About that haircut….(not bunny related)

[MimzMum]

I feel Piglet’s famous phrase coming upon me as I post this…”I d-d-don’t m-mean to c-c-complain, b-b-ut…”

On the left is my dog Shadow, before he had surgery this week for masses. And if it weren’t for the facial features I would wonder who this strange pup is on the right that I got back from the vet….(You guys should’ve heard me screaming through the window when I saw him come home, “WHAT DID THEY DO TO MY DOG???!!!”)

He looks more like a Great Dane now than the Mack Husky he is. And he’s scared, you can tell. He thought I’d left him for good when we dropped him off at the vet’s, he wouldn’t let me leave his side yesterday. I’m ashamed even to share this pic, if he were human and knew I’d done this, he’d be mortified.

Tell me folks, what kind of doctor shaves a big dog like this (he’s 120 lbs of skin and bone now) when the weather is still too cold for him to be outside without his fur on? I am just fuming. I appreciate that he’s probably more comfortable without all the knots and tangles he had in his shagginess, but even though this is a dog that is supposed to be living in Prudhoe Bay conditions, totally shaved he’s got to be awfully vulnerable to cold and illness.

 

*sigh* Anybody have any idea how long it’s going to be till he looks even halfway like himself again? I feel so sorry for him, he must be totally freezing! Although we did get him a doggie coat.

 

 

(Of course he is in the house and will be for at least two weeks till he heals or until the weather gets warmer, which is more like two months from now. We have -20’s and -30’s forecast for next week. Going outside so he can do his business is going to be rough for him.)

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[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Awww he’s beautiful!! And he will be again.

Mimz, you can put human clothes on him in the meantime. Cut the sleeves short on an old hoodie (you can put a teeshirt under it too) and then put it on him when he has to go outside. You can also cut the bum off boxer shorts -or the bum and legs off sweatpants and put them on his bum when he goes outside to go to the bathroom. Make sure you tell him how handsome he is and make a big stink about how cute he looks in the clothes. I bet he won’t mind getting dressed to go outside.

And yes, I’d wonder why the heck they shaved him too!

[MimzMum]

The only thing I can think is that they had to check his whole body for masses and that fur was seriously thick…when the vet looked at his ear she must’ve been sure it had spread already (it was quite a gory tumor.)
But seriously…an inch or two of fluff for my dignity, please! 0_o lolz…

I’ve been fawning over him since he got home. I had to get up in the middle of the night to snuggle him, he was looking for me. I SO love this dog, furry or not!

Thanks so much for the clothes idea…lolz…I’m trying to imagine the boxer shorts…the shirt or hoodie is easier to picture, but…gosh he would look cute in pants! ^_^

[xParadise]

I can understand being irritated, I would be too! But trust me, it’s better that they did this and were able to find ALL the masses, rather than if they had just spot-shaved and missed one that may have been cancerous. It will be better in the long run.
He looks so ashamed of his new haircut! I bet he feels silly haha, make sure you tell him he’s extra handsome..

[MimzMum]

Actually, he was still sleeping off the anesthetic at this point, not hanging his head, but I can see where it looks like that. ^_^

He had three masses removed in total. I think we can probably safely say it’s cancer anyway and he’s too old for adjunct therapy. But yeah, I see your point and in my heart I know it’s more comfortable for him if we can control the hair growth so he doesn’t knot up….

I wuvs him…no matter what. I have image issues of my own, so I guess I project them.

[jerseygirl]

Yes, I thought it must have been because of checking for lumps too. Surely they could have pre warned you though – that would have been a shock, to him and you! Did they give any instructions about care for him without his fur? Hope he continues to recover well. Poor Pooch!

[RachelF]

aww I woudl be in shock too! he’s still precious either way, and it will grow back.

.. can we see pictures if you go through with the human clothes?

[LittlePuffyTail]

Hair grows back! And he’s still cute! I think they probably could have checked him and leave him some fuzz too. Especially considering it’s freakin winter!!

