Myra Posted April 20, 2005 Report Share Posted April 20, 2005 Last spring we had our border collie's hair cut. They cut it down to his under coat. He looked a little strange but he sure was cooler. However, there are a couple of patches on him that never re-grew the hair this winter. Is there something that we should or should not be doing for him or with his coat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eileen Stein Posted April 20, 2005 Report Share Posted April 20, 2005 Hmm. I know some people who clip their dogs' hair short in the summer, but it's always grown back. What color is your dog? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyF Posted April 20, 2005 Report Share Posted April 20, 2005 You might want to have his thyroid level checked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myra Posted April 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2005 Bud is black and white. When we had his hair cut short he actually was kind of funny looking because his head was still black and white but his body was completely grey. Now he has the long hair everywhere but on one of his shoulders and that is still the short grey hair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karrider Posted April 22, 2005 Report Share Posted April 22, 2005 For what its worth, there is a condition called post-clipping alopecia. regrowth is delayed for up to 6 to 12 months. Two theories are proposed as to why this occurs in sled dogs: The hair no longer insulates the skin and the blood vessels constrict causing loss of blood flow to the hair follicles. This may be an adaptive mechanism to reduce the loss of heat from the exposed skin area in harshly cold climates. Loss of the hair may cause a drop in temperature in the area that adversely affects the blood supply to the area. Hair that eventually grows back in may be darker in color. References: Tilley, LP, Smith, FWK, The 5 Minute Veterinary Consult, Canine and Feline. 1997, Williams & Wilkins. Mordecai Siegal (Ed.) The UC Davis Book of Dogs. 1995, HarperCollins Publishers. regards karin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Anne Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 I have talked to several groomers who will not clip Border Collies,(lassie type) Collies, or several other long haired dogs, for that very reason. They say their hair never grows in right after clipping. My sister had her rough coated collie clipped and the hair on her hind quarters never has come back right, a big not quite bald spot and it has been 2 years.Could just be the opinion of those groomers, but after seeing Missy's coat, I'll take it. Has anyone ever tried those cooling pads that are sold now? Just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparty Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 we used to clip, Kira has never had any problem with her hair growing back, this yead we tried stripping the undercoat and it seems to have worked better, still cool and they dont look like mutants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babineaus102 Posted April 30, 2005 Report Share Posted April 30, 2005 What is , or how do you, strip their undercoats? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoloRiver Posted April 30, 2005 Report Share Posted April 30, 2005 The best strippers are the Mars Coat King and their derivatives. I have the Oster version; Petedge has a version out now that is much cheaper (but I don't know if it's any good). These are rakes that have curved blades that are blunted on the ends. I have yet to figure out how these things work (engineering is not my strong suit) but they somehow manage to remove undercoat without cutting guard hairs unless you get a little too strip-happy. My Oster stripper (I have a 10-blade) does a fabulous job on Solo's Lassie-ass. I use it to keep his breeches tidy, especially, er, under his tail. Fluffbutt dogs are at a distinct disadvantage in the tidiness department when they have digestive upsets so it is important to me to keep the amount of hair back there to the minimum amount necessary for aesthetics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babineaus102 Posted April 30, 2005 Report Share Posted April 30, 2005 Sounds like a great tool. Do you remember where you got it from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoloRiver Posted April 30, 2005 Report Share Posted April 30, 2005 I think I ordered mine from Care-a-Lot, but lots of places carry them. Petedge definitely does, and I think Jeffers does as well. If you do a Google on "Mars Coat King" you'll find places. The Mars version is the most expensive, the Oster is in the middle, and Petedge's versions are very cheap. I have never seen the latter and don't know if they're any good. I think there's also a white plastic version called "Mat King" but don't know who makes it or where to get it from. Yup, I do a lot of anal-retentive price comparisons before buying things. I chose the Oster version because I liked the all-metal construction. Others swear by the Mars version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powder Puff Posted May 3, 2005 Report Share Posted May 3, 2005 i love that mars coat king, on monday i just bought the 18 blade and its fantastic! I got a whole plastic bag full of hair i couldnt believe it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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