PetEdge Grooming Question of the Week: Why Should I Use A Finishing Spray?

Finishing sprays are more than just pleasant-smelling coat sprays. They're a useful tool for keeping pet coats clean, shiny and static free.

The "Shocking" Truth About Static Electricity

Pet hair shafts (like human hair) are naturally filled with positive and negative energy. Running a brush through the coat mixes the positive and negative charges and creates a lot of static electricity. This is especially true when you're brushing through a dry coat, or brushing a coat in a dry environment.

Not only does static electricity make pet hair more likely to stick together and form mats, it can also create an uncomfortable situation for the dog. If you're using a brush with metal tips or pins, the static electricity can build up to the point where the dog gets small shocks when the brush contacts the skin. A telltale sign of this is if the pet flinches when the brush touches them.

If you have a pet that is particularly resistant to brushing, it could be that they're getting zapped with each brush stroke!

Spray the Static Away

You can avoid the buildup of static electricity by spraying the brush or comb with finishing spray before you start. This will help to smooth the path of the brush through the coat, and will coat the hair shafts and prevent them from tangling.

Continue to apply the finishing spray as you work your way through the coat. If you start to see strands of hair trailing after the brush (see example above), it's time to use more spray.

Smooth and Stylish

Finishing sprays can also be used to enhance the appearance of a pet's coat by encouraging the hair shafts to lie smooth and flat. A spray like our Top Performance GloCoat Finshing Spray or any of our ikaria Coat Mists will coat the hair shaft and smooth out some of the hair's naturally rough edges.

Smoothing out the hair shafts helps to prevent individual shafts from getting tangled together. The smoother surface is also more resistant to dirt, dust, and debris (there are less spots for dirt to grab onto). Plus, the pet will look and smell better because their coats are cleaner.

Finally, using a finishing spray can help to prevent coat breakage by making the hair shafts smoother and more flexible. A coat with breakage tends to look duller, messier and more unkempt. It's not the first impression that a groomer or a pet owner wants to make.

Do you have a question you'd like answered for the PetEdge grooming question of the week? Email us at blog@petedge.com. Thanks and happy grooming :)