urgent regarding my Carin's hair

[Elmer]

Hi, i'm desperately in need of some professional advice regarding Elmer, my carin terrier. I've had him since he was 5 weeks old. He's now 3 years old. He has become the most important thing in my life, and i have taken very good care of him and have giving him all the love in the world, but very recently i've made an insanely stupid mistake.... as in the summers past i've watched Elmer struggled a bit with the intense heat that we get in Georgia, i've decided to shave him. Not for one second did it cross my mind that i could be harming him in anyway. I have completely shaved all of his hair off with the exception of his neck, face, chest, and paws, but he's completely SHAVED everywhere else..... from the second i was done shaving him i could tell that he didn't like it, and since (this was 2 days ago) he hasn't been his normal happy self. He has been a bit disobedient, and really quiet.... As you can imagine i did some research on the internet and found out that you should never shave a carin terrier, and i have no idea why i didn't think about researching that before hand. Now i am just desperately looking for help and tips as to what i can do about his coat and his attitude. Have i done irreparable damage to my dog? and if not, what can i do to help him grow his hair back? what precautions should i take while his hair grows? what can i do about his attitude? Your help will be very appreciated.

Thanks.

[Jeff N Oscar]

I am not an expert, but I think the reason you should not shave a Cairn is because it will damage their coat, which would be most important if you had a show dog. I have no clue why his behavior would be different unless he is feeding off your guilty feelings about shaving him. There are other people that shave their Cairn's.. I see them all the time around where I live. In fact we just adopted an 8 year old Cairn from the pound and he is shaved. Others will chime in on what you can do next, but I am sure you have not done any permanent damage.

I don't shave my Cairn, Jeff and once Oscar's hair grows back he won't get shaved again.

[Elmer]

thank you for the fast response Jeff N Oscar. Do you know about how long it will take him to grow his coat back?

[kintra]

It depends on how close you shaved him, but when I fully strip down a Cairn, I typically expect around 3 months before the coat is fully back in. I don't have much experience with shaving Cairns, but my guess would be that it would take at least 2 months or so.

Chances are you did not do any severe damage. Many people do choose to shave down their Cairns (when I do, I typically use the highest setting I can - it still makes them look very Cairn like). There are several health benefits with handstripping because it helps keep the skin healthy, but many dogs are perfectly fine with being shaved. The other benefit of handstripping is the coat is more weatherproof - If a dog is handstripped, it can be difficult to get the dog completely wet because water tends to roll off of the coarse coat, whereas a soft coat soaks water up. Another great thing about a double coat is that it actually insulates the dog and helps them feel cooler in the summer.

[Jeff N Oscar]

I don't know how long it takes to grow back. Oscar's previous owner said she got him shaved right before Thanksgiving (late November) and has 1 to 1.5 inches, "ruff" guess, grown in so far. But I don't really even konw how short it was shaved either. Sorry, but others will be awake soon and you should get more responses.

Harriet

[Dempsy's Mom]

Elmer probably does feel different - he will adjust to this new coat and probably be glad when it grows back in. Make sure he isn't exposed to sun - keep him in the shade. Dempsy has a pool,in the shade, available to him at all times during the summer. Elmer will fine. Time will fly by and soon he will be back to himself. I know how you feel, sometimes we just don't think -oh well, we are only human.

[Hawkeye]

He probably feels a little naked, but he will get over it shortly. I have stripped mine down to their "underwear" (removing most of the outer coat) and they too may feel somewhat naked but not for long before that cairn attitude is back in full force.

Dempsy brings up a very good point on the sun exposure. You don't want Elmer to be exposed to the direct sun too long.

BTW; Welcome to the forum!!

[tomatosandwich]

Aww, don't be too hard on yourself. You were trying to find a nice solution for the heat.

I don't have any firsthand experience with shaving Cairns as my little guy is just shy of 6 months. But one of the neighbors here (that I used to stalk to see their Cairn walk by ) does shave their guy EVERY summer. It is always looks grown back by early fall.

I think protecting him from the sun is great advice. I think some of the difference in behavior is due to everything feeling different against him. My cat gets shaved each summer (don't laugh!), and he always acts funny for a couple of days. Luckily for us, it seems to make him extra cuddly and prancey. Our groomer explained the change in behavior due to the heightened feeling of being rubbed more directly on skin. She said think of the difference between rubbing your head on top of your hair versus putting your fingers under the hair to rub the scalp.

Okay, I'm just rambling about shaved cats now. Sorry.

[Elmer]

Thank you guys so much for the great tips and words of encouragement. Though i still feel very dumb, i'm no longer on the verge of suicide and Elmer seems to be getting more used to it as he has been playing with his brother this morning, and he has been running around the house as he normally would. I will make sure he stays off the sun. I can thank you guys enough. Now, i've read online that Omega 3 fatty acids will help him grow his coat faster and healthier... is this true? and is it recommendable?

[Tracy A.]

With a Pet, I would not worry. He'll be fine. Hair grows back. A show dog it would be a different story because of trying to foster wiry hard hair. Post a picture for us if you don't mind. But seriously,it will be OK.

I've but holes in my dogs coat before, over groomed here or there... they look funny for awhile then it grows back.

[SARpartner]

Elmer,

If you shaved him close you might need to get a doggy sunscreen until he grows back again. It is available online. Light skinned or hairless dogs can get sunburn just like people.

Sarlady

[Sam I Am]

You know the good thing about hair is that it is a renewable resource. Although my DH would disagree with that statement Dont be so hard on yourself. In no time you will have your hairy buddy back to the way he was.

[jimnconnie]

Have i done irreparable damage to my dog? and if not, what can i do to help him grow his hair back? what precautions should i take while his hair grows? what can i do about his attitude? Your help will be very appreciated.

Thanks.

If you have shaved him as short as it sounds & you live in Georgia, I would be careful about leaving him outdoors too long, exposed to the sun. Short-coated dogs can get a sunburn, or get over heated easily. As for helping him grow his hair back, all you both can do is wait. It will take several months for him to grow a full coat again. Good luck!

Jim

[pindrop]

Hi Elmer As usual, I am coming in late to the discussion. However, I looked up on-line on your question about Omega 3 fatty acid and the answer to your question is - Yes, get Omega 3 fatty acids and drip a little on his food every day. This should help. Also comb him everyday starting with the short hair. This will stimulate growth. This is not brushing, but combing with a comb.

On the other issue of shaving - as others have said, having the double coat does help in keeping them cool in summer and warm in winter. Don't feel bad as I think your dog is reacting to having no hair. I used to have a dog that every summer I would have her clipped to almost nothing and the first time she came out of the groomers, she wanted to crawl under the car and for the next two or three days would hide under whatever she could find. Once that episode was over, she actually liked the shorter hair for the summers. She was a border collie with extremely long hair.

BTW...welcome to the forum!