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So, you’re dying to know, “Will My Golden Retriever’s Hair Grow Back?”
We’ve all suffered from a bad haircut, but when it happens to your Golden Retriever it can be just as traumatizing, if not more!
You’ve probably taken your Golden to the groomer and specifically asked them not to shave your dog, but to your horror, they misunderstood and now your Golden looks like a Lab!
So many owners have been through this exact ordeal, myself included, and have wondered if and when their Golden’s hair will grow back!
Well, wonder no more, because the answer will be revealed below.
Will My Golden Retriever’s Hair Grow Back?
Yes, your Golden Retriever’s hair will grow back. However, just like waiting for your own hair to grow, it can be a slow process. Depending on whether your Golden Retriever’s hair was trimmed short or shaved, it can take a few weeks or a few months for your Golden’s hair to be the length it was before. If the hair on your Golden Retriever fails to grow back, it could be caused by a hormonal imbalance or deficiency, or bacterial infection.
Golden Retriever Hair Will Grow Back After Shaving Or Trimming
There are many owners that are dead set against trimming or clipping a Golden Retriever’s coat, and for good reason.
A Golden Retriever’s double coat is designed to protect them from the environment. It keeps them warm in winter, and cool in the summer.
Shaving a Golden Retriever is a big no-no, as it exposes them to harmful UV rays, actually makes them hotter in the summer, and puts them at risk for sunburn and skin cancer.
Many people, however, take their Golden to the groomer to have their coats tidied up.
While there is nothing wrong with that, many owners have a bad experience, even after explaining in detail or perhaps with a picture of how they want their Golden trimmed.
Usually, the groomer trims the Golden way too short, and removes all their long feathers!
Many of us have been through this traumatizing experience!
The good news, however, is that your Golden Retriever’s hair will grow back.
While you should never have your Golden Retriever shaved on purpose, there are times when shaving is necessary.
Certain medical reasons require your vet to shave a part of your Golden Retriever’s coat.
Hot spots are a common reason, as are surgeries. The hair needs to be shaved to let the wound breathe and heal.
Healthy Golden Retrievers will experience hair regrowth, but there is a risk the coat may not grow back the same way.
This leads us to Post Clipping Alopecia.
RELATED ===> Grooming A Golden Retriever In The Summer.
Post Clipping Alopecia May Occur
When a Golden Retriever has been shaved either for medical reasons or grooming, there is a risk of Post Clipping Alopecia.
Post Clipping Alopecia is the lack of hair regrowth, months after being clipped.
If growth does occur, the coat may end up patchy, uneven, and have a different texture, or a different colour.
It commonly occurs in double-coated breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labs, German Shepherds, and Siberian Huskies.
There is no proof of what causes this condition, but it is believed that clipping disrupts the natural hair follicle growth, and changes the regrowth pattern.
This short video allows you to see firsthand what Post Clipping Alopecia looks like in real life. The dog in the video is a double-coated breed, a Pomeranian.
Hair Growth Can Take Several Months!
We’ve all said it and heard it, but somehow the saying “It’s only hair, it’ll grow back”, just doesn’t make us feel better!
That’s because waiting for hair to grow back is a slow process that seems to take forever!
In the case of Golden Retriever hair, it can take up to 3 to 4 months for your Golden’s hair to be the way it was prior to being clipped.
I am recently going through this experience with my Golden Retriever, Ellie.
She suffered from a dog attack at the end of June and had to be shaved. Luckily, she is fine and only part of her coat on one side had to be shaved.
Still, it’s a huge strip that was shaved, and her skin was exposed to the hot sun!
Here we are 2 months later in September, and while the fur has grown back enough to cover the skin, it still hasn’t completely grown back to match the rest of her coat.
So, it certainly is a slow process!
Both the undercoat and the topcoat grow at different rates. The undercoat grows much faster and can take a few months, while the topcoat may take up to a year to grow back!
Certain Factors Affect The Rate Of Hair Growth In Golden Retrievers
How slow or fast your Golden Retriever’s hair grows back is dependent on a few factors:
Growing Stages
There are four different growing stages of hair, and depending on what stage your Golden Retriever’s hair is in will determine the rate at which it grows back.
- Anagen: Hair grows continuously during this stage. New hair growth can generally be seen within a week or 2. This stage may last from 1 month to 1 year, depending on breed.
- Catagen: Growth terminates.
- Telogen: Resting period.
- Exogen: Shedding stage.
Seasons
Hair grows faster during the longer and warmer days of spring and summer, as compared to the darker and colder days of winter.
Age
Hair growth tends to slow down as your Golden Retriever ages.
Nutrition
A well-balanced and healthy diet maintains your dog’s overall health and helps to speed up hair growth. Whereas a poor diet will result in slow hair growth and poor coat health.
Health
Golden Retrievers who are healthy and don’t have any underlying medical issues will have no problem growing their coat back.
