat is concerned. Dogs NEED their coats just as they are so please take heed on this for their sakes. Groomers often don’t have a choice but to shave down the dogs when they come to them so horribly matted. So the responsibility is ours to see to it that they don’t get in that condition.
Of course I am assuming everyone reading my blog grooms their dogs regularly as in brushing them, trimming nails, cleaning ears, etc. Right?
I brush both of mine daily. Yep, even my short-coated American Bully King. I trim nails weekly. I check ears weekly and clean as needed. This is a great bonding time for me with my dogs as well as an opportunity to check that everything on them is okay – to just keep an eye on any changes happening in them also such as bumps or scrapes, anything that ought not be there naturally. Plus brushing helps keep their coats cleaner and smoothed out. So even if you need to have them groomed regularly (might be a breed thing for you such as in Poodles, or a convenience thing for you) brushing often will eliminate the need for their coats to be shaved down. It doesn’t help them keep cooler or warmer as the graphic clearly shows.
With my American Bully King I often find scrapes or cuts because he’s truly such a BULL dog when it comes to blasting through brush and bushes, anything to search out rabbits or anything he deems “vermin“. It’s the nature of his breed but I have to keep an extra eye on him for that very reason. It’s part and parcel of owning and loving a dog IMO. Just let’s just do our due diligence while allowing our dogs to keep their coats for their own dignity as well as their well-being.
You can learn more from this site who created the graphic at www.PurePaws.net. I don’t know if they are natural health experts or not, but I do agree with this graphic they created on dog health.
Until next time…
Have a pawsitively tail waggin’, NATUROPATHICALLY healthy day!
Kim Bloomer, V.N.D., N.D. is an animal naturopath as well as being certified in small animal nutrition, with years of experience in animal wellness. Dr. Kim is a published author, writer, and blogger. Subscribe to her DOGgone Newsletter for updates or to her blog via email. Copyright ©2005-2024 Aspenbloom Pet Care, Dr. Kim Bloomer, All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the Author/Publisher. This article is intended to be educational. However, it is not intended to be a substitute for diagnosis or treatment from a qualified animal health professional. Dr. Kim Bloomer and Aspenbloom Pet Care, do not assume any legal responsibility for misuse of the products discussed in this article. The only essential oils referenced on this website are Young Living.
