re: "clipping" my border collie for the summer (poodles, tropical)
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Hi dog friends,
I have a 6 year old border collie and after dealing with tics in the redwoods for years (i do not use frontline or anything like it) i've been thinking about getting her clipped (is that the right term?).
I'll be living right in the midst of coastal redwoods this summer and they're bad this year.
Some years are worse than others.
Anyway, does anyone have experience with clipping their dog?
I'm saying clipping instead of shaving because i'm thinking that she doesn't need to be shaved all the way down to her skin but just clipped enough to get her fur really short so that i can groom her more easily (i use a flee comb constantly for both fleas and tics but i always miss tics here and there) and see a tic more easily.
She's mostly black with beautiful fur and some quite long.
How do dogs tend to feel about this?
Do they get embarrassed?
Do they like it?
Any experience and / or advice appreciated.
Thank you.
And please, if i may request, no lectures about not using frontline, etc..
Y'all seem to like to argue.
some people like to play russian roulette , you must be one of them.
imagine if you were going to Africa without vaccinations against tropical diseases.
there, I gave you a comment anyway.
I shaved my dogs myself for many years, [ got better at it with time]
and they did not care, sometimes it was with good results other times
they looked really funny.
you should be able to attach a bigger size "trim head" so to keep the fur longer.
I wish you the best of luck , keep in mind that I am writing you from the south were
tick's will kill you. slowly.
Hi dog friends,
I have a 6 year old border collie and after dealing with tics in the redwoods for years (i do not use frontline or anything like it) i've been thinking about getting her clipped (is that the right term?).
I'll be living right in the midst of coastal redwoods this summer and they're bad this year.
Some years are worse than others.
Anyway, does anyone have experience with clipping their dog?
I'm saying clipping instead of shaving because i'm thinking that she doesn't need to be shaved all the way down to her skin but just clipped enough to get her fur really short so that i can groom her more easily (i use a flee comb constantly for both fleas and tics but i always miss tics here and there) and see a tic more easily.
She's mostly black with beautiful fur and some quite long.
How do dogs tend to feel about this?
Do they get embarrassed?
Do they like it?
Any experience and / or advice appreciated.
Thank you.
And please, if i may request, no lectures about not using frontline, etc..
Y'all seem to like to argue.
I'd suggest grooming her more diligently rather than intentionally removing her one and only natural barrier to overexposure to the sun.
Overexposure to the sun is not an issue in the redwoods and i'm not suggesting shaving her down to her skin but rather clipping her so that she has short hair.
And i'm not playing russian roulette.
I'm not that cavalier.
I make a decision to not put poison on my dog and i do the very best i can to keep the tics off of her (i'm extremely diligent in my grooming) and i also use a homeopathic nosode remedy as an alternative to a lyme disease vaccination.
Yes, I haver on occasion or two clipped long-haired dogs short in my past.
It does not reduce the likeliehood of ticks or fleas.
It does not reduce shedding.
The dogs don't seem to care one way or another although I did have one who, I swear, was embarrassed. People kept spontaneously laughing at her - she was a dark red Golden cross and when clipped real short, her undercoat was grey but the parts they couldn't clip real short (head, ears, feet, tail) were red...so yeah, she looked ridiculous.
I promise not to lecture about not using flea & tick meds but I would suggest that clipping her short will NOT reduce the number of ticks or fleas (they are attracted to, attatch to and live on the skin, not the fur...hairless animals have fleas and get ticks too) and will encourage you to brush and comb her out daily, or as close to daily as you can.
You are correct about the Lyme vaccine, from what I have read - it has a higher risk than average of complications and, mainly, is not very effective.
Overexposure to the sun is not an issue in the redwoods and i'm not suggesting shaving her down to her skin but rather clipping her so that she has short hair.
And i'm not playing russian roulette.
I'm not that cavalier.
