As the weather gets warmer, many dog owners take their dogs to groomers for haircuts or even shaves to keep them cool. However, this can damage the dog's hair follicles. Recently, a small Teddy dog that had been shaved came to a pet hospital in Daoli District, Harbin. The owner told the vet that the dog had been shaved in September of last year and its fur had not grown back.
A reporter learned from the veterinary hospital that the six-year-old Teddy dog originally had a beautiful coat of brown curly fur. Because the owner thought the dog would get too hot in the summer, they shaved the dog's back completely last September. However, more than eight months have passed since the shaving, and the dog still hasn't grown hair back in the shaved areas. The owner was extremely anxious, but the veterinary hospital's response made her even more regretful. It turned out that because the dog's fur was shaved, its skin was left unprotected by the summer sun, leading to sunburn and damage to the hair follicles. Sunburn on the skin can be treated, but damage to the hair follicles is often irreversible, meaning this poor little guy may never grow hair again.
Li Gang, the veterinarian who treated the Teddy dog, told the Life Daily reporter that the hospital receives similar cases every summer. "Sunburn-induced hair follicle damage is incurable. Some owners don't understand the relevant knowledge before raising pets and think that shaving their dogs' fur will make them cooler. In fact, a dog's fur reflects sunlight to some extent, and heat dissipation is mainly through the tongue. When summer comes, long-haired dogs can have their fur trimmed short. Whether it's a long-haired or short-haired dog, you should never shave its fur 'close to the skin'."
