Bel's Short 'N Fluffy Grooming Service
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How much does it hurt our furbaby!!                                                                       Matting and brushing, why we need to do it!!

24/3/2017

1 Comment

 
Every groomers goal is to have clients that love coming to them and leave happy, healthy and looking beautiful.
The one thing that can make your furbaby dislike their groomer is knowing that each time they turn up to the salon they are going to be brushed, and most of the time have mattes and knots pulled. You cannot ask your groomer to brush and pull mats out of your dogs coat and then wonder why your dog does not like going to the groomer.
 
Groomers do not want to be made the bad guy by having to be the mean person who brushes out mats and tangles that the owner allowed to get into the coat.
 
What causes matted and tangled hair?
 
Lack of regular brushing:
With our busy lifestyles, many owners don't have extra time to stop and thoroughly brush out their dogs coat.
Many pet owners think that they don't need to brush their furbabys hair.
 
Unfortunately, many breeders don't bother to educate the people buying their puppies about how to groom them between salon visits.
Medium and long hair breeds require daily brushing to keep their coats tangle free.
Just imagine the dreadlocks you would have if you didn't brush your hair.
 
Non-shedding and short hair breeds still require brushing between baths. This stimulates blood flow under the skin and reduces the likelihood of sebaceous cysts and removes dead hair.
Dead hair, from long or double coated breeds tend to stay in the coat and wraps itself around the good hair causing mats. Removal of large matts will take more time to do and it will cost more.
 
Why can't my groomer just brush the mats and tangles out? That is their job!  

A groomers job is to gently brush, comb, bathe, and trim or clip and pamper your pet. Creating a bond where your furbaby is happy to come for their pamper.
De-matting is both stressful for the groomer and your furbaby due to the owner not regularly brushing.
Brushing and combing mats and tangles out of a pets coat is a painful process.
Imagine having a head full of dreadlocks and asking your hairdresser to brush them out so you don't loose length.
People become groomers to help dogs feel good, not to hurt them.
It is an owners responsibility to take care of their dogs coat between professional grooms.
 
Won't the mats and tangles just fall out when the groomer bathes my dog?
 
Mats and tangles cannot be 'wash out' of a dogs coat.
When matted hair becomes wet and is left to dry, the mats and tangles become even tighter, making them even harder to remove. We all recommend that if you bath your pup, dry with a hairdryer and brush out to stop matts occurring.
 
I DO brush my dog everyday, but the groomer still said that he is matted.
 
The most common mistake that pet owners make when brushing out their pets, is that they only brush the top of the coat. Leaving mats to gather in the undercoat.
When brushing out a coat start at the tail and with your hand push the fur forward. Take the brush and gently brush the hair back. You will see any matts and find it easier to remove them before they become larger and closer to the skin.
 
Different stages of Matting
In some cases the groomer can cut mats and tangles out leaving most of the coat intact.
There are several different types of mats.
 
Small, loose hanging mats:
 
The leg pictured is a Shih-tzu's leg.
 
This dog has a few small, looses mats that are not tight to the skin.
​
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The groomer was able to thin the mats out with thinning scissors and gently brush the mat out.
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Most furbaby's will tolerate the removal of these mats.
Large, loose hanging mats:
 
The large mats covering most of the leg and body, But not packed to the skin. 
Thinning scissors can be used to try to remove these matts. This will take a lot of time and some pain to the furbaby.
 
Extra time taken to remove these large mats, will be an extra cost.

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Packed, hard mats:
 
The mats on this Maltese are large, hard, and packed tight to the dogs skin. These mats can ONLY be removed by shaving close to the skin.
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These are mats and tangles that have connected together all throughout the coat to make one continuous mat all over the dog. Problems can occur with shaving, irritation is one. But, leaving mats to breed bacteria and cause sores is much worse.  Below is a photo of the under belly of the above Maltese. He has many sores and infections. This will cost extra.
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Answers to frequently asked questions about grooming matted pups!
Why does the groomer have to shave so short?
  • If the matting is tight and close to the skin, the groomer will have to use a very short blade. 
  • If the matting is not too close to the skin, the groomer may be able to use a longer blade safely.
  • If your dogs coat is matted and tangled, your groomer has no choice in the length of blade that he/she has to use to safely remove the mats from your pets coat. 
The people who choose to become groomers  want to help your pet feel good.
We want  to give your pet a nice hair cut and help keep them healthy and clean.
 
