Shaving?

[APBTLove]

Would it be better to shave Dutch for the summer?
She is miserable, even indoors we do not have an AC for now, the basement where she goes IS cooler, but she is very hot, I'm doing my best to get the shedding hair out, but she gets very stingy about it after 4-5 minutes.

Will shaving help her out?
I did it before, and it seemed to help a bit.
If so, what is the best shave for a GSD? I shaved her body and left her legs, tail, and under her neck (too many old-lady fold to try to maneuver around!).
I will admit, she look HORRID afterwards, but I don't think she cares, she's 14 and hot.

[Jazy's mom]

DO NOT SHAVE A GSD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can actually cause them to die by doing this.

If you are having trouble getting all the dead fur out, take her to a professional groomer that may have more experience with difficult dogs.

If you still think she is hot, then they make dog beds that have a gel in them that help keep the dogs cool in the summer months. You can also wet down some towels for her to lay on as a temporary solution.

[APBTLove]

How can they die? Seriously, I need to know.

A local breeder told us to do so, as she does it with all of hers.

Any ideas on how to get her hair out then? I would not want to get her to a groomer and stress her out, because she will nip if they hurt her, then be muzzled and freak out.

[Alto]

I'm not a proponent of shaving coated dogs even in hotter climates but I would take her into a good groomer that will be able to blow out her coat & has the various tools to make stripping out the old coat easier on her; assess her diet if she isn't letting go of her old coat, if it's matted etc, also how is her skin?
Has she had a geriatric panel done?

Have you looked into any of the cooling beds?

Will she use a wading pool?
Does she like ice chips?

If you can get some of the large block ice & have fans running across the ice, that will lower the temp somewhat.

[Alto]

Quote: I would not want to get her to a groomer and stress her out, because she will nip if they hurt her, then be muzzled and freak out.

Find the right groomer - if her coat is in a bad way, book a few shorter appointments, she doesn't need to be done all in one go.

[APBTLove]

Her skin is obviously bothering her, she chews often, and it is irritated in some places, I was about to post this as a question on the best thing to do for her skin.
I've read fish oil can help them blow their coat, true or not?
She'll lick and ice cube if I hold it, but has no interest otherwise.
She does swim, but the only place she can is the rather stinky smelling salt water in front of our house, I think it may be drying her skin out, also.

We do the blocks of ice thing, I put them in her basement bedroom area so the cold will stay longer.

No matted. She didn't blow her coat this year at all.

Her diet currently is:
Ground beef (at her age we cook it with a bit of rice)
Raw chicken every other day with dog food
1lb beef heart once a week or so.
she gets frozen meatsicles (a mix of different meats and treats in an ice cube) every 3 days or so, unless we have extra.

What food will make her skin and coat healthier at this age? I know with age their skin health goes down with them, but I want her to be comfortable.

I'm going to wring the life out of that breeder, I just read up on what can happen from shaving.

[APBTLove]

I will look into a local groomer who can either come here, many here will with a grooming van, or will break up her groom into a few visits.
She's a big girl, it takes quite a while to get done with one leg.

[Jazy's mom]

Someone else may be able to explain it better than me, but their fur can actually act as barrier/ insulator from the sun and heat. Just like the insulation in your house keeps you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Without their fur they can actually be more prone to heat exhaustion

I would be very concerned if a GSD breeder is recommending this. A reputable groomer will refuse to shave a GSD. Call around to some groomers and see if any of them have experience with senior dogs and are willing to take some extra time with her. You may be surprised. Don't bother with the chain groomers such as PetSmart.

I agree with Alto. You may need to have some blood work done to see if there are any health reasons why she is hot. I believe thyroid conditions can cause you to feel hot all the time.

[BowWowMeow]

I have always heard the gsds stay cooler with their coat thing but I have several friends who ended up shaving their older gsds b/c they were miserable in the heat. The dogs were much, much more comfortable and none of them died.

And my first gsd has a plush coat and was SO hot in the summer. Her coat certainly did not moderate her temperature.

[angelaw]

I saw one in boarding/training one time. Shaved all over. Dog didn't die. Looked hideous, but didn't die.