Big Paws Only Dog Forums
Saint Bernards => Saint Bernard General Discussions => : Saint and Mal mom June 05, 2006, 12:16:26 PM
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Okay, guys, I know I probably went against most of your advice. But today, Dolly is at the vet getting her fur shaved off!!!! :-\ It will be 1/4 of an inch long now! I just am so scared at how she'll look! I don't know what to expect! I wouldn't have done it, except that she gets sooo hot outside and we have a pool for her and shade, but she still just gets too hot. Ohhhh, I'm so nervous! Am I being a bad mom? I've heard over and over that the fur doesn't grow back the same ever again. And the vet said they had no other option on how short to shave it. It could only be 1/4 an inch. I just wanted her to be okay for the summer. I'm so worried! Did I do a bad thing?
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I've heard people say the fur grows back out patchy & I've also heard it grows out just the same...I don't think you're a bad mom at all!...She will be quite comfortable in the summer heat!...Just make sure her exposure to the sun is for small amounts of time so she doesn't get sunburned!...& oh..pics please! ;D
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...& oh..pics please! ;D
Oh, you're so terrible! I'll post pictures, only to have you all laugh at them mercilessly! My poor Dolly! Poor me!
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LOL Dolly! You poor girl!!
I think she will be just fine - and much happier too!
When I was a kid, the neighbours shaved their saint like a lion! LOL! Big ruff around the neck and a tip on the tail. Sorry, I was only little, I don't remember much except the haircut! LOL!
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I don't know too much about this. My dogs are indoor dogs, but I know about heat! I live in central Texas and grew up in south Texas. Here's what I do:
1. Sadie and Riley stay indoors most of the time.
2. I am careful about changing temperatures all of a sudden-ie taking them from the air conditioning out into the heat. I try to acclimate them to the heat by letting them meander around in the shade for a while or sit on the porch when we first go outside.
3. I try not to take them out in the heat of the day. I did this even when I only had Sadie... Our summers last from April through October at least, and 100 degree weather just isn't good for any dog.
It sounds like you've got the shade and water thing covered for them when they are outside. As far as her coat, I know a saint at one of the dog parks we go to that is shaved in the summers. I've never seen her with short hair, but I can tell you her hair looks just fine long. So I guess it grows back normally. Maybe it's a little kinkier-like curlier... I know my hair did that when I cut it off really short... LOL
I was told that their coats help keep them cool and that they protect them from sun damage to their skin. I guess those would be the things to be concerned most about, not the return of her hair. I'd just keep a watch on her and make sure she stays cool and doesn't get sunburnt.
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I was told that too, that the fur protects them from sunburns, which Saints are very prone to. That's why I wanted to leave an inch on! But the vet said we had no choice. Grrr! Oh, I'm just so sad. She looked so pretty. And to top it all off, this weekend is the Dog Walk in Kansas City, where thousands of people and their dogs will be laughing at her and her dumb mom who let her be shaved!
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I would use a groomer and not a vet.. If I was told my dog could only come back at X length I'd go elsewhere..
I've been told it's insulation and fir is helpful. But I shave my cocker down. I'm not good enough at dematting.
I'd be super careful about burns now though.
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get a bottle of doggie sun screen, but i have heard the stuff at Petsmart isn't nearly as good as the stuff i use. go to the 3c's web site and look for sunscreen. it works great.
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Oh, I'm just so sad. She looked so pretty. And to top it all off, this weekend is the Dog Walk in Kansas City, where thousands of people and their dogs will be laughing at her and her dumb mom who let her be shaved!
Just tell them she rolled in gum ;)
I hope she is a much cooler girl..hair always grows back ;)
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Thanks guys, for not telling me I made a stupid decision. Mom and I went to go see her this afternoon (they had to sedate her to shave her and she's still woozy, so she has to stay overnight) and she looks actually pretty cute! I will take so many pictures and let all of you see her! Really, she looks soooo much better than I thought she would. I'm relieved. Oh, and I will follow your advice, Jacksmom. I'll let her pee on anyone that laughs at her! Lol!
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I can't wait to see her with her Marine Corp buzz! I'll bet she's absolutely darling. Just make sure you have plenty of sunscreen on hand (and some aloe vera after sun stuff just in case.) ;)
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You are not a 'bad mom' that is ridiculous. If she looks silly, just act, around her, like she is totally normal! Last year I shaved Badger, it was sort of an accident...but anyway he was bald. It just made us appreciate his normal furry cuteness all the more!