Health Issues May Cause Your Golden Retriever’s Hair Not To Grow Back
If your Golden Retriever’s hair does not grow back, it could be caused by a hormonal imbalance or deficiency.
- Hypothyroidism: A deficiency of the thyroid hormone. This affects your dog’s coat and causes hair loss.
- Cushing’s Disease: An overproduction of the hormone cortisol. A common symptom is hair loss.
Your vet will need to take blood samples in order to diagnose the cause.
Other issues that cause hair loss and bald spots include allergies, pressure sores, bacterial infection, ringworm or mange.
You Can Promote Hair Growth In Your Golden Retriever
The following are ways in which you can promote and speed up hair growth in your Golden Retriever:
Feed A Proper Diet
A healthy coat starts with good nutrition on the inside. Feed a diet that is rich in Omega fats.
A change in diet might be necessary if your Golden suffers from food allergies. Scratching, licking and biting brought on by the itchiness of allergies, lead to hair loss.
RELATED ===> Why Do Dogs Lick Paws?
Supplement With Omega-3 And Omega-6
Omega-3 and Omega-6 are great supplements to add to your dog’s diet.
These supplements fight inflammation of the skin and make your dog’s skin and coat healthy and shiny.
Always ask your vet before adding supplements to your dog’s diet.
Brush Daily
Brushing your Golden daily removes dirt, debris, and dead hair, and keeps your dog’s coat healthy and shiny.
It stimulates blood flow and distributes the natural oils in the skin to promote a healthy and shiny coat.
Bathe With Oatmeal Shampoo
Oatmeal shampoo is mild and gentle and helps to soothe itchy and irritated skin.
It helps promote hair growth by washing away dirt and bacteria.
Don’t go crazy though and wash your Golden too often, as this can backfire on you and cause irritation and dryness. Once a month or every 2 weeks is sufficient.
Ask Your Vet About Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone supplement that is commonly used to treat sleep and behaviour disorders in dogs, but it is also very effective at promoting hair growth.
This natural supplement helps to thicken and regrow a dog’s fur quickly after surgery.
Vets commonly use it to help dogs with hair loss associated with Cushing’s disease and non-allergic hair loss such as Alopecia.
Melatonin already occurs naturally in the body. It regulates the hormones and is responsible for the body’s circadian rhythm (the body’s biological clock).
How melatonin works to treat hair loss is still unclear to scientists.
But, researchers believe that the correlation between melatonin, sunlight, and the body’s circadian rhythm, has something to do with it.
Others believe that it’s the powerful antioxidants found in melatonin that promote hair growth.
Either way, melatonin supplements are something to consider if your dog suffers from non-allergic hair loss.
Melatonin can be purchased over the counter without a prescription.
But, it is best to consult your vet beforehand to get the proper dosage and to make sure it’s right for your dog.
Final Thoughts
A Golden Retriever’s hair will grow back after it has been trimmed or shaved. You may have to wait several months for the fur to be the way it was prior to being clipped.
Golden Retrievers have double coats and their undercoat is the first to grow back, usually within a few weeks. The top coat takes the longest and may take up to a year to regrow.
In some cases, the coat of a Golden Retriever may never be the same as it was prior to shaving. There is a risk of it being patchy, thin, and having a different texture and colour.
This is why shaving should never be done on a Golden Retriever unless medically necessary.
If your Golden Retriever fails to regrow his hair or experiences hair loss, a consult with your vet is necessary.
It could be as simple as treating allergies, or a bacteria infection, or it could be a more serious issue such as a hormone deficiency or imbalance.
Your vet will be able to determine the cause and offer proper treatment.
Has your Golden Retriever experienced a bad haircut? Did his hair grow back the same way it was before?
Share your thoughts and comments below, as well as any questions. I would love to hear from you!
I am the proud owner of a Golden Retriever named Ellie. She keeps me busy, and when she is resting, you can find me working on my blog. She is always close by though. I live in Stirling, ON Canada with my husband, and we both enjoy the never a dull moment life with our Ellie.
This is an amazing article. I never knew that shaving a dog’s coat for summer could be so harmful. I’m going to pass along this information to all the dog owners I know. My mom will especially appreciate this information as she has four dogs.
Does this only happen with dogs who have a double coat?
Hi JarieLyn,
Dogs who have a double coat are at risk of having their coat permanently damaged if they are shaved. As mentioned, this is called post-clipping alopecia.
To answer your question, the dogs that are most at risk for developing post-clipping alopecia, are the ones with thick dense fur (double coats).
Single coated breeds such as Poodles, have hair and can be clipped short to prevent matting. However, they still shouldn’t be shaved down to the skin! Their hair acts as a barrier of protection and keeps their skin cool. It also protects them from sunburn and skin cancer.
I hope this answers your question. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Jenny.