Dog grooming during coronavirus

[carolinamama]

I ordered clippers and a dremel nail tool but haven't done anything yet. Our dog that gets regular grooming is only about 12-13 lbs so hopefully I can manage for a few grooms. I could deal with some longer hair (shih tzu so can be longer than we keep him) except his feet are getting long and I'm sure it will be hard to walk if the hair between his pads gets too long.

Our groomer is closed and I really wouldn't feel comfortable using them right now. Home grooming it is!

[westwoodmom04]

Our groomer announced they were closing right after the shutdown order issued. They had been looking for a new location previously and I guess they just decided with an extended closure it just wasn’t going to work out. They were crazy busy when open, though, so I was booked ahead through August. My dogs were groomed mid-March but it is going to be hard to get in somewhere new with the backlog once things open.

[bisous]

I innocently asked this question on my town FB page and it went south real quick. My dog is 1/4 poodle so has curly hair that doesn't shed. He needs to be groomed but I was told to just deal with it for now - although that won't be sustainable in another month or two.

Besides being lectured by people have never used a groomer in their 25 years of owning a dog so I should learn to do it myself, putting the hair on his head in a ponytail so he can see, and people bickering over what qualifies as an "essential worker" in my state (apparently not dog groomers), the actual advice I got was thorough brushing before bathing, and if you're going to trim them use high quality clippers which start at $200 then the blades are add'l usually starting at $30. And if you do need to cut matts don't use scissors bc it could harm the dog, has to be clippers. Some people also suggested checking with mobile pet groomers to see if they're still working, bc technically there's no interaction with them.

(Side note: Brushing my dog literally doubles him in size. )

Good luck - it's frustrating.

I'm sorry but this illustrates so perfectly the responses in forums other than this board! Between the outrage and outrageous advice, it just makes me appreciate this place even more!

[niccig]

We’re brushing to deal with mats and cutting out any big ones. I’ll give him a bath this week. Nails will be an issue. I trim our cat’s but the dog’s nails are black and difficult. I should look at the dremel tool


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains

[doberbrat]

The andis 2 speed is $110 and decent. I've had mine for 10+ and there's nothing wrong with it. You'll also need something to clean/lube blade and possibly some guards or different blades if you want something other than a shaved dog. You'll also need somewhere to do it and depending on your dog, probably a grooming table and noose. A dryer really helps blow out extra coat and the dog now smell 'doggy'


If you can wait, you might want to. There is always a risk when home grooming to get razor burns or worse. I once cut a dog's ear others have cut pads etc. You could just do a little maintenance work - a sanitary trim so to speak - trim feet, face and bumms and leave the rest.

No matter what, make sure you're brushing to the skin. and if you have a long haired dog, or a dog prone to matting, COMB THEM! this takes the the tangles out better than brushing alone.
Its hair - it grows back. Though if you have a dog that hasnt been shaved before, it does change the texture a bit. If your dog hasnt been shaved before, dont start now. If you give it a shot and it looks awful, the reality is that few other people will see it and if they do, their dog probably looks just as bad.

I've been grooming my own dogs now for 20 years??!? they still sometimes look like a drunk blind person did them with a weed whacker. We all survive.

[StantonHyde]

I got my dog groomed and will do it again. They are taking precautions--same as the vet.

[hillview]

We got our dogs groomed today. The groomer came out and met us at the car in full protective gear. Pick up was the same.

[twowhat?]

Those that Dremel - make sure the hair on the paws is trimmed short OR push each nail through an old pair of pantyhose before you Dremel...it's easy to catch hair in the rotating part of the tool and that would pretty much ruin ever using a Dremel again for your dog. The Dremel we have will automatically stop if it hits a certain amount of resistance but still, I'd imagine that to be significantly painful. And tie back your own hair. I've been Dremeling our dog's nails for years (she has a short coat, I have a pixie-soon-to-be-mullet ) but even then sometimes I catch a piece of my clothing!

[#2ontheway]

Lots of great advice here. Sigh, guess I better find some tools and start practicing! Also good reminder that regularly brushing/combing can help a lot.

We are in a state where groomers are closed and no mobile groomers around here. So, literally no option but do it yourself. Also think doing nothing isn't an option. I'm suspicious that this will go on for a long time. So definitely need to get keep up with nails in particular.

[doberbrat]

Those that Dremel - make sure the hair on the paws is trimmed short OR push each nail through an old pair of pantyhose before you Dremel...it's easy to catch hair in the rotating part of the tool and that would pretty much ruin ever using a Dremel again for your dog. The Dremel we have will automatically stop if it hits a certain amount of resistance but still, I'd imagine that to be significantly painful. And tie back your own hair. I've been Dremeling our dog's nails for years (she has a short coat, I have a pixie-soon-to-be-mullet ) but even then sometimes I catch a piece of my clothing!

Good reminder. Instead of using stockings, I use old stocking bags .... I'm forever finding that the zipper etc on them is broken makes them perfect for the dogs.