The Grooming Process

In this blog I will be describing the whole grooming process using model dog R.J (Rex JNR.)

Before Photo: RJ is a 8 weekly regular. His ears are matted so will need to be shaved off.

The first step is the preparation work. The nose, bum, privates and paw pads are shaved. The bulk of the coat is shaved off roughly so that I am not washing and drying un wanted fur. In RJ's case his ears needed to be shaved due to matting. Ears are cleaned and plucked and nails are clipped. The tail was fairly matted so I tried to dematt as much as I could. 

Next is the bath. RJ was bathed in everyday chocolate scented shampoo as he has no skin conditions. His tail was soaked in conditioner to help remove the remainder of the matts. All dogs receive a massage whilst the shampoo soaks in. Then rinse making sure all the shampoo is out.

Next is blow drying. RJ doesn't like the dryer around his face much. Different coats have a different style of drying. RJ is just having a basic summer short hair cut so nothing special is needed. I had to use a hand held hair dryer to dry the remainder of his head and face. The dog has to be 100% dry before I can use my clippers on it again or I risk electrocution. 

Next is the finishing clip. RJ has a #5 blade which is a nice practical length for summer without being shaved to the skin. 

Finally the scissor work. I started with his feet and legs. 

Finished up with his head and face. Making sure that his face is in proportion to his body. He had a short blade on his body so I used a #3 blade which is two lengths longer then what is on his body for the top of his head. I trimmed his face up nice and short and keep it rounded to maintain the "teddy bear" look. 

Next step is to brush the tail out. Because it was soaked in my special conditioner the matts were easy to remove. I then trim the ends.

The most important part of the groom- I put RJ on the ground for the all important shake to pull out any loose or messy ends. I trim up all the stray hairs, place a bow and spray with cologne. RJ is now finished and ready to be picked up! 

The Pink Pooch Dog a Grooming Resident Pets

There is nothing more I like talking about then my Pets! I decided to dedicate today's blog to all SEVEN of my pets and a special tribute to the ones who had recently passed to Rainbow Bridge.

First up is the oldest pack member Cooper.

Cooper is a Westhighland Terrier x Fox Terrier. He is 9 years old and I rescued him when he was 2 years old when I was volunteering at other RSPCA. I was looking for a companion for my Belgium Shepherd but was looking for another large dog. After trailing over 5 dogs I came across Cooper who was this shivering, scared, skinny little dog hiding at the back of his shelter. He looked at me with his big brown eyes and I was hooked. Cooper came from a horrible background, his elderly owner was an animal hoarder and had lost control of all the animals she had (apparently over 50 dogs and cats) Cooper had no socialization skills, he did not trust people and the vets and behaviourist at the RSPCA said that he should be humanely euthanized. He was also heart worm positive. I decided I would give him a go as we both instantly connected the first time we sore each other. He had to be muzzled the first few days. I introduced him to Jessie, my shepherd and they were a match made in heaven. Jessie taught him how to enjoy life, she taught him how to enjoy affection and to really be a dog again. Once I saw that he was making progress I paid for the treatment of his heart worm. Cooper still has his issues, but he has come a long way from the scared little dog that he was before. He is primarily my dog. He does occasionally have dominance issues with other male or bigger dogs so he is usually kept separate when grooming. He is starting to age a bit and has arthritis in his toes. 

The next dog is my gorgeous little princess and my pride and joy, Lulu.

Lulu is a toy "Cavoodle" (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel x Poodle) she is not a rescue but simply came into my possession at 9 months old due to her owner not being able to take care of her anymore. She is now just short of 2 years old. Lulu was your usual naughty puppy, but as she has grown up she has become an amazing dog and salon mascot. Lulu is the friendliest dog you will ever meet and makes all visiting dogs feel very welcome! I hope to be able to enter her into a salon freestyle competition at GroomQuest in the near future. 

Lewis or Lewey is the newest member of my pack.

