Water is overlooked as the most important tool we have in the grooming process. Not only are we, humans and animals, made mostly of water, it is also the vehicle that carries products to the skin. Water holds vibration as well as memory, it can also store data and can carry an electrical current. Water forms the basis of blood, digestive juices, urine and perspiration, and is contained in lean muscle, fat and bones (Better Health).
Imagine yourself drying a dog you have groomed regularly for many years. Let's call him Gizmo. He is in his senior years now, perfectly comfortable and familiar with the grooming process. On this day, as you work the high-velocity dryer over the coat, Gizmo suddenly begins barking in a high-pitched tone. He is obviously in distress. He urinates on the table, and when you look at his face, there is no recognition of you or awareness of his surroundings
Most groomers have styptic powder on hand and use it regularly to stop bleeding if a claw is accidentally trimmed too short, but have you ever wondered what it is made of and how it works?
An adorable Pug came to see you for grooming. She snorts and wiggles, and you pop her into the bathtub and get to work. Like most smooth-coated breeds, it can feel like grooming this breed is a walk in the park. But wait! There's more to it than a simple wash and dry.
We are fortunate to be grooming pets in an era where we have a gracious plenty of products to choose from when it comes to getting pets clean. This was not always the case, and many seasoned groomers remember the days when we had to resort to using products designed for use on humans or even household cleansers to wash pets. For the most part, it seems that groomers have embraced the wide range of shampoos designed and manufactured specifically for animals, but there seems to be one niggling little holdover. Dish soap.
Nico is a toy poodle, and I have groomed him every five weeks since he was a puppy. He is now a doddering old man, nearly blind from cataracts, riddled with arthritis, and missing most of his teeth.
Silicone is an ingredient found in many pet care products that is wildly effective and useful but is often misunderstood. Some brands advertise that they contain "no silicone" as if that were a bonus. Rumor has it that silicone builds up on hair and damages it by causing yellowing andbreakage. This may have been true of early silicone-based products, but times have changed. Grooming educator Barbara Bird has written extensively on the subject (see references below for more information) and often talks about the usefulness of silicone on the award-winning GroomPod podcast she hosts with Suzy Scott.
The most asked question of all time and throughout the universe is…what shampoo should I use? It can be so frustrating to have such a selection of choice in the pet grooming product market. Choosing a shampoo product that is safe, has a comprehensive ingredient list, smells nice, or doesn’t have a scent, that actually does what you need it to do, can make us confused and downright defeated. Let’s address this on a purely therapeutic level to gain some understanding on why we need the different products in the first place.
If you live in a climate that experiences winter weather, your phone may be starting to ring now that warmer weather is here with frantic pleas for help with pets that have met a skunk. In cold climates, skunks spend the winter in a sleepy state called torpor. In the spring, they awaken and search for food and a mate.
One of the most overlooked steps to pet skin care is the clay mask. Economical and easy to find, the clay mask is an important step in helping to balance the skin of an affected pet. There are so many different clays to choose from, there is bound to be one or two that play well with your water.
