While we sweat to control our body temperature and our skins have grown relatively thick to protect our insides from the harsh environmental elements, your dogs’ coat is the one doing both jobs for your pooch.
Your Golden Retriever’s double coat is very important to their health, and it serves a lot of functions. You can usually cut their hair a little short and it will be fine.
So, what does this mean?
Does Golden Retriever hair grow back? Yes, Golden Retriever hair grows back, and it usually takes 3 months or a little more for their coat to grow back. If they’re shaved to the skin, there is a risk your dog’s coat may not regrow to what it was before.
There are, of course, ways in which you could help your dog’s coat grow back more quickly and get back to its former glory before the cut. Keep reading to find out how you can help your dog’s coat grow back quickly.
5 Ways to Make Golden Retriever Hair Grow Back (Faster)
Here are 5 ways to help your dog’s hair grow back faster:
- Feed them foods rich in Omega fats
- Give them Omega-3 and Omega-6 supplements
- Brush them every day
- Wash them with an oatmeal shampoo
- Keep them bacteria-free with this homemade remedy
Let’s go over each of them really quickly.
Feed Them Foods rich in Omega Fats
Give your dog foods that are rich in Omega fats. Omega fats can help your dog’s coat grow and become healthy and radiant.
Foods rich in Omega fats to feed your dog:
- Fish – especially Salmon, Tuna, Herring, and Sardines
- Seafood
- Nuts and Seeds – such as flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts
- Fortified Foods – such as eggs
- Plant oils – such as soybean oil and Canola oil.
The important thing is to keep their diet balanced overall and to only feed them foods that dogs can eat. Make sure to never include any of these 18 foods that goldens should never, ever eat in their diets.
Give them Supplements
You can add Omega-3 and -6 supplements to your dog’s diets. These can fight skin inflammations and make the skin and coat healthier.
They can also replace essential oils and stop the itching which stops the dog from scratching which often leads to hair loss.
I use the supplements pictured above, which you can get from Amazon here. I give my dog’s once-daily orally and I have not seen any side effects so far, but I’m not a vet, and you should probably give your vet a call to ask on the appropriate dose.
Brush them every day
Brushing your dog daily can help distribute their natural skin oils and remove any dirt, debris, or dead hair that’s stuck in their coat.
I brush my goldens every day using the Hertzko slicker brush (get it on Amazon here), and you can also check out all my recommended brushes here as there are different brushes for different needs.
Brushing your dog every day doesn’t have to take long. It usually takes me less than 30 minutes to brush each dog (I have more than one golden), but I don’t always brush the whole dog at once.
[su_box title=”Pro Tip” box_color=”#ed7f33″ title_color=”#ffffff” radius=”20″]If you don’t have the time, you can brush just one part of your dog every day so you can cover their whole body in a couple of days. One day, do the back, another the tummy, the following do the legs, and so on. This way saves you time and makes the dog more used to it. [/su_box]
Wash Them with Oatmeal Shampoo
Oatmeal shampoos can kill the bacteria, remove the dirt, and promote hair growth in dogs. Give your dog a bath every couple of weeks to help their coats grow.
I absolutely love the Oatmeal shampoo from pet pleasant, and for many reasons, but I especially love how it makes them smell after every bath. It makes me want to cuddle them all day long!
You can get this shampoo on Amazon here.
I also recommend taking a minute to go through these secret golden retriever bathing tips that can make your life a lot easier while giving them a bath.
Keep them Bacteria-Free
There is a very simple home remedy that every dog owner should know and use:
- 1/2 cup of white vinegar
- 1/2 gallon of water
- Mix them together
Simply spray the mixture on them after the bath while they’re still wet. This mixture can help kill the bacteria which can slow down their coat growth.
How Long Does it Take for Golden Retriever Hair to Grow Back?
It can take a couple of weeks for golden retriever hair to grow back after it was cut a little short, but it can take up to 4 months to grow back if it was shaved to the skin. Golden Retrievers’ coats shouldn’t be shaved down to the skin because it may never regrow to the way it was before.
Your golden retriever’s double coat can insulate them from both the hot and cold weather. It’s not like they are wearing a heavy coat that they need to take off to cool down in the hot weather.
Shaving your dog’s coat is a bad idea, you can learn why shaving your golden can have terrible consequences here.
If you do live in a hot area, there are other ways to help them cool down, and you can check my complete guide to how golden retrievers can live in hot weather here. I have lived in some really hot spots before with my goldens, so I included the 13 tips that I have found really helpful to me through the years, so make sure to check it out.
What to Do if Golden Retriever hair is not growing back?
Why doesn’t your golden retriever hair grow back? Your golden retriever’s hair may not be growing back because of a hormonal deficiency, hormonal imbalance, a bacterial infection, ringworm, or mange.
This is called post-clipping Alopecia, and it’s more common than we’d like it to be. It’s one of the main reasons I always tell people to avoid clipping their dog’s hair altogether and just keep a regular grooming routine.
What should you do if their hair is not growing back? You should take your golden retriever to the vet who will do a physical examination and take blood samples for a diagnosis. After diagnosis, they will put them on a course of medications that will likely include antibiotics.
Clipping your dog’s hair, contrary to common belief, can damage their coat and make shedding even worse. You can learn 17 better ways to manage their shedding here instead of shaving their coats.
Related Questions
Is it OK to shave your Golden Retriever?
No, It’s not OK to shave your golden retriever unless it’s the doctor’s orders and is done under medical supervision. Shaving your golden retriever’s coat leaves them exposed to infections, fleas, ticks, and the weather.
By shaving their coat, you are leaving them completely naked with no defence line against insects, environmental elements, and diseases. It’s not recommended at all to shave a golden retriever unless it’s absolutely necessary such as for a surgery.
Can I cut my Golden retriever’s Hair Short?
You can cut your golden retriever’s hair short and it should be fine. Their hair will grow back in a couple of months. Be careful when cutting their hair to never pull it and never get the hair follicles out.
