My Golden Retriever's hair was cut too short. When will it grow back?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I can’t tell for sure without looking and feeling but it is likely that it is perfectly normal. Austin is simply loosing his “puppy coat” and growing in his new adult fur. The adult coat of Goldens is quite soft and shiny when properly cared for but it will never be quite as soft as his newborn fur. Of course if it stays very thin or there are large patches missing, talk to your vet about what else could be going on (mites, hormonal problem, post shave alopecia, or other problems.) Best of luck to you and Austin!

There are a number of reasons why he could be losing hair. If his skin seems fine and he's not scratching, his skin looks normal (no redness, scaling, oozing, etc.) it could be part of the natural shedding cycle or due to his age and developing his adult coat. If the shedding seems abnormal, if the skin is involved, if he is losing hair in patches, itching, etc., I recommend you get him seen by a vet who can examine the skin, possibly do some labwork and., based on these results, will be better able to advise you on the cause of the shedding and how best to manage and treat it.

Great question! I have a Chow Chow as well, and I shave her every summer because she gets very hot in the heat. I typically shave her down to her skin, and all her fur has always grown back. It will take time for it to grow back fully, usually over the course of a couple of months, but both her undercoat and overcoat grow back fully. I would not be too concerned, I hope this helps!

Oh no, I'm sorry Hana's fur was cut so short! I apologize but I'm not sure what you mean by "patches situation." Her fur will grow back as long as it was before, it will just take a couple of months. I shave my own Chow Chow into a lion cut (she has gorgeous red fur) to keep her cooler in the summer, and her fur always grows back as before. I understand being upset, but try not to worry too much because her fur will grow back in time. You can try giving her some fish oil supplements which can help with skin health. The dosage for that is 1,000 mg fish oil containing 300 mg of EPA/DHA combined for every 30 pounds of body weight. I hope this helps!

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is a variety of reasons that can explain alopecia or hair loss. The causes can easily be differentiated by the clinical signs associated with it and the physical exam findings. If Cookie is only showing some hair loss without scratching or overgrooming then it could conditions such as alopecia areata that can affect dogs and cats and usually resolves on its own. If there is evidence of scratching and you start noticing some redness or irritation associated with it, then other conditions such as allergies are possible. If you notice her overgrooming herself in that area then it could be something like psychogenic alopecia which is more of a behavioral issue. I think that since she is not having overt clinical signs and it is mostly hair loss, I think it is possibly transient and could resolve on its own. You can monitor this closely and if it does not resolve or it worsens then have her examined by your veterinarian. Good luck!

This is very common behavior in dogs who have been shaved, especially if it is their first time. It may take Chip a couple of days to get used to his new coat and then he should settle down. Typically the hair will regrow in about 4 months.

Many breeds with heavy under coats will have extremely slow hair regrowth if the hair is shaved. This can take up to 2 years to regrow. That's why is is so important to keep these dogs regularly groomed to avoid needing to have them shaved (because something that is the only option). You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can't make his hair grow faster but you can give it the best building blocks that you can to help it. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.