Skunks are on the move!!

Skunks, they are on the move!! Scurrying around grabbing up every last morsel they can find to fatten up before winter. That face may look innocent and you may remember the lovable Peppy La’pew, but their smell strikes terror in the hearts of the young and old. If you have dog, you have learned to fear this normally harmless creature. Skunks are slow moving, nocturnal, and generally keep to themselves and only way to know you’ve had a visit from a skunk is that distinctive sent they leave behind.HOPFULLY the dog was smart enough to keep a safe distance. Unfortunately most dogs just can’t help themselves. If you happen to find yourself this unfortunate predicament, instincts will tell you to give a tomato juice bath. However a much more effective concoction is 1quart hydrogen peroxide, ¼ cup baking soda, and 1 tsp dawn dash soap, mix, and let this set for at least 10 minutes (the longer the better). This does burn a bit, so be sure NOT to get in the eyes! Because of the Hydrogen peroxide it can bleach the fur a bit, but it is a small price to pay. Nothing on the market will get rid of the smell 100% but this works the best in my experience. Just remember time is key, you want to get the dog soaking as SOON as possible! The longer you wait the longer the smell has to set in. If you have a haircut type dog, the best thing is to shave the hair off….. You can always bring your stinky pup to the groomer for a de-skunking treatment. This will typically cost you $5-15 above the regular grooming prices.

Sometimes skunks will take up permanent residences on your property. Don’t fret, you can do something about this. Though, killing them is not always the best option. When skunks die they typically release their stench (especially if shot) which can linger for a long time. Live trapping is surprisingly the best option. Skunks only spray if and when they have a target. So the trick to trapping is to set the trap in a place you can sneak up, and throw a blanket/sheet/towel over it. This blinds the skunk so it won’t spray. Then place the trap in the back of a pickup truck (you won’t want to put it into an enclosed vehicle) and re-home them in a non-populated area. Getting them out of the trap is a little trickier, this is a dump and RUN!

If you have any questions please comment, message, email Chelseas_pet_grooming@yahoo.com or call (616)896-1989 Thanks!!!  

Fall blowout!!!

Fall is here! And so is another shedding season… Yes, all those beautiful double coated dogs are going through a molting. Dogs do this in preparation for winter, they slip out of their summer outfits, and don their winter snowsuits.

Some people including me (before I was a groomer of course) think all those tufts of fur hanging off their body’s need to stay to help keep them warm, and hesitate to brush. This is not true, nor good. All that loose fur is called “undercoat” and needs to be removed or else it has the opposite effect. That loose, dead, undercoat can get caught up in the “topcoat” and mat. When this happens those mats will get wet from rain and snow, those tend not to dry as quickly as the good fur, and when a pup is wet, it’s cold. Also, that wet fur can lead to other skin irritations. It’s just not good all the way around. So in short you need to brush all of that loose undercoat out. You could spend hours and days brushing garbage bags of fur out of your pooch, or, drop them off at your local groomer for a few hours, and like magic they will be tuft free!! Be sure to ask the groomer if they “hand dry” with a “high velocity” drier, if not, you shouldn’t even waste your money with them and find one who does. But if you’re up for the challenge, I would recommend a rubber brush and furminator for the shorter haired dogs, and slicker brush, comb, and furminator for the long haired dogs

Labradoodles and Goldendoodles

 

 

 

 These are very nice, friendly, high energy, healthy dogs. However don’t be leave everything the breeder tells you. Most of them will tell you, they are a low maintenance, hypoallergenic, non-shedding dog. This is mostly a lie. Although few of their pups do have some of those desirable traits, most do not. There are 3 types of hair coats, curly, wavy, and a course wiry type.

                                                                                                                                                                    

      

 

Curly: This type is the most hypoallergenic and non-shedding of the 3. Unfortunately when you have a dog with those wonderful qualities it means they are VERY high maintenance. They will need to be brushed on a very regular basis and need professional grooming every 6 to 8 weeks (depending on the haircut you prefer).

 

 

Wavy: Very similar to curly but can be less hypoallergenic, more shedding and need just as much grooming. But that face just might be worth all that trouble J

Course/wiry: This is the cutest in my book. However they tend to be the least hypoallergenic and heavy shedders, not quit as much their full golden /lab halves, but a pretty unfortunate amount. On the upside, they do tend to be that “low-maintenance dog” the breeder told you about in the professional grooming department (as long as you like that cute scruffy look). Professional grooming will be helpful with the shedding, and to give your doodle a “managed scruffy” look. A good brush threw once every other week should be enough to keep the knots and tangles away. And when the shedding gets to be more then you can handle, give your groomer a call and they will take care of the rest.

Another tidbit of info is grooming prices. Most grooming prices in west Michigan range from $50-80 that mostly depends on the condition of the coat and the desired length. “My” prices are more around $50 (I’ve got to get people to come down my dirt road somehow). The best way to find out would be to contact groomers in your area and ask about pricing before going out and getting a doodle. The fun thing about them is, there’s no breed specific trim, so you can be as fun and inventive with your doodles trim as you dare. From short to long trims, moe-hawks, lion trims and pom-poms, if you can think it your groomer will do their best to make it happen.

