Why shouldn't you dye your dog's hair?
The practice of dyeing dogs' hair in bright colors is becoming more and
more popular. Social networks are one of the main channels of propagation of
this recent fashion and there are hundreds of canine hairdressers and beauty
centers that promote their extravagant cuts with dye included, especially
when certain festivities such as carnival approach. But can a dog's hair be
dyed? It's good?
Although there are products specially designed for dogs, this does not mean
that the process is harmless to the animal. If you are thinking of giving
your dog a makeover or you are interested in this practice, in this
AnimalWised article we explain why you should not dye your dog's hair ,
analyzing the physical, psychological and social risks that this can entail.
for your furry Keep reading!
You may also be interested in: Why doesn't my cat grow hair?
Index
Health risks
It is a stressful procedure
Camouflages the dog's scent and causes communication problems
Encourages objectification of animals
1. Health risks
There is a wide variety of dyes for animals on the market that,
unfortunately, are very easy to access. These products are modified to adapt
to the pH of the dog's skin and to avoid serious poisoning if ingested,
however, they do not guarantee that the animal will not suffer any type of
allergic reaction after application. Many dyes cause itching, irritation and
redness in the skin of dogs, even though they are theoretically harmless to
them. In more serious cases, dogs with a predisposition to dermatological
pathologies, puppies or those with greater sensitivity problems, such as
albinos, can suffer from very strong skin reactions that require urgent
veterinary assistance.
On the other hand, it goes without saying that dyes for humans should never
be applied to animals , as they are highly toxic to them and it is very easy
for them to ingest them through licking. In addition, they can cause serious
burns to your skin and organic damage that are fatal in many cases.
2. It is a stressful procedure
The level of stress that a dog reaches in this context will depend on
several factors, including its level of habituation to handling and its
tolerance to water or, if we put it in the hands of professional
beauticians, to the invasive presence of strange people. However, we must
bear in mind that we are subjecting the animal to a situation that it does
not understand and that, moreover, requires several hours on many
occasions.
In general, dogs experience a peak of distress (negative stress) when they
are exposed to this type of manipulation, especially if they are in an
unknown place or with people they do not trust. The smell of the dyes, the
bathroom, the noise of the dryer, etc., are stimuli before which the animal
can feel tension, fear or rejection . Their heart rate increases, their
breathing rate increases, their thinking skills are inhibited, and the
inability to flee can trigger reactive or defensive behaviors, including
possible fear aggression.
In short, it is completely unnecessary to put a dog through such a
stressful moment, putting its emotional health at risk only to obtain an
aesthetic result that does not entail any benefit for the animal.
3. It camouflages the dog's scent and causes communication problems
Smell is the most important sense for a dog and in this species it is
overdeveloped. Through smell, dogs are capable of obtaining a great deal of
information, both from the environment and from other individuals, which
allows them to adapt the way they behave in different contexts.
One of the main problems of dye for dogs is that it seriously modifies the
natural smell of the dog and, although we cannot perceive it, they do. This,
on the one hand, is annoying for the animal itself , who is bothered by the
smell it gives off and can even harm itself trying to remove the dye from
its body. On the other hand, dyeing a dog harms its ability to communicate
with its peers, since we must bear in mind that dogs greet each other by
sniffing each other. The artificial smell that a dyed dog gives off can make
other dogs reject it or, even worse, try to attack it.
In addition, on many occasions the dyes are accompanied by ostentatious
haircuts, especially in breeds such as the poodle, chow chow, Pomeranian,
bichon frize and the like. Some of these cuts include a shave on the
animal's snout, which means the loss of its vibrissae (whiskers), a
fundamental part of its sensory-perceptive system. Clipping a dog's whiskers
can cause significant confusion and orientation problems. We talk about it
in depth in this other article: " What are dog whiskers for? ".
4. It encourages the objectification of animals
Finally, dyeing a dog's hair is also an ethical problem, because by trying
to transform animals into stuffed animals and treating them like canvases on
which we can paint, we are ignoring their right to dignity and encouraging
them to be seen more as objects. than as sentient beings endowed with
intelligence and the ability to experience and communicate emotions.
A dog does not need this type of aesthetic touch-ups and, although we do it
with good intentions and look for products that are not harmful, we should
think about the aforementioned implications and risks to assess whether it
is really worth dyeing our dog's hair, since it is not There is no benefit
that the animal can get from this procedure, only harm.
We encourage you to consult the 5 freedoms of animal welfare to check if
you comply with all of them if you share your life with a dog or another
animal.