Twinkie's new do

[ericrdj]

Hey guys! Twinkie just had a new haircut.

Basically I decided to let her have one because it's too hot at this time of the year.

But in less than three weeks or so, rain will be pouring so..I decided for her not to get shaved.

I never thought in my life that my Dad would love a certain dog.

As I grew up, dad never treated any of my dogs with certain love.

He only treated them as if they're just a bunch of non thinking moving things.

It all changed when Twinkie came into my family.

He loves my dog so much that He said "Let's bring Twinkie to the Country side. She'll like it there. She'll sleep with you inside your room."

He never liked dogs inside the car, or even inside the house.

Well, not until Twinkie came along.

Thanks Dad.

[KSNS]

Ok 1stly dogs do not cool off through their skin shaving him means youhave exposed his skin so sunlight can hit it they have no pigmentation if how spelt you can seriously damage his skin they keep cool via ears an panting as they can not sweat its a dangerous thing to do you were probs unaware of this but not sur eyou will get many if any happy replies its not good for teh husky coat an will take a long long time to grow back keep an eye on him in the sun ...

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

u sed in the shoutbox ur vet shaved him i think u need 2 find a vet that knows sibes tbh - u shud NEVER shave a sibe!!!!! their fur helps keep them cool in the summer and warm in the winter - like keath says uve not exposed her skin and she can/might get skin damage now thru the sun :( please dont shave ur sibe again - you will b very lucky if her fur grows back the way it was now too

[ericrdj]

I really got worried because of the heat and her skin irritations guys.. It's partly my fault as well because I've been very worried of her in terms of the heat so I agreed to do so.

[valkyries]

Eric if you did not know you should not shave or cut short a huskys fur then fine but your vet should have known this, please let her fur grow and don't cut it again.

She needs it to regulate her body temp, to kool her off get her a lil pond to lie and play in, walk hir in the evenings or early morning rather than in the day xxxxx

put ice cubes in her water

[ericrdj]

I really need to kill my vet now. :| kiddin. I won't do it next time. Thank you to everyone that informed me. ^_^

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

we r just here 2 help - dont wanna come across like we are having a go at u because we arent

[KSNS]

Why NOT to Shave Your Husky

This is a Public Service Announcement... Please DO NOT SHAVE YOUR HUSKIES!

• The Siberian Husky should NEVER be clipped / shaved except in the case of a medical emergency. There are "professional" groomers out there who will tell you to shave your Husky. They will even do it without asking for your consent! There are vets who will tell you to shave your Husky. These vets are uninformed about the breed.
  
  
• Dogs do not sweat like humans. Their cooling process is done via panting from the mouth, sweating at the paws and cooling the blood in their ears. Shaving the dog does nothing to keep the dog cool. It just makes the human feel better when looking at the coated dog.
  
  
• The Siberian Husky has little to no pigmentation in its skin. If you shave the Husky, you expose it to the sun without protection. Now you have a dog that can come up with a variety of skin problems including skin cancer.

Fur acts as a protection against insects and parasites. You remove that protection the dog is exposed to even more insect problems than he would have had if he had been allowed to keep is protective coat.

<LI>Furthermore, if you clip or shave a Husky it will eventually ruin the coat and disturb the proper shedding process.

<LI>Shaving/clipping makes Huskies more susceptible to skin allergies, sun burn and parasite infestation. The treatments for these problems can then lead to more serious conditions.

<LI>The husky “color-coat†also known as the top coat works as the reflective barrier. Shaving this coat exposes the undercoat and when the two coats grow they no longer “blend†properly to allow the maximum protection necessary or maintain the look in which the husky is known for.

We hope that this will prevent people from shaving their poor Husky's beautiful, protective coat, and will serve to educate people so that they won't go telling Husky owners to shave their dogs!

Ways to Keep Your Husky Cool In the Heat

• For dogs that like to wade, lie or play in water, a plastic kiddie pool is AWESOME!
  
  
• If your Huskies like to play in water, let them run through the sprinkler with the kids!
  
  
• Make a "sand box" in your yard where your Huskies are allowed to dig. Many Huskies will dig ditches and lay in them to keep cool.
  
  
• ALWAYS make sure that your Husky has plenty of fresh, cool water!
  
  
• NEVER leave your Husky out in the heat for long periods of time without checking on them and giving them the option to come in and cool off!
  
  
• A cooling mat - You get it wet in the bath tub, wring it out, and then put it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes. Then put it in your dog's crate and they can lay on a nice icy cold mat!

