I'm thinking of entering the LKA show in December but it's possible our dog may have to have a blood test before then and I was wondering if we would get 'marked down' for this. Do others usually withdraw from shows in this case?

Many Thanks

I would hope not My Champion beardie won a CC & BOB just after she had to be speyed(well four weeks)you couldn't see the operation scar & coat clipping, but she had a bald patch on her judge side leg which was quite visible It took ages to grow back & she a breed club BIS before it grew back as well

Your Vet should be able to take blood without shaving the leg if you tell him that you're going to a show.

Thanks Val,

I must say that thought never crossed my mind - he's having (hopefully) his last test next wednesday and depending on the results he may/may not have to have more. I'll ask them if they mind not shaving him next time.

Many thanks

As Val said, for a blood test the dog does not have to be shaved.  TELL your vet your dog has a show and that you don't want him to be shaven.  Our vets have no-problem with this!

My vet never shaves but if yours does do not worry, if a judge does not know that the hair is shaved lets face it there would be no point in asking their opinion of your dog.

I asked Delilahs vet to take the minimum hair possible when taking blood....she is an afghan. They didnt want me to go with her for her test as they said it would upset her more. When she came back they had shaved a four inch band around the whole of her leg. I know that the culprit was the vet nurse....who is a very forthright person who always makes it clear to me that she disapproves of showing. I was absolutely devastated....her coat will take approximately 2 years to grow  to reach the length of the rest of her coat.
I would highly recommend that you supervise your dogs blood test personally...I will NEVER make the same mistake again.

If I was judging I wouldnt penalise for that

I've been with him for two of the previous tests and my vets are fairly good about doing as I ask. His coat has taken approximately 9 - 10 weeks to fully grow back from where he has been shaved before (which isn't too bad but it did come back a different colour! I was always getting told he had very unusual markings :rolleyes: ) The colour has evened out now though.

My vets are really good, they know i wanted to show my 6 month puppy and phoned me before they shaved his leg.  He was in to have a baby canine removed.  After the intial panic of a phone call from the vets while i was at work, i did say shave if you have too, i really suprised to pick him up and find there was not one hair missing from his leg.  I guess some vets are more understading than others

Guess I am lucky my principle vet says that there is no need in a fit animal to remove hair to take blood and he would not employ a vet that could not do so without shaving, he added that sometimes in the case of an animal involved in an accident shaving was needed because the blood drains back to the vital organs in a situation like that and the health of the animal was paramount.

Thanks everyone - I took him in today for the blood test and just mentioned I would prefer him not to be shaved and that was fine :) Mind you his last one was only 4 weeks ago so the hair around that area is fairly short anyway. Hopefully this is his last one now :)

Great!!