Lewis is a Cavoodle just like Lulu but is about twice her height. He is approximately 18 months old and got surrendered to me after his owner admitted that she could not care for him anymore due to her lack of understanding of the breed. Cavoodles are high energy dogs and require both mental and physical stimulation daily. Lewis was very matted so he does not have the prettiest hairstyle at the moment and he needs to gain a bit of weight. He has the similar personality of Lulu but has about 100x more energy then her. He still needs a lot of training so won't be allowed to join Cooper and Lulu in the salon until he learns his manners, oh and also gets neutered! 

You have probably seen two little kittens hanging around while your dropping off or picking up your dog/s.

The grey tabby kitten is called Penny and she is about 5 months old and the black and white kitten is called Mia and she is about 4 months old. Penny was given to me as a Christmas present. She was very shy at first and scared of the dogs and other cats but she soon warmed up to everyone. She is quite an observant little kitten and will sit on her pedestal in the salon and watch everything. I acquired Mia about 2 weeks before Penny and she was not very well looked after. She was about 4 weeks old and was not eating solids. The person I got her from said that she was a stray and was living in their shed with her brother and mum. She had already found a home for mum and brother but poor little Mia was left by herself. The original caregivers knew nothing about cats but had to get rid of them due to having dogs. Mia was infested with fleas, I had to bath her in the laundry sink to get rid of all the fleas, she must have enjoyed it because ever since she joins in on bath day every Friday with the dogs! Mia loves to think she is helping out with the grooming, and will often join the dogs on the table and comfort them. Please let me know if your dogs are not cat friendly!

My eldest cat, and my fluffy princess is Daisy. She is 6 years old and I hand raised her from 2 weeks old. 

Daisy has had no end of health problems in her short life and vets always told me not to expect her to live past 2 years old. She has FIV (feline Aids) that she got from her mother via her milk, she has also battled with feline leukemia which cost me near $2000 to get her into remission. She also has stress induced asthma and just recently she came in contact with a paralysis tick and nearly lost her life. I have put a lot of money into Daisy and I have a huge connection with her. I can't tell you why but I would trade anything in the world (except my kids of course) to protect her. Daisy is extremely well looked after, she eats a special food specially formulated for her, and she is not allowed to step foot outside (1 because she has FIV and if she gets in contact with a non vaccinated cat she can pass it on and 2 she is quite happy being inside) 

Kittie is a 5 year old Bengal x DSH. It is suspected that she received some brain trauma as a young kitten and now suffers from quite a lot of psychological problems. I bought Kittie for $500 from a breeder who said the mother cat who was the Bengal got outside and came back pregnant. I had always wanted a Bengal but they came with a huge price tag. Kittie was unusually small for a 10 week old kitten and the lady just handed her to me in a wire bird cage. I asked to see the mother cat and the other kittens as I originally wanted a boy and she became offensive and said all the other kittens had died and she couldn't find the mother cat. I was very suspicious, paid the lady the money and drove straight to the vet. The vet said that Kittie was fine, just a little on the small side and dehydrated. Kittie was never a kitten. It was so sad to see that she just didn't understand the concept of playing. She didn't really get along with my other cats Daisy and Poppy at the time either. It's been a hard journey with Kittie, she is a very anxious cat, she will pluck her fur out when she becomes stressed or if something changes in the house. She almost has split personalities, she will quite calmly walk past another cat and then 2 seconds later she will be chasing them down going for the kill. You cannot contain her, she is the only cat that I allow outside as Kittie is always happier when she is allowed to do what she wants. It is not my ideal situation, but it works. Occasionally she will come and sit on my lap for a cuddle, but most of the time she will just run away. I have since had a baby and that has really affected her to the point where she needs Valium to calm down. I have decided that it is best to find her a new home as I have another baby on the way. She would suit an elderly couple with no other cats who are able to cater for her special needs.

And last we have Puss (Puss in Boots) this is my husbands cat. He is the only male cat we have. He is a shy but sweet boy and mostly likes to cuddle up on the bed at night. He is a big boy, weighing in at a whopping 7kg but he is in no way overweight! Puss prefers to keep to himself and likes to hide out under the bed or in a cupboard during the day. I swear he doesn't like me as he always bites my toes at night time and then creeps around my husband acting all innocent. 