I make a decision to not put poison on my dog and i do the very best i can to keep the tics off of her (i'm extremely diligent in my grooming) and i also use a homeopathic nosode remedy as an alternative to a lyme disease vaccination.
I understand your reluctance to use chemicals but would argue that embracing the approach of shortening her coat to lessen the potential of tic infestation increases the potential for exposure to mosquito borne illness.
If I were dead set on not using any chemical means of prevention I'd choose the option of extremely thorough and frequent grooming (read that as grooming subsequent to any potential exposure) as the only acceptable alternative.
I can only go by the statement you made ," I always miss a tick here and there",
all it takes is one tick and the dogs life is painful or worse, dead. that makes you cavalier about your dogs health.
I do not vaccinate for some things , titer and so forth but I do not mess around with ticks,
once they leave your dog all gorged they will go somewhere in your house , eek.
perhaps you can do as I do and streeetch the drops a bit longer than the once a month
application.
I did tell you to go buy a pair of clippers, put a guard on it that will leave hair somewhat
longer.
make sure the clippers do not run hot so as to burn the dog.
I do just want to comment on the word "chemicals" which seems to be a sort of code for "anything man-made that might have side effects."
"Natural" chemicals, parasites, viruses and bacteria have killed more humans and animals than you can imagine...the reason that human and animal longevity has been rising every year world-wide for the last 100 years (no links because I am too lazy but find me evidence to the contrary) and that no matter what type of animal - from wolf to snapping turtle to rodent to fish, captive animals live longer (find me links to the contrary)...is because of vaccines (aka poison), Western medicine (aka poison yet most third-world countries are crying out for it) and preventatives (aka poison.)
I know you asked for no lectures, but this is a public forum and you don't get to set the rules.
I am personally very minimalist about meds and vaccines and surgical desexing (ie, I don't unless I see a clear reason to do so; I have fully adult intact dogs, gasp) but when it comes to things that put my pets at risk of significant discomfort and death, it's chemicals all the way baby.
That said I respect your decision not to but I had to say my bit.
I wouldn't recommend clipping your dog, their hair is a natural barrier for breeds who do not have "human" type hair like poodles.
I'll also chime in about ticks, I have chronic Lymes, everytime I get bit I have to take a course and sometimes 2 of antibiotics (that I have sever side effects with) to combat Lymes. An ounce of prevention is worth it. I had always been vigilant about ticks since they are plentiful where I live, I only wish we had frontline for humans...I'd gladly be exposed to a few chemicals rather than go through what I do. I've developed some long term health issues because of it. I would never purposely exposed my dog to Lymes if it can be prevented. I would not wish this on any living thing be it human or critter.
Yes, I haver on occasion or two clipped long-haired dogs short in my past.
It does not reduce the likeliehood of ticks or fleas.
It does not reduce shedding.
The dogs don't seem to care one way or another although I did have one who, I swear, was embarrassed. People kept spontaneously laughing at her - she was a dark red Golden cross and when clipped real short, her undercoat was grey but the parts they couldn't clip real short (head, ears, feet, tail) were red...so yeah, she looked ridiculous.
I promise not to lecture about not using flea & tick meds but I would suggest that clipping her short will NOT reduce the number of ticks or fleas (they are attracted to, attatch to and live on the skin, not the fur...hairless animals have fleas and get ticks too) and will encourage you to brush and comb her out daily, or as close to daily as you can.
You are correct about the Lyme vaccine, from what I have read - it has a higher risk than average of complications and, mainly, is not very effective.
Thank you.
I realize that the tics and fleas will be as problematic but the short hair will allow me to more effectively get them off of her.
I comb her at least 3 times a day but with a long furred (and mostly black) dog it's really easy to miss them.
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but I would suggest that clipping her short will NOT reduce the number of ticks or fleas (they are attracted to, attatch to and live on the skin, not the fur...hairless animals have fleas and get ticks too) and will encourage you to brush and comb her out daily, or as close to daily as you can.