Just be happy your pup doesn’t live here! It was -43 (with windchill) this morning! I think that’s a record here. Yup, I had a great time cleaning 35 horse stalls today since all the horses have been in since Tuesday. Fun, fun winter.

[MimzMum]

Aw, LPT I’m sorry about that. Hawaii has sent the Pineapple Express to our area and luckily it’s been from 30-50 above for a few days. (Of course that wreaks havoc with our roads, I can’t walk down the driveway I keep slipping on the ice.) That’s how we could get him in to be cared for. But it’s supposed to turn back around next week and we’ll have a bit more cold yet.
I think you guys got gobsmacked with our temps…it was -50 to -60 for about two weeks from the end of last year till now…. I have a hard enough time doing indoor activities at that time of year, much less outdoor…you poor thing! Yikes on toast! 0_o

I am still considering the clothes, but it probably won’t happen. He does have a nice dog jacket and it’s quite jaunty. Perhaps I’ll get a shot of him in that for y’all. ^_^
And thank you all for the sweet compliments. He is a handsome chap, isn’t he? ^_^

[jerseygirl]

Yes he is, and in the words of a wise woman from around these boards……bald is beautiful!

[bunnytowne]

I had to read your post twice and take several looks at the picture to realize that is the same dog. Poor thing.

When it got cold here I would put an old sweatshirt of mind on the dogs to go for a walk.  It was so funny.  People really got a laugh out of that.  They looks cute too.  I am sure that would work for poor hairless.  Awe.

[MimzMum]

Thanks Jerz, I needed that. ^_^ Hm. Dontcha love it when your own words come back to b-slap you upside the head? xD lolz…..

I’ve gotten used to it now. And when he looks at me, the face is the same. The huge, cinnamon brown, deeply emotional eyes are easier to see, I do love that. He is much more active now than he was a few days ago and seems in general more comfortable. But oh, he is begging for snuggles. He always loved to be loved, but now, he wants someone to sit with him in the middle of the night when he wakes up and it’s all dark…it’s like raising another kid. What a sweet old thing he is. We even had to put up a nightlight for him.

His son, my son’s dog, has been out in the other arctic entryway for a few days by himself now and he is not liking it one bit. (Two weeks ago he wanted it all to himself and was almost getting into fights with Shadow over it.) I think he thinks Shadow is gone, because he doesn’t seem to recognize him either when I walked him past the front porch. He is lonesome and I had to spend some time plucking his winter coat, which is coming off in great tufts. I just might take HIM down to the Laundromutt to have one of these jobs done, he could REALLY use it…stinky thing!

It will be wonderful when we can walk them both together again, but until Shadow heals completely and it warms up a bit, they need to be kept separate.

Thank you all for your support in this tough time. We are all so exhausted by everything that’s been happening lately and I know I’m not thinking straight most of the time. it’s good to come here and get some perspective, even if it’s not about a bunny. ^_^

[RabbitPam]

I also thought the vet was checking thoroughly for all tumors. Do you have any spare blankets? Maybe cut one to fit once around, and stick some velcro along the edges to make a warm tube that you could wrap him in. Got any leg warmers or long socks?

He is a precious guy, and he loves you as much as you love him. Hang in there. He sounds like he’s going to get much better.

[Lightchick]

Poor MM, and Shadow! I don’t have anything more insightful to say than what everyone else has already brought up, but I have much hope that you and you beautiful wolf-dog will be okay…

[MimzMum]

I was just thinking tonight as I was walking him…it sure is easier to hug and cuddle him this way. ^_^ I don’t have all that fur to compete with for snuggles!
He’s getting his old energy back up too. Not quite to the par he was at, but good enough to drag MY butt down the road! lolz…We must look like a very strange pair…imagine Snoopy the size of a Great Dane yanking a 5’4″ parka clad Linus ‘almost’ horizontally down the street! xD

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

LOL

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