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Before Bathing
Coat Care
How many times have we tried to brush our dog only to discover a "hitchhiker" hidden among the longer furs?
Depending on your dog's coat, removing gum, burrs, or any other
hidden treasure can be a nightmare, and often we resort to the
easy way out by hacking off that chunk of fur and praying it
grows back in normal.
Here are some more photogenic solutions to the common
coat-catcher.
Chewing Gum
For gum stuck just on top of the coat, use ice cubes to freeze
it first, then you can either break it off, or lift it off
gently.
If the gum has been rubbed right in (ick), a good solvent will
remove it better than anything. Peanut butter works for this
rather well.
For gum stuck in the hairs between his toes, it is best to just
cut it off carefully, and keep those hairs trimmed to avoid
further mishaps.
Burrs
Brushing out a burr is not always possible, but there is another
way, as opposed to just hacking it out in a chunk. It still cuts
it out, but in a less traumatic way for your dog's coat. Take a
sewing seam ripper, and pick the hairs around the burr until it
can be pulled out.
To prevent burrs from becoming encased again, a spritz with
mink-oil conditioner will keep his coat nice and slippery, and
any burrs will brush out easily. You can buy mink-oil
conditioner from most groomers.
Paint
Water soluble paints like latex should be washed out of the fur
immediately using warm, soapy water. Do NOT use turpentine or
varsol, and do not allow your dog to chew it out.
Skunk Spray
Not a hitchhiker in the usual sense, a skunked dog is certainly
a pain to deal with! An effective remedy for a sprayed pet
besides tomato juice, is a concoction of hydrogen peroxide,
baking soda, and liquid dish or laundry soap. Soak the coat in
this neutralizer, then give your dog a bath.
Ticks
Brushing
Brushing your dog isn't just for removing the little
nasties his fur can pick up, a good brushing will
keep your dog looking and feeling great, cut down
the shedding drastically, as well as alert you to
any skin and coat problems, and sometimes even
internal parasites.
File this away for future reference, a dull coat can
indicate a worm infestation, and it is best to see
your veterinarian.
Like any job, proper tools are essential, and in
case of grooming, tools should be matched to your
dog's coat type.
Ticks seem to be the product of one of Nature's foul moods.
A real little nasty critter, it hides out in grass and
catches the unsuspecting passerby.
Crawling up to bare skin, or digging for it, if you're a
dog, the tick will bury it's head under the skin layer and
proceed to drink all the blood it can get.
If you live in Tick-country, a daily check during the summer
season is essential. Rub your hands all over your dog's body,
and your fingers through his fur, applying pressure, enough that
you can feel any abnormalities in the skin.
If you feel a small lump, pull the fur apart to investigate it
further. An embedded tick will look like a small black or brown
pimple, sometimes flat-ish, depending on location, and sometimes
legs are visible.
How to Remove a Tick
You've located the little vampire and now you need to get him
out of your dog. There's a couple of ways of doing this,
depending on what you have on hand, any of these methods should
work well.
Important Note: If you live in an area where ticks are a common
hazard, check with your veterinarian and find out if the Lyme
Disease vaccine is available.
Some species of ticks carry Lyme Disease, and you may need to
take the removed tick in to have it identified by a
veterinarian.
The Vaseline Tick Trick
Seperate the fur around the tick, and coat him with a thick
layer of vaseline, taking care not to leave air holes or
bubbles. This will force the tick to surface for air, leaving
you free to grab him without worrying about leaving pieces of
him stuck in your pet's flesh. Toss tick in toilet and flush.
Wash your hands and your dog's skin with anti-bacterial soap.
Tweezing it Out
Pull the surrounding hairs away from the ticks body. Take the
tweezers and grasp the tick as close to the buried head as you
can possibly get. Do NOT squeeze, but pull gently up and away
from the dog, slowly to be sure not to break off the head of the
tick. Toss tick in toilet and flush. Wash your hands and your
dog's skin with anti-bacterial soap.
If you suspect you may have left a piece of tick still embedded
under your pet's skin, please seek veterinary care immediately.
The resulting infections could be horrible, and ticks carry a
plethora of nasty diseases.
Note: Burning the tick out is NOT recommended. You are more
likely to burn yourself and your dog than to remove the tick.
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