Fresh Perspectives. One Condition.

So I've really begun endulging in conditioners lately, ordering way more 16oz bottles then anyone really needs. Neither of my dogs have very dry skin, and I find that a good Coconut oil treatment works WONDERS for them. But this is not exactly economical for high volume shops, or even just shops who's clients don't want to drop an extra $10-$15 for the spa-like extra.

Lets not forget the other benefits of conditioner! Sure it can help those flaky french bulldogs, those scratchy Scottish terriers, but on top of all that a good conditioner will soften the coat, add a healthy sheen, and REALLY help get some of that extra shed out! The right conditioner can even bring life back to limp , listless coats (I'm looking at you, #1 All Systems- Super Rich Protein Lotion Conditioner) .

So , knowing we will continue in this vein and cover more conditioners, let us start with one of the more economic choices. Top Performance: Fresh Pet Conditioner. 

The Fresh Shampoo is a great all purpose shampoo with a long lasting fragrance ( see that review here ) , does it's conditioning counter part live up to the standard? 

The Fresh Pet Conditioner on first appearance is clearly nothing but a melted creamsicle in a bottle.  The fragrance from the bottle rates as 'meh' at best, and does not match the flower-blowing-bugle stamina of the shampoo.  On my grooming clients with serious dander and dry, flaky skin the conditioner is not nearly as hydrating as it would need to be to make an impact. After the bath , while drying, there will without a doubt be little specks of dry skin flakes popping up everywhere again. A little disapointing, but you don't buy 'economical' because you think it's going to be a miracle. 

Now, on softening the fur? Oh my, it was wonderful! Every dog I've washed with it from Golden Retrievers to Shih tzus, to poodles all felt wonderfully soft by the end of the groom.  And I'll tell you this, I do a thorough deshedding before the bath and still, after conditioning with Fresh Pet , the conditioner is weighing down and pulling out a lot of the excess coat. It is a great tool for getting a really to
p notch de-shed job done. 

A fellow groomer used copious amounts of the Fresh Pet Conditioner on a Briard client and was very pleasantly surprised . It was the first product in a while that really made an impact on the dog's tangles and mats. The Conditioner is designed so that you can leave some of it in the coat , not rinsing all of the way. This is what she had done, and it really did the trick without leaving the big dog's fur feeling greasy or oily.

Top Performance's Fresh Pet Conditioner dilutes 7:1 , although I found at this ratio that my drying times were drastically increased, and it was difficult to rinse completely.  I've been using the conditioner at a 16:1 Dilution ratio with great success , though it is still a hard rinse.

The Bottom Line

At about $35 a gallon, diluting at 16:1 ratio I think Top Performance Fresh Pet Conditioner is a great buy. It is fantastic for your every day grooming clients, helps get out tangles and keep them out, wonderful for de-shed work, and leaves the coat soft.
The Fresh Pet Conditioner does not have a lasting fragrance at all and is a chore to rinse, so keep that in mind when planning to use it.  This conditioner will not help dry, itchy skin on dogs.
All in all, I enjoy this product and will keep it in stock next to a few bottles of more 'specialized' conditioners . This is a good every dog product.

Dry Skin Dilemma (Pt2 - The Oatmeal Illuminati )

I'm having a heck of a time figuring out Oatmeal Shampoo.
No, really.
It seems 'common knowledge' to the online community of dog groomers that Oatmeal shampoo dries out the skin of dogs, just post a query on any grooming forum or page and watch the litany of responses !  But try as I might, I can't find the science to prove it.  In fact, all I'm finding is a lot of sites insisting that oatmeal is the bomb diggity, no diggty, no doubt.  But there's a twist!  These sites are also claiming that oatmeal shampoo is great to battle yeast and bacteria infections on dogs.

Now stop.

It is not. 

Oatmeal feeds yeast and will exacerbate yeast and bacterial infections in dogs because of the carbohydrates in the oatmeal which equate to  sugars for feeding yeast.. Don't you go feeding me that line, internet, I don't trust you anymore.

