Shaved foster

[ahicks51]

Foster number 40-something came in from a Kansas haul, one boy who never raced along with a bunch of broodies.

And he's shaved.

Not like "the leg was shaved for an IV" or "shaved torso for surgery," no- the whole body, halfway up the neck but not the head nor the short hair on the legs. Some of the tail was shaved.

And it's not like there's signs of tar on the skin, or any other reason to get shaved.

Why the heck would the greyhound kennel shave a dog like that?

[macoduck]

Any wisps of hair left to give you an idea of how long the hair had been?  I'm guessing no sign of recent injuries. Somebody preparing him for Arizona's summer heat, although even that doesn't make sense.

 

[MP_the4pack]

I'm wondering if he got into something like tar and shaving was the only way to remove it. It is easier than trying to just remove it with soap or oil.

[ahicks51]

I should have added the undercoat is still there but short, he's not a Chimú or anything, but it's just weird. No signs of injury, no signs of tar... and if they were prepping him for Arizona, why was he the only one on the haul that they shaved?

There's some hair near the shoulder blades where it's not trimmed quite so close and it looks pretty normal length there and on the upper part of the neck and the head.

We're stumped.

[Remolacha]

Can you ask anyone back where he came from? Sounds almost like when they shave long haired dogs/cats who get badly matted, but that wouldn’t apply to a greyhound 

[greysmom]

They regularly shave them for the summer heat on some farms, even though that's not really what you should do, as it's faster than brushing out 100s of dogs.    

[Time4ANap]

He's going to need sunscreen and an umbrella here. 

[ahicks51]

I've left the "serious" questioning for the  adoption group- I thought I'd ask here just to see if something is going on, or there's a perfectly cromulent reason that I can't parse. The last time I tried to figure out why a foster was off (came in 20 pounds under race weight), I hit a wall at every turn. Interestingly, the person who took it most seriously was the track rep in Alabama.

It's a real butcher job on the haircut, but no worse than I would be with clippers.

Oh well- another one of those mysteries for the ages.

For anyone who wants to know what a red fawn looks like when he's been shaved-

[macoduck]

The only other thing I can think of is maybe he was covered in grass burs.

[EllenEveBaz]

It's a good look.    Kind of minimalist.  

[Jerilyn]

Is he super soft?

[Remolacha]

It will be interesting to see if his fur grows back the same color. Probably will since he is young, when my old ginger cat had to be shaved a lot of his formerly orange fur grew back white.

[Time4ANap]

Looks like there was some debate about this practice even back in 2007 on the Greyhound Data forum.  Not much of a thread but gives the perspective of a couple trainers or owners.  Primarily coat maintenance or keeping them cooler in summer if they had a thick coat from the few responses on the forum. https://www.greyhound-data.com/knowledge.php?b=4&note=80913

(Scroll down to see the forum after clicking) 

[ahicks51]

He's not really all that soft, probably because the coat is growing back in while the undercoat is doing its own thing. He looks a lot better today, the coat is growing back in quite nicely.

Notable: He came in with a big 'ol soft lump on the side of his neck, and it's gone. Weird.

[macdaddy]

Maybe he identifies as a skinhead ...or like me just trying to disguise male pattern baldness..

[ahicks51]

It gets weirder. He never raced, and I don't think he was ever registered (maybe the entire litter), but the right ear tat is 10T.

January 2020, A, B, C, D, E.... T.

20 in a litter? It's pretty clearly a letter T.

[tbhounds]

Regarding the tattoo…..Irish?  The Irish hounds only have letters and usually just 3.  Is the 1 & O clear?