37
votes
Why do groomers tell you not to shear a long-haired dog in warm weather?
The main question is this: Is your dog
Single coated with hairs that grow endlessly at a constant speed?
Or double coated with hairs that grow to a predefined length and are shed?
Single coated ...

Elmy♦
- 32.4k
18
votes
Accepted
Does my dog need boots for winter?
Have you ever seen wolves hunt in the snow wearing their winter boots? 😉
So the short answer is: No, unless there's a specific medical condition you don't.
Make sure the dog has a warm place to stay ...
11
votes
Accepted
Do cats need clothes?
Cats generally have sense enough not to go outside/stay outside when it's dangerously cold unless they must. So unless you are forcing the cat outside, or your house is colder than most and you have a ...
10
votes
Accepted
How can I make my cat use her house during winter cold?
Cats do enjoy warm surfaces and there are a few options to entice her into her house.
Depending on what her house looks like, you can add a heat lamp, just be careful the lamp does not touch ...
8
votes
Accepted
Should you shave a Norwegian Forest cat for summer? If so, how?
I personally have a long hair double coat cat (Maine Coon) but most my info comes from reading Husky forums.
Here is what some online forums say: Shaving is not necessary for a double fur cat. It ...
8
votes
Do cats need clothes?
Cats probably don't need a jacket or boots, since they probably don't want to stay outside in the cold for long.
But if it's cold enough where you would want to wear a hat & gloves outside (...
6
votes
Accepted
What are the ways to help my cats feel better during a heatwave?
See this answer of mine for a few suggestions. Also a rubbing a cat down with a wet towel is perfectly fine. In fact if it is very hot it is definitely encouraged as long as your cat isnt stressed ...
6
votes
I heard I can't shave my cat's fur because it affects its ability to cool down. Is that true?
Animal fur is an insulator. People commonly have the misconception that insulators keep in heat. The truth is that all insulators inhibit the transfer of heat, and this works in BOTH directions. ...
6
votes
Why do groomers tell you not to shear a long-haired dog in warm weather?
I agree 100% with Elmy
Sometimes when groomers are trained, they may not be told or may not absorb the true reason for doing certain tasks in certain ways. They may simply be told, "Don't do this&...
5
votes
How can I make my cat use her house during winter cold?
Possible frame challenge here, but your cat isn't using the house because she doesn't need it.
Her fur is cold to the touch because it's working - it's keeping body heat inside. And just like your ...
5
votes
What the best way to get water up to temperature for a water change?
One way to do this is to get an extra aquarium heater and a large container.
Set the heater to the same temperature as your tank and let the water slowly heat up overnight.
By doing it this way, you ...
4
votes
How to keep my cats warm in outside cat house?
I agree with M.Mat, kittens or even cats that are used to inside shouldn't be placed outdoors. Those outside cat houses, some that are heated, are usually used for strays that frequent an area but ...
4
votes
How to keep my cats warm in outside cat house?
So, cats are very clean creatures. If there is odor, assuming you mean cat box smells, you need to clean it much more often. Cats don't like the smell either so they may be going outside the box.
...
4
votes
Goldfishes died first night
Welcome on Pets! First of, please research what goldfish need for an habitat before you buy the next ones. Wikipedia is good starting point. Please note that common goldfish can grow larger then 16 ...
4
votes
Betta is not active and laying on the bottom after tank dropped to 19C
Consistency is key. You are quite right that a large peak or trough in temperature can have adverse affects on the fish and is sometimes known as temperature shock.
You want to do everything you can ...
4
votes
Need help choosing a chiller
Firstly, you'll probably want to ensure that there is no other way for you to cool your tank before you buy a chiller because an aquarium chiller unit represents a reasonable investment. Indeed, the ...
4
votes
How can I keep my 3 month old leopard gecko warm
A few options at hand:
1) Increase the temperature of your room, can use your regular home heating system, space heaters (do not use unsupervised) etc..
2) Use hot water bottles (wrapped in a towel ...
4
votes
Accepted
Can I use any digital thermometer on my dog?
Temperature is a form of physical energy. It's the same for humans and animals, so any body thermometer for human use is suitable for dogs as well. Since the regulations and requirements for medical ...

Elmy♦
- 32.4k
4
votes
Is it okay to heat a lactated ringer's bag using a sous vide cooker?
No,
In your case you are using the bag multiple times. Every time you submerge the bag in water you are exposing it to germs. Additionally you would be warming the bag to the perfect temperature for ...
4
votes
At what point do cats start to be in actual danger (rather than "just being uncomfortable") from cold winter weather?
Trust the cat.
I don't know the distance from your house to your neighbour's house, but assuming you don't live near an abandoned mine in Yukon, it would probably take the cat a few minutes to come to ...
4
votes
Accepted
What is the minimum safe room temperature for puppies?
At 4 months of age a puppy can regulate their own body temperature well enough. Any temperature that's appropriate for an adult dog of that breed is also appropriate for the puppy. That mostly depends ...

Elmy♦
- 32.4k
3
votes
Betta fish is a dark blue, but color keeps fading and returning quickly; why?
Most common reason for a betta changing colour is stress, but indeed can also be caused by illness.
If your fish changes colour regularly, and is otherwise healthy and acting normal, I think stress ...
3
votes
Can a house get too hot for tropical fish and what precautions could we take?
Use a fan or squirrel cage blower to blow air onto the water surface. This will cool the water in the tank down, albeit at the cost of evaporation. You will have to top up the water at regular ...
3
votes
Can a house get too hot for tropical fish and what precautions could we take?
There are coolers for aquariums, but I would spend the money on a home air conditioner.
The labyrinth fish like Bettas can easily take an air temperature of 35 °C; I expect the water to be somewhat ...
3
votes
Accepted
What happens when a gold fish pond freezes?
It is unlikely that a fish pond would freeze solid and have the gold fish survive. As temperatures drop the fish enter a state of torpor (similar to hibernation). I could not find any reliable ...
3
votes
Accepted
Indian flapshell turtle not eating
I have consulted the vet they told it was result of heavy cold in this region.
3
votes
Does fur protect a rabbit from heat or make it hotter?
"Does fur protect the rabbit from heat or make it hotter?" Both, actually. Fur is an insulator, which means that it impedes heat exchange in either direction. That is, heat is slower to leave the ...
3
votes
How can I keep my 3 month old leopard gecko warm
You might try some of the 40-hour heat packs used for shipping reptiles, which you can get in a pet store or online; you would still have to buy it, but they are not very expensive. Using a floor ...
3
votes
What the best way to get water up to temperature for a water change?
It depends.
This very much depends on how you do your water changes. For me, I make RO water and store it outside (which means it's cold). Then I add hot tap water and a dechlorinator solution to ...
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