Grooming tips by April

Skunk spray removal

   If your dog has an encounter with a skunk , the sooner you clean him the better the results.

   Over the years I have tried many products in the grooming salon.
It’s a good idea to have on hand a bottle of hydrogen peroxide 3 % available at your local grocer or pharmacy . Also a box of baking soda. Mix one bottle of peroxide with ¼ cup baking soda. Add a drop of Palmolive dish detergent or shampoo and stir. Rub this mixture in massaging into the skin . Let stand for 10 minutes then rinse very well. Best if you have a spray nozzle in a shower or laundry tub. . To rinse the head tip the head back and rinse back away from the eyes, down the sides of the cheeks also away from the eyes. Another product that works well is SOS skunk odour removal shampoo. Also pure Ayre odour remover can be sprayed on the dog between groomings or after the dog has been out in the rain. This product is made from food safe products and wont hurt your dog if ingested.

   Skunk odour absorbs into the pores and when the dog gets wet you can smell a slight odour sometimes for months later. This is why the sooner after the encounter its dealt with the better results.

Bathing and brushing tips.

   Your dog should always be brushed before bathing. If theres dead coat sitting and your dog is washed, the dead coat mats tightly into the coat. Imagine a wool sweater that has been shrunk . The fibers tighten. The dogs woolly coat gets tighter and the mats become very hard to brush out.

   If you like to keep your dog in a long coat and scissored..its best to keep it well brushed or bring more often from a good brushing and bath . once its very long..and very tangled..then the coat needs to be cut down to be able to demat without hurting the dog. Usually I can cut down to about half and demat. But if the mats have been washed tight..then the clipper or scissors cant go through..they have to go under the matting.