Whippet, eight years old, almost no coat on him. Bathed him on Sunday and he shivered for about an hour afterwards even indoors with the heating on, and he has sneezed a few times since.
My mother is adamant I have given him a cold. I do not think that is how colds work, but I also do not love that he was cold for an hour. What is actually the risk here, and how should I be drying him in winter?
The drying routine for a dog like yours. Warm the bathroom first, lukewarm water tested on your wrist, and be quick about the whole thing. Then towel hard with two or three microfibre towels, which hold far more water than ordinary ones.
Blow dry on low or cool if he tolerates it, dryer moving and held back so you do not burn him. Then check he is dry to the skin rather than dry on the surface, keep him in until he is, and give him a blanket somewhere out of the draught.
And no garden trip or walk until he is completely dry. A wet dog outside in winter is the actual risk.
Worth knowing what too cold looks like so you can judge it next time rather than guessing: shivering that does not settle once he is dry, hunched posture with the tail tucked, hunting for warm spots, lethargy or odd weakness, and ears or feet cold to the touch.
Also, in winter you do not have to bathe him at all for most things. Spot clean muddy paws and belly with a damp cloth, brush him properly, which removes a surprising amount, and keep waterless shampoo or grooming wipes for touch-ups. Save the full bath for a milder day.
@microfibre_towels · 7d ago · 3 replies
Your mother is wrong on the mechanism and half right on the worry. A bath does not give a dog a cold: respiratory infections come from viruses and bacteria, usually picked up off other dogs, and being wet does not create them.
But a dog that gets genuinely chilled is a separate problem, and a whippet is near the top of the list for it. Thin coat, low body fat, loses heat fast. Shivering for an hour indoors is longer than I would want.
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@shivered_for_an_hour · 7d ago
So the sneezing is unrelated, or could the chill have made him more likely to pick something up?
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@microfibre_towels · 6d ago
A few sneezes straight after a bath is usually water or shampoo up the nose. If he develops coughing, persistent sneezing, runny eyes or nose or goes lethargic over the next few days, that is more likely something he caught at the park, and either way it is a vet visit rather than a bath question.
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