Hi Dr. Barchas,

Randy
San Diego, CA

I am reminded of a joke I once heard. A young child asks his mother why she has grey hairs. The mother replies that every time the child causes her stress, one of her hairs turns grey. The child ponders this for a moment. He then asks, “why is Grandma’s hair all grey?”

In fact, grey hairs occur when the pigment producing cells in the hair follicle cease to function. This can happen at any age. It is not a sign of poor health or premature aging. Grey hairs do not indicate that an animal will have a shorter-than-average life.

Grey hairs are correlated with old age, but they can develop in youth as well. My pal Buster, whose life appears to be stress-free, grew his first grey hair when he was less than two. Thankfully, this does not mean that he has a decreased life expectancy.

Plenty of young people have learned through experience that grey hairs are a fact of life. A trip to the hair care aisle in Walgreens will give you some idea of how many people are dyeing their greys.

Your dog’s greys are not a sign of bad health. Nor will they damage her self esteem. Lucky her.

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

• What are the Treatments for Hip Dysplasia?
• Why is it Fair for Dogs, but not Cats, to go Outside?
• Should my Dog’s Stomach be Tacked to Prevent Bloat?
• How Much and How Often Should I Feed my Dog?
• Why do Pets Twitch When Their Skin is Touched?

Almost every day someone asks me if there is a way to make her pet shed less hair. If I had an easy answer to that question, I would not have time to write this blog–I’d be too busy sipping margaritas on my private island’s beach. The person who devises a way to make pets stop shedding will be very rich indeed!

Shedding is natural. And, as long as baldness does not develop, any amount of shedding should be considered normal. Brushing your pet daily may help to reduce shedding marginally. But in reality, there is really only one truly effective way to deal with canine and feline shedding: buy a good vacuum cleaner.

Speaking of which, the kind folks at Dyson recently sent me one of their new vacuums, the DC 28 Animal, to try out. It is designed specifically for households with pets.

The Dyson was simple to set up, and I have been very impressed with its power and ease of use. My pal Buster appreciates the fact that it is much quieter than my previous, bachelor-style vacuum cleaner.

The Dyson definitely does a number on pet hair–on the floor and on furniture. Of course, Buster easily rises to the challenge of providing more hair for the vacuum cleaner to pick up each day.

My only complaint with the vacuum cleaner is that its transparent debris collection chamber has led to an unpleasant bit of self-revelation. I had previously been blissfully oblivious to the amount of dust that accumulates on my carpet. That ignorance has been blown away by the large dust bunnies that have been gathered by the Dyson and displayed in full view.

In all, I have been very satisfied with the DC 28 Animal. I highly recommend it to anyone who has pets. Or dust.

Photo: I’ll bet Yara’s parents would love to own a DC 28!

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

• Is Grey Hair a Sign of Bad Health?
• Can Cats go Grey?
• Scissors and Pets Don’t Mix
• Las Vegas Enacts Mandatory Spay/Neuter Law
• New Registry May Help Relieve Microchip Confusion . . . Eventually

I have a what was once a black male Domestic Short Haired cat, but he is
now getting white hair sprouting all over his body
and neck. Is this an indication of a problem or
is it normal? He is seven years old and acts healthy
(plays, eats, uses litter, etc.)

Teresa
Springfield, MO

I am reminded of a joke I once heard. A young boy asks his mother why she has grey hairs. The mother replies that a grey hair develops every time the son does something that causes her stress. The son ponders this for a second and then asks: “Mom, why is grandma’s hair all grey?”

Most of the cats and dogs I know have minimal stress in their lives. Nonetheless, grey or white hair often develops on pets as they mature. Grey hair is most noticeable on pets with black coats. However, grey or white hair is common in pets of all colors as they mature.

Grey and white hairs develop when hair follicles stop producing pigment. Failure to produce pigment is part of a normal aging process, and it is not truly linked to stress in most cases.

Grey hair almost never means that anything is wrong. In general, I recommend that people view grey hair in pets as a mark of distinction. So long as your cat does not have bald spots, red or itchy skin, malodorous skin, or any other symptoms there is little to worry about.

And that’s a good thing. Because, according to conventional wisdom, worrying could cause you to grow grey hairs.

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

• Is Grey Hair a Sign of Bad Health?
• What is the Best Way to Deal With a Shedding Pet?
• Scissors and Pets Don’t Mix
• Las Vegas Enacts Mandatory Spay/Neuter Law
• New Registry May Help Relieve Microchip Confusion . . . Eventually

The other night at the emergency hospital I treated a sweet Yorkshire Terrier whose hair had become matted. The person who brought the dog had been trying to remove the mats with scissors. It was hard to see where skin and hair met. As a result, the young woman accidentally cut through the dog’s skin.

It had been a while since I saw a client who felt so guilty. In fact, the last time I saw a client so upset with herself was a few months ago, when I treated a different dog for the same sort of injury.

The wound was not serious, and the dog went home the next morning happily stitched back together. But please remember that scissors are not safe grooming tools for animals.

Even in the hands of professionals, scissors are risky. I once treated a cat who had lost the last half inch of her tail when a groomer accidentally snipped it off. The owner brought the amputated portion of the tail to my office and was was upset that it could not be re-attached.

The best way to deal with mats is to brush your pet regularly before they become unmanageable. If your pet needs its hair trimmed, I recommend the use of clippers. Clippers are available at pet stores and are less likely to cause injury.

If your pet’s hair is hopelessly matted, then you may want to have a trained groomer or veterinarian deal with the situation. Be sure to ask them not to use scissors!

Photo: No, we’re not talking about that kind of mat!

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

• Is Grey Hair a Sign of Bad Health?
• What is the Best Way to Deal With a Shedding Pet?
• Can Cats go Grey?
• Las Vegas Enacts Mandatory Spay/Neuter Law
• New Registry May Help Relieve Microchip Confusion . . . Eventually