Health issues and tips

Wet Weather Grooming

by Catherine de la Cruz

It's winter, it's raining, and you've got a long-furred, double-coated, wet and muddy dog to contend with. What to do? Catherine de la Cruz shares some wet weather wisdom to help you care for your dog this season.

TOOLS NEEDED: Pin Brush; Slicker Brush; Blunt-point scissors; Towels; Corn Starch; A long, flat pan or clean litter box; Newspapers; 50/50 Alcohol/vinegar mix (see below); A syringe or “ear bulb” to apply above mix

FEET

When the dog is fairly dry, use the blunt-tipped scissors to clip all the hair from between the pads. If this isn’t a job you want to do, your local grooming shop can do it and “neaten” the hair between her toes. The less hair on her feet, the less mud she will drag in. (Sort of the difference between going for a walk in the mud with fuzzy slippers vs real shoes.) You might want to shorten the hair on the hocks, above the hind feet, as well.

EARS

Unless your dog has infected ears, or your vet has given you special instructions about her ears, mix equal amounts of rubbing alcohol and distilled or cider vinegar and store it in a sealed jar. Label it as poisonous if taken internally. Weekly throughout the winter, using a syringe or ear bulb, pour about 1 teaspoon (5cc) into each ear, squish it around, then stand back and let the dog shake her head (best done out of doors.) Using a damp washcloth, wipe any gunk from the inside flap of the ear. DO NOT DIG INTO THE EAR CANAL. The alcohol is drying; the vinegar changes the pH of the ear so fungus is less likely to grow there.

COAT

Choose a room with hard flooring for grooming. Spread newspapers on the floor. Towel the dog as dry as you can. Open the box of cornstarch. Then, put one front foot in the flat pan (litter box). Take a handful of cornstarch and rub it into the “feathers” and leg of the foot standing in the pan. The pan is to catch whatever falls off so it can be reused. Repeat with each foot and leg. Rub cornstarch into other muddy spots as well. The cornstarch will dry and adhere to the dirt and combs easily out of the hair.

Using the pin brush, brush through the feathers of the first front leg. As the hair dries, switch to the slicker brush, starting at the bottom of the leg and gradually working up to the shoulder in front, the hip in back. Always start at the bottom and work from a clean area to a soiled one.

TAIL

The tail mats easily and should never be combed out while dry. Using cornstarch and the pin brush, work as much of the mud out as possible, then leave serious grooming until the dog is otherwise clean and dry.

Fill a spray bottle with a one-third each mixture of Mane and Tail or Cowboy Magic hair conditioner, Absorbine Show Sheen and warm water. With the now-dry dog lying or sitting comfortably (either on a grooming table or on the floor) place the tail on the flat surface with the hair coming at a 90-degree angle to the tail bone. Spray the conditioner mixture on and rub it into the hair. Use extra on any mats.

Using the slicker brush, start brushing at the tips of the hair. Your first strokes should only be an inch of so in length – remember, at 90 degrees to the tail bone. Get that first inch of hair untangled; then move up another inch and brush downward. As you gradually work up toward the tail bone, you may encounter serious mats. These can be loosened with scissors – clipping in the direction the hair grows. Once cut into one- to two-inch segments, wet further with the conditioner mix, rub in, then try brushing out. Remember, start the slicker brush near the tip of the hair and always work your way into the mats from the bottom. Most dogs are pretty tolerant of having their tails brushed if the hair is lying on a flat surface while doing so.

FINISHING

When the dog is dry and clean, do a final light spritz of the whole coat with the conditioner mixture and surface-brush lightly to eliminate static cling.

OUT OF DOOR DOGS

Bed your outside dogs in white pine shavings; the muddiest dog will bed down in it and get up sparkling clean in the morning. It does, however, tend to get tracked in the house.

February 2003