I hope this was helpful. Feel free to comment , email or call with any questions (616)896-1989

Thanks for reading,

Chelsea

Ear infections

It is a sad fact that most dogs today suffer from ear infections. If your dog is one of the lucky few that doesn’t, you should go give him/her some loving because they make your life easier.

For the rest of you that aren’t so lucky I have some tips. As I’m sure most know infections grow in dark moist places. So the best way to prevent ear infections is to keep your pets ears clean and dry. This is easier for those pets that have ears that stand up straight, because air can get into the ear canal to keep it dry. But for those lovable floppy eared dogs, they tend to have the most issue because their ears hang close to their heads, therefore not letting the air circulate. What I use is Listerine mouth wash and cotton balls. All you do is saturate the cotton ball in Listerine and rub the ears clean, repeat until the ear is thoroughly clean. It is very cheap and very effective (but not the new stuff that is gentle) You want the Listerine that makes your eyes water. Because it has a high alcohol content which is what helps dry out the ears (and bonus it gives them a clean fresh smell). For some pour dogs it doesn’t matter how faithfully you clean their ears they are going to still get infections and you will have bring them to the vet to get them treated. After they come home, the vet typically will give you drops and tell you clean before you put in the drops. When the ear is infected it is usually red, swollen, and has puss oozing (yeah it’s gross). When the ear is like this, most (to all) dogs no longer like you to try and clean their ears. It hurts!!! So what I do (and think it works best when the ear is infected) is do an ear flush. I know just minute ago I told you to keep water out of the ears, but bear with me. I recommend doing this in a tub because it gets messy, and so you can see what is coming out of the ear. Once your dog is in the tub, it’s the best if you have a detachable spray nozzle, if not use a turkey bastor. If you have the spray nozzle all you do is hold up the ear, and spray warm water directly into the ear canal (you are going to want use some good water pressure) and watch all of the gunk coming out, keep going until the water is running clean. If all you had was the turkey bastor then grab a bowl of warm water and use the bastor to suck up the water then hold it to the opening of the ear canal and force the water into it, keep repeating till the water runs clean. It may sound like torture but I have found most dogs actually enjoy it. After the ear is clean you are going to want to get the rest of the water out. Back to the Listerine, it’s best if you have an eyedropper, so suck out some Listerine and fill the ear till it spills out, then stuff a cotton ball in the ear to soak up it up. I would leave the cotton ball in for about 5-10 minutes after that, use the vet recommended drops. Hope that was helpful J             

Nail Triming

Nail trimming is a very important part of owning a pet. If nails are not attended to they can become over grown and very painful for your pet. Like this……

A nail can grow so long that it will curl around and start to dig into the pad, so with every step your pet takes that nail gets pushed in deeper and becomes more painful. Once that happens even after the nail is cut down, that nail could have cut in so deep that the pad will start to bleed once the nail is pulled out and may need medical attention.

                                                   If your pet grows their nails like this……

It won’t be too painful but it can (in some cases) cause the foot to become deformed and then it will become painful.

                                                      These are well taken care of nails

                           The first step to taking care of your pets nails is understanding the nail…….

This is a little diagram to help you. As you can see, the base of the nail is pink that is the “quick”(the quick is a blood vain that runs through the nail) and past the quick is white, that is pure nail and safe to cut.

                                                           Next is to buy the right tools

                                     This is what I use, it works GREAT and for all size nails

                                            Now to put what you’ve learned into practice

You are going to want to cut just after the pink. If your pet has black nails, those are a little harder, and it might be better to bring to a professional (vet or groomer (groomer will be cheaper). If you are feeling brave and want to try, just start at the end of the nail and trim a little bit at a time. As you get close to the quick a small dark colored circle will appear, stop cutting there! But if you get a little too close to the quick it WILL start to bleed. Depending on how bad you cut it will ether bleed A LOT or a lot. In that case you are going to want to use this

This is what I use, but if you can’t find “Kwik Stop” specifically, than any kind of styptic powder will work great. You will find it in the health/first aid/dewormer section at the pet store. All you have to do is grab a pinch of the powder in your fingers, then press it onto the injured nail and hold for a few seconds. I would also recommend buying it BEFORE you even attempt trimming the nails.

A few dogs I groomed today

Matilda
she is a nice little Caire Terrier



Daisy

she is some kind of Shih Tzu mix.

She had a rough start, her last owner

 just stopped feeding her.

 But now she has a new loving home

 and gets LOTS of foodJ

She is SUCH a sweetheart and loved being pampered.



Button
He is a Siba Inu
a handsome young man
with the best temperment.
and like the cutiest face!



Aspen
she is an American Eskimo Dog
they are normally alot hairier but
her owners like her short.
She is such a ham and loves
everyone!



Sony

This is Sony, she is a Shetland sheepdog. She actually comes from the same breeder as my little sheltieJ she was a joy to groom. Such a sweetheart!! Fun fact, she was the 1st litter that Jackie Copland (the breeder) developed that are only the black and white.  Shelties normally only come in 3 varieties, Sable (the color of my Shasta), Blue Merle, and Tri color. So I thought it was neat that there is a new color. Anyways here are some before and afters.     



Before



After



Before

After



Before



After



Tadaa!
Beautiful Sony