This is Jessie. She was a Belgium Shepherd x Kelpie. She lived a happy and healthy life until her sudden death at 13 years old towards the end of last year. Jessie had been battling with Kidney Failure for a long time and eventually lost her battle. RIP

Sophie was a Westhighland Terrier x Silky Terrier. She passed Feburay 2013 at 12 years old from a suspected heart attack. Poor old girl did not age gracefully and battled with extreme skin infections and mange all her life. She is a lot happier now with Jessie in Rainbow Bridge. RIP.

My grooming service and prices are non negotiable.

This is a topic that frustrates me quite a bit. If your easily offended or have ever tried to haggle down a professional service I reccomend you don't read any further.

I have been getting a lot of enquiries recently via Facebook, email, phone and text and although a lot of those people proceed to make a booking I still have those few people that whinge and try to haggle on the price. My prices are FIRM unless otherwise agreed upon. Small dog 10kg and under is $45, medium dog 10- 20kg is $55, large dog 20-35kg is $65 and extra large dog 35kg+ is $75. This price is for 'the Works' which includes a bath, blowdry, ear cleaning and plucking, nail clipping and the hair cut. 

I offer multiple dog discounts so save yourself $5 and bring along a friends dog and also a $5 discount for pensioners. I have just recently brought in some loyalty cards which have some amazing discounts on them including on your 5th visit you get a half price groom and 10th visit you get the groom for free! 

It really makes me quite upset when people try to haggle with me. I am very flexible and will try to work with you the best I can but I have to make a living myself! My shampoo, tools and utilities are not cheap, but I like to use the best so my customers are guaranteed a great quality groom and at an affordable price. I am a young, work from home mum and the dog grooming is my main income. I know that money is an issue for a lot of people, but to be brutally honest, if you can't scrape up the money every 2-3 months to get your dog groomed, then perhaps you need to reconsider your finances. I know stuff happens and quite often our four legged, furry friends are often the ones who get neglected but please just speak to me and we may be able to work something out- you may have something that I need, or even a nice, home cooked meal (I am a terrible cook!) 

Here is a list of stuff that I need and I am willing to swap grooming services for:

- Dog cages

- Dog leads 

- Baby girl nursery furniture

- Baby clothes for a boy size 1 and a newborn girl

- Hairdressing and beauty treatments for myself

- Household cleaning. 

My prices are some of the cheapest you will get around  and I am probably the best groomer around. I was charging $73 just for a small dog on the Gold Coast. People were willing to pay that price. I simply cannot charge that much here. I have all my qualifications which are compulsory if you own a dog grooming business (always ask your groomer what qualifications they have, and if they have none, walk away!) I have been trained by some of the best groomers in Queensland, and even though my grooms are still not 100% perfect, you are still getting an absolute bargain at $45 a dog! 

I am a professional service, just like your hairdresser, plumber, electrician etc. Do you try to haggle down their prices? No. Please don't treat me any differently. 

Thank you and I hope I have not upset anyone with this blog. 

Teeth!

Today's blog is about canine oral health! 

Teeth are normally neglected by owners as not many people know that your dogs mouth needs just as much attention as their grooming needs. I am writing this blog because a very regular Maltese client passed away a couple of days ago due to chronic dental disease. 

Peppi was a 12 year old Maltese. He came in without fail every 6 weeks to be shaved off short all over as he was prone to getting ticks. Despite Peppi's teeth he was in good health. Peppi was 11 years old when I first met him and I remember informing the owner that his teeth were in terrible condition and a majority of them needed to be pulled out. The nature of my personality is that I am very quietly spoken and I don't like to pressure people but I really wish I had pushed this matter further with the owner as she never took me seriously and Peppi came back 6 weeks later still with a rotting mouth. Every visit from there on Peppi became harder and harder to groom around his face and every visit I would tell the owner about the teeth. Peppi's last visit with me he did not seem well at all, deep down I knew that would be the last time I would see him. I told the owner when she picked him up that Peppi was not well and needed to see a vet. I think she could really hear the concern in my voice and agreed. 

