No close shaves for some furry pals

When the weather is hot, and your dog is hot, it’s tempting to shave him. Before you begin, check to see if your dog is one of the double-coated breeds that shouldn’t be shaved. The breeds that should never be shaved include huskies, malamutes, golden retrievers, border collies, and Bernese mountain dogs.

Double-coated breeds have two layers of fur to protect against freezing weather. The outer layer is comprised of long guard hairs that protect and shed water. The undercoat is thick and lies close to the skin, which keeps your dog warm and dry. In summer, dogs shed the undercoat leaving only guard hairs to protect them from sunburn and heat. Air circulating through the guard hairs keeps their skin cool.

Single-coated dogs have hair that just keeps growing. Double-coats grow only to a certain length and don’t get any longer. If you shave a single-coated dog, the coat will grow back again without really changing. The same is not true for double-coat dogs, because shaving can really ruin their coats.

Shaving changes the coat texture in double-coated dogs, because the undercoat grows back first. Undercoat is the soft fuzzy hair that stays next to the skin. The guard hairs that protect and shed water are slower growing. As the guard hairs grow, they get mixed in with the fluffy undercoat. In fact, the new coat won’t feel the same as before.

The new coat tends to be sticky like Velcro and, unfortunately, burrs, seeds, grass, and twigs will easily stick to the new coat. Shaving won’t keep your dog cool, because whatever coat is left after shaving will prevent the cool air from getting to the skin. Without the protective layer, your dog is exposed to the dangers of sunburn and overheating.

The best solution for double-coated dogs in the summer is to brush them frequently to remove the undercoat, provide a pool for them to dip in, keep them hydrated, and provide an air-conditioned house. Just keep cool!

IN NEED OF

We need someone with a big truck 52” (that can be loaded from a dock) who is willing to pick up food from Chewy’s. If you are that person, give us a call at 775-423-7500.

Items for the CAPS annual garage sale. Call 775-423-7500 to have us pick up items.

Aluminum cans. If you have cans to pick up, give us a call (775-423-7500), and we will come get them. You can also drop them off at CAPS.

Folks who need help affording spaying/neutering for dogs or cats. SNAPS program details are below.

SHOUT OUT TO

Girl Scout Troop 340 for donating $50. A four -aw salute to you!

Everyone who has enrolled in the AmazonSmile program. Not enrolled yet? The details are below. We receive money quarterly from your purchases.

COME SEE US

CAPS is open, by appointment only, for adoptions, SNAPS, and food pantry. We cannot accept volunteers until further notice. Call 775-423-7500.

DON’T FORGET

August Pet Holiday: National Dog Day is Aug. 8.

To register in the AmazonSmile program, a website operated by Amazon. Customers enjoy the same selection of products, low prices and shopping features as on Amazon.com. The only difference is that, when you shop on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organization selected by you.

CONTACT CAPS

CAPS’ mailing address is P.O. Box 5128, Fallon, NV 89407. CAPS’ phone number is 775-423-7500. CAPS’ email address is caps@cccomm.net. Please visit the CAPS website (www.capsnevada.com) and Facebook page (Churchill Animal Protection Society). Be sure to “Like” CAPS on Facebook because we are really likeable.

CAPS is open to the public on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Kathleen Williams-Miller is a CAPS volunteer. Contact me at jkwmil@outlook.com.