Should you shave your dog's fur? Breeder sparks furious debate between pet owners and vets amid claims the process can KILL them
- Thermal imaging of a half shaved dog shows the shaved sections to be hotter
- A vet said this was misleading as it was only measuring surface temperature
- Some said they had dogs die of skin cancer after shaving or had gone into shock
- The dog breeder said she choose to keep the hair thin via constant grooming
An experienced dog breeder has sparked a heated debate online over shaving dogs' fur in the summer months - with many claiming it is a matter of life and death.
Michelle Bryant shared a thermal image of a half-shaved dog to her Queensland business's Facebook page Rowesdale Border Collies.
The image, which she came across online, showed the shaved sections of a panting dog registering 31C on bare skin and 24C on fur-covered areas.
Dog breeder Michelle Bryant shared a thermal image of a half-shaved dog showing the surface temperature differences between a shaved dog and a unshaven dog
'The hair is present for several reasons, mainly thermal regulation,' the image caption read.
'Shaving a dog does not make it cooler and you're not helping them.'
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The post specifically referenced the shaving of double-coated dogs such as Australia Shepherds, Labradors, Golden Retrievers and Huskies.
Many commenters agreed with the post and said they had experienced deadly consequences from shaving their dog.
One woman said she used to shave her Border Collie and Red Cattle Dog mix until the dog died of skin cancer.
Several dog owners and a vet voiced their opinions on the debate with some arguing that they had seen a dramatic difference in dog behaviour since it had been shaved while others warned fur helped the dogs protect themselves against skin cancer
Another person claimed they knew a person whose Border Collie went into shock after it had been shaved.
'The dog did survive but it is not a good thing to do to a double coated dog,' they said.
Not everyone was in agreement with several people including a vet pointing out the post misunderstood how thermal imaging works.
'The thermal is reading the surface temperature. So the surface of the skin and the tips of the hair not the temp of the animal underneath. So the shaved areas look hotter because more heat is escaping,' the former vet said.
'The sunburn part is spot on, need to leave a layer for protection.'
Ms Bryant weighed in on the debate and said it had always been a divisive issue but she personally chose to groom her dog to keep the hair thin in summer.
Several dog owners argued they had seen a dramatic improvement in their dog's behaviour since they had began shaving them.
'Whilst I understand the theory of this, if you could see the difference in my Border Collie's behaviour once he's been cut it may offer an individual opinion. He's so much much happier and energetic once done,' she said.
While another said simply: 'Maybe, but they look distressed when it's hot'.
Ms Bryant then weighed in on the debate and said it had always been a divisive issue but she personally chose to groom her dogs to keep the hair thin in summer.
'There's always going to be conflicts on do's and don'ts,' Ms Bryant said.
'I've only had negative in my experience, but I know of others who say their dogs respond better to having shaved coats.'