A few days later I got a phone call from Peppi's owner saying she had him put to sleep. His kidneys and liver were failing and his white blood cell count was through the roof indicating that he was battling an infection. She admitted to me in the end that the infection stemed from his mouth and she expressed her apologies for not listening to me. Her excuse was that she did not realise how severe canine oral disease was. And sadly, a lot of owners don't understand it. 

RIP Peppi, may you be forever young and pain free up in Rainbow Bridge.

Signs of Canine Oral Disease

• Bad breath
• Excessive drooling
• Inflamed gums
• Tumors in the gumsThere
• Cysts under the tongue
• Loose teeth

Canine dental disease scoring chart

How to prevent dental disease

- Bones: Every dog loves to chew on a bone. It is not only great mental and physical stimulation it is also a great way for dogs to clean their teeth! Don't bother with chicken wings or necks as they are mainly cartlidge. A nice marrow or brisket bone will do the trick. Be careful that the bone isn't so big that your dog will break its teeth chewing on it though!

- Chew Toys: There are some great toys on the market at the moment that promote chewing and will clean the dogs teeth whilst they chew. I don't have any personal experiences with these as my dogs have never enjoyed toys.

- Dog Treats: I don't really encourage the use of treats as they seem to go hand in hand with pet obesity but there are some really good and healthy treats that promote good oral care. Dentastix and Greenies are great, but remember, all treats in moderation! 

- Tooth Brushing: You can buy special doggie toothpaste and brushes from any pet shop or online. If you can keep your dog still for long enough this is a very effective way of keeping your dogs mouth clean. It has to be done every day to be effective. 

- Professional Teeth Cleaning: Any licensed vet will be able to do a professional teeth clean, much like what a human hygenist does to our teeth. It is recommended every 2 years but it can be quite expensive. 

This poor dog has extreme dental disease and is probably in a lot of pain. 

Types of dental disease

• Periodontal disease is a painful infection between the tooth and the gum that can result in tooth loss and spread infection to the rest of the body. Signs are loose teeth, bad breath, tooth pain, sneezing and nasal discharge.
• Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums caused mainly by accumulation of plaque, tartar and disease-producing bacteria above and below the gum line. Signs include bleeding, red, swollen gums and bad breath. It is reversible with regular teeth cleanings.
• Halitosis—or bad breath—can be the first sign of a mouth problem and is caused by bacteria growing from food particles caught between the teeth or by gum infection. Regular tooth-brushings are a great solution.
• Swollen gums develop when tartar builds up and food gets stuck between the teeth. Regularly brushing your dog's teeth at home and getting annual cleanings at the vet can prevent tartar and gingivitis.
• Proliferating gum disease occurs when the gum grows over the teeth and must be treated to avoid gum infection. An inherited condition common to boxers and bull terriers, it can be treated with antibiotics.
• Mouth tumors appear as lumps in the gums. Some are malignant and must be surgically removed.
• Salivary cysts look like large, fluid-filled blisters under the tongue, but can also develop near the corners of the jaw. They require drainage, and the damaged saliva gland must be removed.
• Canine distemper teeth can occur if a dog had distemper as a puppy. Adult teeth can appear looking eroded and can often decay. As damage is permanent, decayed teeth should be removed by a vet.

I hope I have given some of you a little in site into the importance of canine oral health! Please feel free to ask at your next appointment to perform a FREE oral health check if you are unsure about your dogs teeth.

Source: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/ten-steps-your-dogs-dental-health

To shave or not to shave...

Should you shave your double coated dog?

This is such a controversial topic in the grooming world with some groomers saying yes and some groomers saying no. I am still on the fence. 

Such breeds like your spitz types dogs that were bred for much cooler climates like the snow etc like huskys, malamutes, Pomeranians etc are a big topic of discussion on several grooming forums and I just want to have my word in without it being shoved down my throat and being labelled a bad groomer because I DO shave these dogs. Here are my reasons...

