“The act of shaving a double coat removes the dog’s natural insulation and causes his system to kick into high gear. He’ll now produce coat to protect himself from extreme temperatures, sunburn and sharp objects.
“ …….. if your sole motivation for shaving your dog in the spring is to “keep him cool,” you need to know that you’re actually creating a far worse situation than you think.
Aside from destroying coat integrity, shaved dogs are susceptible to a multitude of complications, including, but not limited to, alopecia, heat stroke and skin cancer, specifically Solar-induced Squamous Cell Carcinomas and Dermal Hemangiosarcomas.
Sometimes, these complications are not reversible.” – Poppy’s Pet Parlour
Another interesting article is found on the Family Pet site, titled “Truths and Myths about shaving dogs with double coats”- “Don’t worry; it’ll grow back” or “Double coated dogs need to be shaved in order to keep them cool in summer”
I’ve seen and continue to see, some very interesting posts and photos, regarding the ‘shaving’ of scottie coats. And as usual there are two sides to every argument, so if you are heading off to the groomers this weekend with your scottie for a ‘short back and sides’ please read up on some of these articles. If you remain concerned about keeping your scottie cool, then clip/shave the stomach area which will keep him cool when he lays down, or get him a shallow kiddies paddling pool, so that he can keep his paws cool as its through the paws that they also sweat.