  • A groomer is not lying when they tell you that brushing your dogs mats and tangles out will hurt them.
  • There are some dogs that don't mind having small mats and tangles brushed out.
  • There are other dogs that are very sensitive to any tugging and pulling that brushing out mats and tangles may cause.
 
The hair will grow back!
 
  • Your groomer wants your pets grooming experience to be as pleasant as possible.
  • Most groomers are more than happy to show you how to brush out your dog.
  • They will also show you the proper tools to do a good job.
If your life style does not allow you the time to keep your pet brushed out, or your pet does not care to be brushed, talk to your groomer about a cut that will help get your pets coat in good shape.
 
When a dogs coat is kept in good shape, your groomer can cut their hair to almost any length.



1 Comment

Fleas and our fur babies.

3/3/2015

5 Comments

 
Fleas are a problem in warm humid areas, particularly in high density living. Generally they start again in the middle of Spring here in Perth. It can be frustrating when you use a flea product, but you can still get fleas. The reason is the life cycle of the flea. *You will find an infestation if you have just moved into a new house/rental. That has had untreated pets and or/environment. 

If we step back and think about them, fleas are fascinating parasites. They are also very successful at what they do, which of course makes them difficult to control. It would be nice to think we could just put a monthly flea product on our pet then forget about it, but environmental treatment is also important. If you are after a more natural approach we will also give a few recommendations of what will and won’t work for your pet.

I have treated my furry friends but I still see fleas. Why?

Most flea products will kill adult fleas and stop them laying more eggs. Only 5% of the flea population actually lives on your pet, so if you are seeing 5 fleas, it means that there is another 95 fleas living in the environment.  The tiny eggs, larvae or pupae live in the environment, commonly concentrated around bedding, sandy areas your pet lays in, resting  areas. This means there are usually plenty of new fleas to replace those fleas on your pet that are being killed by your flea product. In addition, many products take hours or days to kill each single flea, so you can still see up to 20 fleas on your pet even though the product is working.

HOW DOES THE FLEA LIFE CYCLE WORK?

After a flea jumps onto your furbaby, the flea starts feeding on blood and laying eggs. A female flea can lay up to 50 eggs a day, so you can imagine how many eggs can be produced, laid, and hatched in a small space of time. Being on time with flea medication is very important in combating further infestations.  A walk in a park or a visit by another untreated BFF of your pet, one flea jumps and 50 eggs laid. It is that easy.

The eggs fall off your pet and hatch within 1-10 days (quicker if it is warm and humid). The hatched larvae move somewhere dark (usually downwards into gaps between floorboards, in soil, under mulch, deep in carpet or bedding or under furniture), where they feed on organic material (including flea faeces). After 5-11 days the larvae pupate, forming a sticky cocoon around themselves which protects them and makes them difficult to target with vacuuming or a flea bomb. After 7-10 days the fleas will hatch in response to vibrations, carbon dioxide or heat and go searching for a blood meal. If there is no stimulation to hatch, these fully developed fleas can stay in their cocoons for years.*Which is why in some cases you can move into a vacant property and have a big flea emergence all at once.

In warm humid conditions the flea cycle is very fast, and the whole thing is completed within 2 weeks. It slows down or stops altogether with dry, cold or very hot weather.

DO FLEAS HARM?

 Flea saliva allergies are very common in dogs and cats. FAD- Flea Allergy Dermatitis.  These unfortunate pets tend to scratch and chew, particularly around the base of the tail and often develop quite nasty hot spots or skin infections. FAD should be treated by a Veterinarian.

TYPES OF FLEA PRODUCTS

Flea shampoos and powders are very ineffective and a waste of time and money. The effects only last for as long as the substance stays in the coat, so one or a few days is all you get. Unfortunately flea control really is one of those things where you get what you pay for. Some topical or oral flea products can be expensive, but if you use them properly and throughout the year, combined with good environmental control, you will avoid the hassle and expense of employing a professional pest exterminator and costly veterinary bills from skin problems.

As mentioned previously, flea products for the most part don’t work instantly. The only repellent-style products available are Pyrethrim-based such as Permoxin and these are very toxic to cats. For all other products (Frontline Plus, Advantage, Advocate, Advantix, Comfortis and Revolution) the fleas must either bite your pet to ingest the toxin or absorb the toxin from contact with your pet’s skin, so you can see how a flea allergic pet will often have a problem if there are large numbers of newly emerged fleas in the environment. For these cats, the aim is to reduce environmental flea numbers AND treat your cat.

