The skin and fur are the interface between our pets’ bodies and the environment, which is why they have an important protective function against cold and heat and against the action of ultraviolet (UV) rays. What’s more, the health of the fur often reflects the health of our pets: when they’re sick, their fur is always less beautiful and less well cared for. Clear up all your doubts before grooming your dog!

The importance of grooming

Grooming may seem like an aesthetic activity, but it’s essential for maintaining the health of some dogs’ coats and skin, preventing infections and wounds caused by tangled fur.

When the fur gets tangled next to the skin, forming the equivalent of a “rasta”, the humidity and pressure next to the dog’s body can lead to the appearance of dermatitis and infected wounds.

Another important function of shearing is to prevent infestations of external parasites. It can also help in the process of disinfestation and the application of deworming through deworming pipettes and collars.

Different types of shearing for different purposes

• Breed shearing is a type of cut that varies precisely according to the breed, with the aim of emphasising certain features of the animal. In some cases, it can go a little further than aesthetics, as in the Portuguese Water Dog, where breed shearing also has a functional aspect.
  
• Hygienic grooming aims to remove excess hair from certain areas of the body, such as around the eyes, mouth, belly, genital and anal area and on the tail. As the name suggests, it is a type of shearing that is carried out for hygienic reasons.
• Full shearing, which is ideal for dogs with long hair and in which the shearing machine is used to cut the hair shorter or shorter, but all evenly.
• Stripping is used for dogs with bristly hair. This type of shearing removes excess hair and, despite its appearance, is not painful.

It’s important to mention that shearing is not suitable for all animals: when we shear short-haired animals, the hair grows unequally, which is why most professionals in the field don’t do it. In addition, some breeds with a very developed undercoat should not be clipped, such as the German Shepherd and the Husky. In these dogs, the undercoat is very important for maintaining the dog’s temperature and therefore shearing can be very harmful.

On the other hand, even when we’re talking about breeds that need shearing, when it’s not done regularly enough and the animal’s fur isn’t properly groomed and brushed, the grooming has to be very short, which will expose the animal’s skin to UV rays and may even compromise temperature maintenance in more extreme climates.

If you want to shear your dog, you should check with your veterinarian and with professionals in the field with specific training for the service.  

Vet.Point – Oeiras Veterinary Clinic
Emergency 24h | 927896112 – 211918923 | geral@vetpoint-ivl.com