PetEdge Grooming Question of the Week: What Are Your Five Go-To Grooming Tools?

Everyone who works a trade, an art or a craft has their go-to tools. A carpenter has a hammer, a tape measure and some nails. An architect has a drafting board, a t-square and a pencil.

For pet groomers, these five tools are crucial to have on hand for tackling everyday grooming challenges. 

 
1. Slicker Brush: The "workhorse" of grooming tools, this brush is your main undercoat remover and detangler.

2. Greyhound Comb: Don't be confused by the name—this comb isn't designed for use on greyhounds. In fact, thin-coated greyhounds are one breed that you might want to avoid using this comb on. However, greyhound combs are great for fluffing, detangling and finishing work on medium and long-coated breeds like collies, setters, and retrievers.

3. Dematting Rake or Comb: Dematting tools are equipped with serrated blades that you can use to saw through mats. Work the blade into the coat underneath the mat, then saw in an upwards motion to split one big mat into smaller, more manageable pieces.

4. Rubber Curry Brush: A bathtime favorite! This brush is perfect for scrubbing pets down to the skin to ensure maximum effectiveness of shampoos, treatments and conditioners. It also works well on dry coats.

5. Carding/Stripping Tools: Carding and stripping tools can take several different forms (stripper knives, shedding blades, or FURminator-style deshedding tools), but each is essentially a straight blade with teeth. The teeth can be jagged or curved with a sharpened edge. Run the blade across the top of the coat, and the blade will catch loose hair and pull it out of the coat. Hair that is dead or dying is rougher and more jagged than healthy hair, so a carding/stripping tool is more likely to grab it and clear it out of the coat. 

Your Turn to Check In

Did we miss something? What are the must-have tools that you have in your grooming shop? Send us your feedback at blog@petedge.com, or post a comment on our facebook wall.

Thanks and happy grooming :)