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The fur should grow back. My mom is a professional groomer and whenever she shaves a dog, the fur ALWAYS grows back the same or even thicker. Don't worry...you didn't do anything bad.
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Hi there. Don't know if it's too late or not but I went to a groomer and they refused to shave him. They siad the coat was insulation as well. They recommend blasting. It is a reverse vacuum cleaner so to speak and all of the undercoat gets blown off. He came back with a nice thin coat for the summer. It was still long and looked good but it's a lot cooler for them. I agree with now getting the haircut at the vet. That would probably cost more and don't they put them to sleep for the hair cut? I tried to get my cat shaved at the vet and they said they would put her to sleep for the cut. (She was a stray that I found and she was covered in mats when I caught her.)
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soooo , where's the pictures ? ;D
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Did I miss the pics of Dolly with her new 'do??
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I am waiting in breathless anticipation! I PROMISE I won't laugh at her if you just show us the pics!
OK I totally lied, I will laugh till I 'pee a little' but it will be with the utmost respect to Dolly and her feelings!
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Of course you will! Anyway, yes have taken pictures of her. Unfortunately, we are a bit behind the times and do not have a digital camera, so we must wait for the film to be developed!! Grrr... and it's a brand new roll. But I promise to post pictures as soon as I can! Just so you can laugh at her. :D
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ROFL YAYAY
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Don't worry about it! I shaved my first saint last summer and it LOVED it. I know that groomers say "their fur helps keep them cool." but I beg to differ. I know that for me in the summer i like my hair short or at least pulled up into a ponytail lol. Barkly loved having his hair cut so i'm sure your fur kid will loved it too.
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MacyBean is correct - the hair protects and keeps the direct heat off their skin - which only makes them hotter. I am always surprised at how many people get the notion that shaving dogs is "cooler" and how many vets go along without proper cautions. There are some breeds, particularly those subject to heat stroke, which would be ill-advised to ever shave.
I know that long wooly dogs can get "cut" where 8-10 inch fur is cut down to 4" and this can help cool by allowing greater air ciculation through the fur to the skin; however shaving whereby hair is so short that skin is accessible is dangerous. Too late now but be very careful with your Saint outdoors.
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I agree with you partially. My Malamute has a double coat, which is insulating against cold and snow of course, but also against heat. It would be very unwise of me to have Zoey shaved. But our dog before the 2 we have now was also long-haired, and we got him shaved every summer. But until we did, he would pant and get so hot that it was unbearable for him in the heat. But without all his fur on, he was much cooler. He was never so exhausted and slow-moving and draggy as when he had his long fur at the beginning of summer. But when we got it shaved, he was much happier. I could tell. Same with Dolly.
Never fear though, I shall have pictures for your fun and enjoyment within the next few days of Dolly!
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Ohhhh I cant wait for pics! Im sure she looks so cute! I once seen a collie shaved down and I thought she looked adorable! And Im sure Dolly will look just fine.
Carole
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Okay guys! Here they are! Pictures of Dolly with her new haircut!!! Enjoy! I think she looks pretty cute if I may say so! What do you think?!
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHA
:D
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Told you you'd laugh!
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The expression of humiliation is priceless! :-* to Dolly!
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ROFL What was I THINKING? You NEVER laugh at a lady's new do! I was laughing at the look of abject horror on her face, not her stupendous haircut!
:)
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I think she looks quite lovely! She'll start a new fashion trend looking as good as she does! She does look quite horrified that you are taking her picture when she's practically nekid. Hope she's nice and cool this summer!
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Poor, Poor Dolly! She doesn't look impressed, does she?
I think she looks fantastic - Teddy does too! ;)
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Dolly likes her new haircut now more than she did the day I took those pictures, as you can tell! Thanks, all, for the comliments! Much love and slobbers from Dolly!
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I have two saints and I live in Texas. I shave them EVERY summer. If I don't, they get horrible hot spots and and very very itchy. My dogs are thrilled to get shaved. I've had lots of people tell me not to, but not one of them lived anywhere where it gets to 105 degrees in the summer! Also, never fear -- My dogs grow back just fine. I actually have to shave them twice each summer to keep them cool and comfy.
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Glad to hear it! Dolly is sooo much cooler now and loves her hair cut. I do too! I like short haired Saints. Anyway, the fur is growing back already!