Please help! Need advise!

B

Brittany

Forums Novice
So we have a 8yr old, female, otherwise healthy sheltie named Queen. I have groomed her regularly since she was a pup.
I noticed what I thought was a rash on her tummy. Vet said it was a inflamed hot spot and suggested I shave her to "reset" her coat. I have been grooming dogs for several years now and have always thought this to be a no no in dogs with under coats. Am I wrong? After some web surfing I have seen Lion Cuts that just look cruel to Summer or Puppy cuts that seem more realistic. Don't want to ignore the vet but I also don't want my dog to suffer with a heavy hard to manage coat. Any suggestions?
 
Is your vet suggesting that you shave her entire coat? That sounds excessive. I would ask the vet what the other treatment options are. If this is a localized hot spot or infection I think I would try to get a second opinion. Shaving a double coated dog is not usually advised.
 
Without more info about the nature of the inflammation, it is hard to comment or to contradict the vet. First, I would want to try to identify the cause of the hot spot. These don't appear just because. Had the vet no recommendation as to the cause? Environmental allergies, food allergies, etc? Did he suggest blood work? Hypothyroid is relatively common in Shelties and can result in skin funk as well

I would only recommend shaving in extreme situations. I would be pushing for root causes first. In the meantime, if you dog is uncomfortable there are a number of topical solutions to alleviate itching or pain in the interim. Ive been there.
 
That's the strangest thing I've heard - resetting the coat - huh?

You would never shave a dog because of one hot spot. My Deska often gets hotspots, he'd be forever shaved if I did that. As Barb says, you should identify the cause of the hotspot before doing anything drastic. She might have just been bitten by something and the rash has come from her licking/scratching at it. If it's an allergy you need further investigations. I can tell you the vet dermatologist told me not to clip the coat (not that I would anyway).

At the most you may want to clip or thin just around the lick granuloma to let more air circulate, to prevent the fur sticking to it if it's weeping and to more easily apply ointment. I wouldn't even shave the hot spot area. In the past my vet has gotten over-zealous with the electric shaver and has shaved the area over the granuloma (that's pretty standard) and shaved some of the skin. When my dogs have had surgery and needed to be shaved they end up with shavers rash (when the stubble grows back it gets itchy). Shaving just makes them more itchy.

If you want the air to circulate through her fur that will be more difficult if you clip the fur. Better that you keep the coat well brushed and ensure that the fur strands are separated and that will let her skin breathe far more. Sheltie fur is not wool like a poodle, it is angled more than most other breeds to allow the air to circulate, and it's layered again to allow lift. You'll lose these advantages if you clip the fur, esp if there's undercoat.
 
I agree with Caro. I would never shave the whole coat. You might consider getting a second opinion from a canine dermatologist.
 
Thank you so much! We are going to get a second opinion. I knew something just wasn't right when they wanted me to shave the whole coat.
 
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I have a friend with a non-sheltie who gets this rash on the tummy from a certain shampoo the groomer uses. If she uses a different shampoo, no issues. It's better if the groomer really makes extreme efforts to rinse well that shampoo that seems to be the problem and worse if the groomer doesn't go overboard rinsing and rinsing the belly and feet. Perhaps it is a simple allergy to the shampoo / residue? I wouldn't shave a whole coat for one area. Perhaps a thinning or trimming of the area or even a maternity shave / cut but not the whole coat.
 
When Hollie was getting older it became more difficult for her to squat when she peed. As a result she would get some urine on her belly and it would cause an irritation. I would keep just that small area of fur trimmed and I would clean her with baby wipes after she went to the bathroom. That seemed to help. Hope you get some answers.
 
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