The undercoat does act like insulation, keeping the dog warm in winter and cooler in summer, but these dogs are "artic" dogs, they were never meant to be comfortable when the temperature reaches over 40 degrees in our hot Australian climate. It is wrong to say that these dogs do not suffer in the heat. 

Ticks as previously stated in my blog last night are a huge problem here. They are hard enough to keep under control on a short coated dog, let alone a dog with 4 inches of thick fur. 

Most people don't realise that these type dogs need regular grooming more then once or twice a year. Because of this reason the undercoat becomes so thick and matted that it is near impossible to brush it all out and not to mention it is uncomfortable for the dog. It feels like a full body wax! I will shave if this is the case. 

The main reason why groomers won't shave your double coated dog is because there is ALWAYS a risk of the coat not growing back. But what most don't understand is that these spitz breeds are prone to such problems like thyroid issues which affect the way the coat grows back. Usually if the coat doesn't grow back it is a sign of a medical issue and not due to being shaved. 

Undercoat grows faster then top coat and I always explain to my customers that it can take up to 8 months before the coat is back to normal and the re growth stage isn't the most attractive. It is also important that the dog receives regular grooming after being shaved to keep the undercoat under control and to prevent matting that will require further shaving. 

Shaving too short can affect the way the hair grows back, also if shaved too short the dog will have no protection from the sun so will be vulnerable to getting sun burn.

So far I have not had any issues that I know of where a dogs coat has not grown back. The dogs I groom are short but not shaved to the skin. 

Here is a picture of a Pomeranian who's coat never grew back properly (this is not my picture, curtesy of google images) 

This dogs coat grew back patchy, but once properly groomed it should grow back normally (image curtesy of google) 

Make sure you always go to an experienced groomer. There are a lot of inexperienced groomers getting around who will just take your money and shave your dog and not make it clear to the owners of the risks that can happen. 

This is Dellilah the malamute, she has problems with ticks and so I made the call that it would be easier to keep under control if she was shaved. 

Lucy the husky was struggling in the heat and was also a bit matted. Her owners also wanted to be able to spot ticks easier so shaving was the best option. 

Now onto the retrievers, collies and shepherds. 

Although these dogs have an undercoat just like the spitz breeds, there are far less concerns with the coat growing back. Usually the only problem is that it will grow back thicker. I groom one of these types of dogs at least every week. I have owned shepherds most of my life and I always shaved them in the summer. I never had any problems in regards to coat re growth. Usually old age has some form of affect on coat regrowth but that's the same with any mammal with fur! 

So, in conclusion, it is completely up to you weather you get your dog shaved or not. I have given you the pros and cons but the decision is ultimately yours. I don't care either way, I will do what is best for the dog- not what is best for my pocket. You can guarantee that I will give you a completely honest opinion to the best of my knowledge as to what I think is best for your dog. 

Fleas and Ticks!

In Central Queensland fleas and ticks are a very common problem. There are a lot of
farms and cattle around so it is really hard to control them. Even myself as a groomer have
battled with fleas and ticks since being here. Most fleas and ticks won't cause that many
problems except for causing your pet quite a lot of discomfort and can cause a secondary
skin infection called flea allergy dermatitis. Fleas also carry tapeworm so when your pet eats one they get the tapeworm egg which causes some internal discomfort. If your dog has an infestation he may become anaemic and lethargic in which case a blood transfusion will be needed. I have my dogs on a flea tablet called comfortis, I find that it is the only thing that works these days, however it does not prevent against paralysis ticks or other parasites. You can pick up a 6 month supply from the vet for around $108 depending on your dogs size. I also sell individual tablets for $20 each. It is important that you treat every pet in the house hold at the same time, wash everything that your pets come into contact with - linen, dog beds, etc in boiling hot water. I add a product called "malaban" when washing my pets bedding etc just to make sure everything is dead. Vacuum your carpets really well and set off some do it yourself flea bombs that you can get at the supermarket. I recommend 1 In every room. Leave the house for minimum of 3 hours, leave your pets with me and I will flea bath them and look after them until you're able to go back to your house. Your pet should go home flea free. It is also important that you don't vacuum your floors for at least a week after doing the bombs because that decreases the effectiveness of the treatments. Repeat this process every time an animal with fleas visits your house.

