A Little Bit of Home Grooming

I've spent the last week putting my hair up in sponge curlers every night, trying out hairstyles for an upcoming wedding reception. Curls and tangles and brushes and sprays -- and somehow I always end up looking like a cocker spaniel, with a poof of bangs and curls around my ears. Well, it's a cute look for a pup, anyway.

 I don't know a whole lot about styling my human hair, and I've never trained to be a professional groomer, but I do have some things to say about caring for your critter's coat.

There are dozens of styles of combs and brushes available. Which is best for your pet? A dog or cat with long hair is going to have different needs than a short-coated animal. 

Short hair/smooth coated dogs are pretty easy to keep neat:

I like to start with a soft rubber or silicone brush. I rub this in circles over the dog and it works loose all the shedding hairs. This kind of brush is also great for working shampoo into the coat during baths. 

Then go over the dog with a bristle brush to remove all the loose hair and smooth down the coat, leaving it neat and shiny. All done! Have a biscuit.

Long haired dogs and cats take a little more work, a little more often. Here's drawing I did to help show why:

"A" shows a clean coat, freshly brushed, with no undercoat. Air can flow freely through it, so it dries quickly and dirt doesn't get trapped. 

"B" shows the shorter undercoat, which is fluffy and fine, unlike the smoother, thicker hairs of the  topcoat. All cats have a soft undercoat, and most dogs do. Some dog breeds have more undercoat than others, especially huskies, shepherds and other cold-climate breeds. Undercoats are great because they help insulate and keep the animal warm. It's needed and necessary! 

"C" shows an undercoat that has become too thick and matted. Those fluffy, fine hairs get tangled together and can't shed out like they should. See how the long top coat looks the same? But underneath, that undercoat is trapping heat and dampness against the skin. This can cause skin irritation, and it makes it difficult for your pet to regulate his body heat. After a while the mats and tangles get larger and more easy to see, but are harder to remove. 

To groom long hair, you need something that will reach through the top coat and get down to help remove shedding hair out of the undercoat. You don't just smooth the surface!

The traditional wire brush might work if your pet has fine hair. The wire bristles can be sharp and scratchy, so some pets don't like them. (They're great for fake fur, though!)

The Furminator and its knock-offs were popular for a while, and are still out there. There are a few styles, but mostly I see this one: 

See how short and fine the teeth are, and how close together? They're only about a quarter of an inch long. Those teeth will never reach the undercoat. 

What I really like for grooming long hair is a metal comb like this one:

The long teeth reach right down to the skin, and allow you to pull the loose hair in the undercoat up and out. The metal teeth won't break, and the handle is comfortable. 

Now, some folks see a tangle or mat and reach for the scissors. But because those mats are usually just undercoat hair that's trapped, sometimes they will just pull loose when you start combing. If you feel you must use scissors, try cutting the mat in half in the direction of the hair and then see if you can comb it out. 

That... is a gross picture. But mats are gross!

Another trick to try is some de-tangling spray. It won't dissolve mats, but it will make the hair slippery so that clumps and knots slide out more easily. Go slow, be gentle and kind, and keep your grooming sessions short so your pet doesn't feel like its an ordeal. Treats are always helpful and appreciated.

A really good way to brush long hair is called "line brushing". You lift up sections of hair so you can brush right out from the roots. It's a little hard to describe so I found a video that shows it. It takes some time and your dog or cat needs to stand or lie still while you work. Try grooming a small section at a time -- maybe just one shoulder or hip-- being generous with praise, and then do another section the next day. 

If your pet is well and truly matted, a groomer can advise you on the best way to proceed. Sometimes clippers are the answer, and it's much better to have a clean, healthy. slightly-funny-looking pet than one that is uncomfortable and unhealthy. 

Want to see what a matted cat can look like? I promise this video is not gory or disturbing. Just a sweetly sedated kitty being gently cared for by a loving vet tech. You can see how a cat can look relatively normal on the outside, while growing a matted undercoat underneath. Just click here!