Cuttinf hair down a bit

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bluediamond
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Cuttinf hair down a bit

Post by bluediamond »

since my puppy of 8 months old has scaly dry skin, would it be wise to cut his hair down a bit so that when the groomer shampoo him, it would be more effective? This would be a temporary cutting of course. OR would the shampoo be just as effective without cutting the hair down. It is still puppy hair, I think.
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coleywoley
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Post by coleywoley »

Summer Rose is a groomer at PetSmart who will probably best answer the grooming question. I think it cutting wouldn't be helpful because a good groomer would should massage the shampoo in completely so it hits his skin regardless. As for the dry scaly skin I am curious if you know what causes it and what you chow is eating? Under the nutrition section you will find a lot of info on food causing skin and coat issues. You might want to take a look at those.
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Post by summer_rose03 »

Thanks for the referral!

Don't cut any length off the body! Especially before he is a year old. Double-coated breeds like chows are not meant to be clipped. Sometimes when you clip them it shocks the coat and the body over produces the undercoat, leaving them with a cottony or patchy coat for the rest of their life. If you do it before they get their adult coat, you may damage it more. If you want to trim hair, you can safely do a "feather trim" where you just trim the rear, chest, belly.

As coley said, a good groomer would massage the shampoo all the way into the coat and let it sit on the dog for the recommended amount of time.

You can try adding omega 3 supplements, like fish oil, to your dog's diet. That will help make the skin and coat nicer. Have the groomer use a hypo-allergenic conditioner after the shampoo for added remoisturizing.

Hope this helps, any more questions, PM me!
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Shane
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Post by Shane »

I do grooming and i don't recommend shaving of any spitz breeds.

Cutting the hair wouldn't make a difference when it comes to getting the shampoo to penetrate. Its actually the person and how he does it. Also there are shampoos that are specifically formulated for sensite skin aswell, so you may want to look into that.

If the skin is scaly its normally a nutritional problem. Yo may want to switch to a food that has a higher fat content or a lamb and rice formula, or a specific formula for skin. You may also try and supplement his diet with cod liver oil tabs, or some other oil tabs form fish. Some users have even mentioned flax seed oil, never used it but you can give it a try.

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WildThings
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Post by WildThings »

Sorry to hear your baby is itchy and scaly.

I have a chow right now with most of her full winter coat in already, then I also have a new rescue that was shaved to the skin a few months ago when she was first found because of matting. I just bathed both of them and there was honestly not much difference in the ease of getting to the skin regardless of the hair length. I have always hated bathing her because I swear she is waterproof, but I had just as much trouble getting the water to soak in on Fiona who has much shorter fur right now...the hair was still very water resistant. I have found when I can use a spray nozzle of some kind, it is much easier to get them wet down to the skin. Once the undercoat is wet, it's usually not difficult at all to get the shampoo to the skin, it's just a matter of getting the fur soaked through. Since you have a groomer doing the bathing, they should have much better equipment for soaking your dog than what I have in my bath tub, so I don't see a problem with the fur being long.
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bluediamond
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Thanks for the info

Post by bluediamond »

my lil puppy has seborrhea and has nothing to do with what he is eating according to the vet. He is on a special diet of EN food for the time being. He's been sick and is doing well. The skin condition is due to his illness which is fine now. He takes a vitamin for his skin and coat which is fine. It contains all the omega-3 supplements. I just wanted to know if cutting the hair down a bit would help. I do have a great groomer and I am sure she will work with the long hair. It was my idea not hers. I have a special shampoo the vet asked me to use for this condition. I hope all will go well. Again thanks for your replies.
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