[valkyries]

nice one keath +1

[ericrdj]

Ghaad I really need to kill my vet.

[Sarah]

Eric - you didn't know plain and simple, however your vet really should have there's nothing you can do now but wait for it to grow back

[Fat]

Hello Eric,

In my opinion, to shave a husky or not, it's all depends on the location you are at.

I am from Hong Kong, I shaved my rescued husky naked every summer (See attachments). Hong Kong's summer is very hot , it's always above 30degree from May to October . I take it Philippines would be similar if not hotter than Hong Kong. I know many owners shaved their huskies in summer over here. I've never met one husky has suffered from skin irritation or any skin problems since they are shaved.

When I decided to shave him, I had the concern on the skin problem, but I also considered how huskies suffer from the heat, and they might get heatstroke which will cause death immediately. So I made my decision based on

1. The chance of getting skin problem is low. If it does happen, it's normally mild and treatable, maybe using some cream or medicine. And I'd rather spend some money to treat it if it happens than a heatstroke on my dog.

2. I am really not bothered how my dog looks, he's not an ornament in my house. And I don't care if it goes back the same way or not. Same as many dog owners here, I just do not want my husky to suffer from the heat for 5 or 6 months.

Information to share :

1. Yes, everybody knows the fur definitely keeps them warm in the winter, however, they grow back pretty quick as you can probably notice that on your husky by now. I'd say the first 2 months, it grows much quicker, after 3-4 months 70 % of the fur would be back. Your husky has plenty of time to prepare for winter, I guess the winter in Philippines isn't very cold right?

2. And, when they grow back, it wont be 100% exactly the same as before but it doesn't mean it's ugly, it's just slightly lighter colour.

3. If anyone takes a shaved husky for an epic walk under the sun for hours, it will cause problem on skin, but it's for any dog too. In the beginning, you can take your husky for a shorter but often walk (5mins) during the day (when it's sunny) to let him get used to the sun. My point is that, a few 5 mins walkies wont burn your dog, on the other hand, if he's fully coated, he won't enjoy the walk and suffers from the heat.

4. Finally, you can shave the tummy, sides, legs, bottom and neck but leave the fur on his back and head next time when you shave him , like a mohican style. So the back don't get direct contact with the sun. (See attachments)

5. I wouldn't suggest you to shave the dog if the dog has already got skin problems or other serious health issue.

Hope it helps.

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

surely tho takins different precautions 2 prevent heat stroke is much better for the dog then shaving it - what about if you get really hot summers but then u get REALLY cold winters?? surely the damaged undercoat cant keep them as warm as they wud if they havent bin shaved before?

[ericrdj]

one thing is for sure tho, it's only going to be a rainy and summer season here at the tropics. lol. welcome to the forum Caterpillar

[Tikaani&Aiyana]

Oooh they look strange shaved!

[ericrdj]

the mohawk looks cool tho. lol

[Andy]

NO !!!!

I'm sorry IMHO that is SOOOOOO wrong.

[Boshka]

There are other ways to control your dog from overheating http://www.webheads....Heat_Stress.pdf

http://dogs.suite101...and_heat_stroke these were taken from raindogs post on another thread

[Fat]

Thanks for the reply guys.

I just want to share my experience as someone who lives with a shaved husky in the tropics.

I agree if you live a a place like Canada, UK or Northern China, you do need to take the extreme cold winter into consideration. But HK and Philippines are different. Temperatures seldom drop below 15C at the coldest time of the year though the humidity makes it chilly. This also will add to the discomfort in the hotter times when 100% humidity is common. Yes the sun can affect the skin of the dog which was one of the reasons for keeping a covering on his back (mohawk style). Insect bites may also be something that some may think would be increased but at least you can see if there are ticks clinging when the fur is shorter. Shaving an older dog is something that should be avoided since the stress on the dog may be harmful unless they are used to it.

By the way I shaved my husky after advice from a former husky breeding vet friend of mine (in Canada) who said it would not be a major problem for his coat as long as he was living in HK. Also the stories about skin problems arising from shaving a husky I heard before going through with it have not been experienced by anyone I know who has done the same to their dogs.

So Eric no harm should come to your dog as long as you avoid over exposure to the sun and keep up tick prevention and heartworm treatments.

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

each to their own i guess but i wud never do it to my dogs now matter how hot it gets and i wont b reccommending it to other people either - but if ur happy then its all good