Products with Nitenpyram (like Capstar) have a faster speed of kill, than most top-spot products so if you are seeing large numbers of adult fleas on your pet, give them a Capstar tablet. It can be used in conjunction with all other flea products, but the effects only last for 24 hours, so it is impractical to use it as your sole form of flea treatment. The newest flea product out is called Comfortis. This monthly flea tablet starts working within hours, so it is the fastest acting monthly flea treatment currently available.

FREQUENT BATHING

Frontline Plus is stored in the sebaceous (oily) glands in the skin, so frequent bathing or swimming (more than weekly) can strip it from the skin and mean it is less effective. It is very important not to apply it just after a bath, and you cannot bathe your cat for 48 hour after using it. Frontline Plus has the advantage that the toxin used is not absorbed significantly by your cat, so if you are reluctant to use toxins in your pet, perhaps Frontline Plus is a good compromise.

HOW TO TREAT THE ENVIRONMENT-INSIDE

First look at where your pet spends most of his time. Target this area in particular. Use a flea bomb inside the house to get rid of those eggs and larvae, this bomb will keep working for up to 9 months..

If you are not keen to flea bomb, consider frequent vacuuming every 3 days. Also vacuum before the flea bomb and remember that those larvae are motile, so you will need to vacuum under furniture. Pay particular attention to pet sleeping areas. You will not necessarily vacuum up the fleas unless you have an industrial strength vacuum, as the flea cocoons are sticky, but vibrations of the vacuum will stimulate the fleas to emerge from their cocoons, and it is these cocoons that protect the pupae.

PET BEDDING

Make sure any pet beds can be washed in their entirety on a hot cycle in the washing machine (over 60ºC for more than 10 minutes). Dry the bed in the sun, or in a dryer on high heat.

KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER

  • Flea medication can seems like it is not working because nothing kills fleas instantly
  • Treat the environment with flea bombs and regular vacuuming
  • Wash pet beds weekly on a hot cycle
  • Keep lawns short and yards swept
  • If you bathe your pet more than weekly flea products may not work
  • Treat all pets, even those free-roaming cats if you can!
5 Comments

Is it dry skin?

3/3/2015

4 Comments

 
Is It Dry Skin?
One common cause of itching is dry skin. If you live in a region with low humidity, it’s more likely that your dog will have dry skin, which is fairly easy to recognize. When you part your dog’s hair, you see flakes of dandruff in the undercoat, and the skin itself may be cracked and tough. The slightest stimulation of the skin—your gentlest touch—can provoke your dog to scratch violently.

Dry skin can be influenced not only by environmental factors, but also by diet.

If you feed dry foods, then by all means add digestive enzymes to your dog’s meals. In fact, digestive enzymes are good to use with any type of food. Enzymes improve the release of nutrients, and beneficial probiotic bacteria also assist in the digestive process. (Probiotics also help with allergies, as noted below.) A healthy digestive system absorbs fluids more readily from the food your dog eats, thus improving hydration and increasing the moisture levels of the skin and haircoat.

Or Allergies?
Another common cause of itchy skin is allergies. Allergies may make your dog’s skin dry, greasy, or slightly dry and oily, and are accompanied by frequent scratching, licking or chewing. We are seeing significantly more cases of allergic dogs than we have in the past; many veterinarians believe that we are experiencing an “allergy epidemic.”

Whatever the cause, allergies are difficult to address. In the worst cases, afflicted dogs require strong (and potentially toxic) pharmaceuticals just to get some relief. Though allergies are rarely cured, early identification and intervention can keep them under control, and in some cases, can substantially diminish them. Veterinary advice is recommended.

Clinical research has shown that one successful way to reduce the likelihood that dogs will develop allergies is to give them high-potency cultures of beneficial probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus bifidus when they are very young. Probiotics are relatively inexpensive, absolutely safe to use, and can save both dog and the owner tons of grief later in life.

Regardless of age, many dogs’ allergies are controlled by improving the quality of their diet, giving them high potency acidophilus cultures and high doses of fish oils; adding freshly milled flax seed; and, in some cases, giving them antihistamines. (It can take up to three months for this regimen to take effect; see sidebar for details and dosages.)

Determining which condition your dog is dealing with requires a vet’s evaluation

We at Bel’s Short n Fluffy Grooming Service will only use the very best shampoo’s and conditioner and we are always trying new low- allergen products. Our newest product is A boy and his dog’s Natural dog shampoo, environmentally Friendly .

4 Comments

    Author

    Vet nursing for the past 10 years and owner/operator of Bel's Short 'N Fluffy Grooming Service.

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