hair cut for great pyrenees

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i recently took my dogs to the vet. have a lab pyrenees cross and full pyrenees. the male (pyrenees) is just over 2 years. last year he got hotspots all up his back and lost all the fur in about 8 inch by 18 inch area. he suffered alot with the heat. the vet said that he should be shaved for this year, but keep it at a one inch lengh, so that he won't sunburn. they are our babies, spoilt rotten, and he's afraid of the farm animals. that's okay . anyway, they are only outside when i am with them and he rarely lays out in the sun, always looks for a place in the shade.we live in new hampshire, it does get hot in the summer. after reading the posts on pyrenees not being clipped, i'm wondering if i should go through with taking him to the groomer, but do not want him to suffer like last year. what to do???? laura

-- laura cavallari (ladygoat13@aol.com), June 24, 2000

Answers

Dear Laura,

As a professionally trained vet. tech. and dog groomer with 27 yrs. experience, my first question would be;is your dog matted? If so please read on, if not skip to next paragraph.

I no longer groom what we refered to as "annuals", dogs that were never brushed,were badly matted, and were shaved once a year as a spring clean up. The horrible condition of the skin under the matts was beyond description. The air was unable to reach the skin through the matts, this often caused some hot spots and aggravated any infection that occured. Also, foreign bodies: sticks, burrs,etc. would get tangled in the matts and work their way down into the skin. Once these dogs had been shaved, I would warn the owner about sunburn, temperature changes, and also the dog's perception of himself. (Sounds stupid, but some dogs would hide until they adjusted or until their hair grew back!)

Hopefully this isn't your situation.

If your Great Pyrenees is not matted, then BRUSH him until your arm falls off and do this often.Use a good slicker brush such as a Universal, and don't just brush the top of the coat, get all the way to the SKIN! They should not be shaved as this can ruin their coat (may not apply to the cross). Also, the brushing should remove any lose or dead hair(shedded hair caught in the coat)there by improving air circulation. The remaining coat will actually help protect your dog from the heat. The only hair I remove while grooming a Pryenees is a small amount around the feet,any long hair over the eyes or on the muzzle, and a small amount while shaping the back (this is done with a stripping blade).

Many of my Lhasa and Shih Tzu owners keep their dogs trimmed as your vet recommended (looks fluffy and cute) but they have the dogs groomed every four to eight weeks. A one time clip will not solve your problem. If you go that route you will have to mantain it.

Hope this helps you. There is so much more about grooming(baths, nails,ear care, so forth)but that would take a small book to cover.

Minnesota Sunset (Nancy)

-- Minnesota Sunset (dmcgonig@smig.net), June 25, 2000.


Our Austrailan Shepherd suffered horribly in the heat. Last year, we shaved him with our family's hair clippers. Took a while and a lot of patience. We were careful not to let him get sunburned. His coat had also been matting some. He took a new lease on life and his coat came back in so beautifully.

-- homestead2 (homestead@monroecty.net), June 25, 2000.

dear minnesota, no he isn't matted at all. i brush him alot though he hates it. wasn't matted last year either, but the hotspots came anyway.i plan to ask her(the groomer) which is employed by the vet, to leave 2 inches.i do only plan on doing this once a year, if it works out well this year.still up in the air here, laura

-- laura cavallari (ladygoat13@aol.com), June 25, 2000.

I have a GP that I shear every summer, leaving the hair about 1 inch long so she won't get sunburned. It is then easier for the rest of the old hair to shed. Within few weeks the old hair has gone and her new coat has come in, silky and soft and it continues to grow the rest of the summer. By winter it is thick and fluffy again.

-- Marci (ajourend@libby.org), June 25, 2000.

Laura,

Another thought. What kind of food do you feed him? Sometimes, if the food is supermarket brand or a low quality with alot of corn fillers, you dog can have an allergic reaction that is brought on by heat. Science Diet, IAMS or Natural Choice are excellent foods and if you consider you need less to satisfy the dog, it isn't as expensive as it seems. (When I fed my dog equal IAMS to what I fed her in Pedigree, she put on so much weight that I had to put her on less active AND cut down the amount I fed)

It is just a suggestion. I have also worked for a vet, done grooming and now work in a pet store.

Good Luck

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), June 29, 2000.



It could be allergy's causing it .Flea bites, pollen,food,ect.Go to an all lamb and rice food if you can .Check labels most still contain corn and other by-products .I would also give brewers yeast and garlic and maybe vit c and e .A sulfadect[?] shampoo will also help.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), June 29, 2000.

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