This is what I use to wash all my dog bedding and salon linen in. I will also wash dogs in it that have extreme flea and/or tick infestations.

*PLEASE NOTE* All dogs that have fleas and/or ticks will be given a flea bath. 

Now, onto ticks. There are 3 main types of ticks- The dog tick, the bush tick and the paralysis tick. The paralysis tick is the one you have to watch out for as it can cause an animal to be extremely sick and even die. It does this by doing exactly what it's name states- paralyses the animal. Usually starting in the back legs and ending up in their lungs where they eventually suffocate to death. 

Here is a chart to demonstrate the different life cycles of all the different ticks. 

I recently nearly lost my cat from a paralysis tick and I cannot express how heart breaking it is to see an animal suffer like that. I used to have the mind set that "it won't happen to me"

 I noticed my cat who is black, overweight and very fluffy was really starting to struggle. Being that it had been over 40 degrees for the past week and she is very fluffy and also suffers from asthma I just thought she was just struggling with the heat so I booked her in at my vet to get shaved on the following Monday. It was Friday when I first noticed she was sick. At that stage she was still eating and walking around a little, she was just wheezing a bit. On Saturday, she took a turn for the worst, her meow had turned into a raspy noise, she still ate, but she didn't move from the bathroom all day. I was thinking it was getting a little odd but I still thought it was just the heat. On Saturday night she stopped eating and I noticed her gagging. If my cat didn't eat then that is a pretty good sign that she was very sick! On Sunday morning she was struggling to breathe, I was giving her a pat and that's when I noticed a paralysis tick on the base of her tail. I pulled it off and raced her to the vet. Anyway 8 days in vet hospital and $1000 later she made it through. I am now very diligent when it comes to tick treating my pets. Dogs are a lot easier then cats though. There is only one product on the market (frontline plus) that will provide cats with some form of protection against ticks, but there are several products out there for dogs. I use "Virbac preventick collars" on my dogs. They last about 2 months and cost around $12 at any pet shop. My dogs have since never had a tick on them. They are not waterproof though so will need to be removed before any swimming or bathing. 

You may wonder why your dog or cat had a paralysis tick and not become sick because of it. My vet told me that the paralysis tick has to of had two separate blood meals before becoming poisonous. So for example. A tick had it's first blood meal from a possum, once full it jumped off and is now waiting in the ground for it's next victim. Along comes fido on his morning walk and the tick jumps on fido. The tick is now having it's second blood meal on fido. Fido goes home and plays with Fifi the cat, and the tick jumps onto Fifi, the tick is NOW poisonous and Fifi is in a lot of trouble. It can take hours or days for the effects of the tick to become apparent. I have also noticed that some animals develop an immunity to the tick poison after a while. I groom a malamute that is always covered in ticks, but she always seems to be fine. 

These are just some of the ticks I pulled off the malamute. The first time she came it was a lot worse. 

I hope I have given you all some good information here, it is a hard battle to fight with these parasites but with a lot of determination it can be won.

I'm back!

H everyone! I'm back after having my baby and taking some maternity leave! My son Aiden is now 10 months old, and I'm currently 21 weeks pregnant with number 2! My husband and I moved from the Gold Coast to Rockhampton last September 2013 and I have slowly started establishing my business again. Things are going 100x better then they were on the Coast, I guess because I don't have that much competition here. I groom on average 12 dogs a week, it doesn't sound like much, but it's enough to keep me busy whilst still staying at home with my son and I'm not over worked to the point of exhaustion whilst pregnant. I will try to keep this blog updated as much as possible, to be honest I totally forgot about it and only just remember when I got an email from blogger.com!