Pro Oatmeal:
Here's what I found.  Colloidal oatmeal is a specially prepared form of oatmeal that mixes better with water. Studies have shown that colloidal oatmeal binds to the skin and provides a protective barrier against irritants. It contains water-binding polysaccharides (long chain sugars) and hydrocolloids that hold moisture against the skin allowing it to act as an emollient . The fats contained in oatmeal also add to its emollient activity. 

Con Oatmeal:
So I went to a groomer's board and asked opinions and for more info. Turns out Oatmeal is great for allergies but is an exfoliate and so it WILL dry skin out and will help with itchy skin that is being caused by moist skin conditions only. It has anti-inflammatory properties and will sooth the skin during the groom, but will end up drying the skin out in the long run, making most dogs more itchy and irritated. Oatmeal shampoo will also have a negative effect on dogs who have a sensitivity to grain (about 80% of dogs). If your dog is on a grain free diet, best to stay away from rubbing grains all over their body. Just sayin.
Most groomers will report that oatmeal shampoos dry their hands out worse then the other shampoos in our field.

Here is a great article on itchy dogs that touches on why you should avoid oatmeal written by Dr. Karen Becker

The Bottom Line.

Does your dog have allergic reactions to shampoos? Try an Oatmeal shampoo. 

Does your dog have dry and/or itchy skin?   Avoid Oatmeal shampoos. 

There are a lot of aloe based shampoos out there that will do you better then the oatmeal does. Although oatmeal will provide a temporary fix, ultimately it will WORSEN your problems. 

If you do insist on using an oatmeal shampoo (maybe you just love it, haven't had a problem, vet recomended etc etc. ) make sure to follow up with a good hydrating conditioner afterwords, or coconut oil treatment!  And try to find an oatmeal shampoo that includes Aloe, or essential oils to counter the drying caused by oatmeal alone.

oOBubbleCollieOo

Dry Skin Dillema Pt1. (Going Coconuts )

One of the most miraculous treatments I've used is actually a home made concoction consisting almost exclusively of virgin unrefined coconut oil. 

Keeping in mind that a good amount of serious skin issues can be attributed to issues with the diet, coconut oil used topically does a great job of giving temporary relief while the underlying problem is addressed.  While adding coconut oil to the diet will help from the inside as well!  

Coconut oil can be applied directly to cracked or raw paw pads, noses, dry elbows, and hot spots to give instant relief , although it tastes delicious so best be prepared to keep a vigilant eye on your little scruffler for a while to let the oil do it's magic. 

Coconut oil is over 90% saturated fat. No wait, calm down! I swear it's a good thing! It's about MCTs, Medium Chain Triglycerieds, which are the good fats. MCTs help with digestion, immune system, metabolic function, skin health, and thyroid health.  Coconut oil also has Lauric acid which combats fungas , virus, and bacteria- this is what makes coconut oil so great against yeast buildup on dogs and other fungal and bacterial skin infections in addition to soothing the skin.  The anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties will also help to kill the 'doggy smell' that some dogs suffer from (although, lets face it, they don't mind. It's the dog OWNERS that suffer the most! )

TOPICAL

The recipe is this: 

2 tablespoons of Virgin Unrefined Coconut oil 

6oz hot water.

Shampoo and rinse the dog as normal as you wait for the hot oil treatment to cool down to a warm oil treatment. Apply to pooch, rubbing it into the skin as much as possible. Let sit for 5-15 minutes, whatever your soggy friend will allow, then wash out again with shampoo. 

ORAL

 When giving coconut oil as part of the diet, start small in 1/4 teaspoon increments and build up to 1tablespoon for every 30lbs of dog. Introducing too much too soon could result in some goopy poopy!

So easy. 

On my own 2 dogs in the bitter chaff of New England winter this has been enough to relieve them for a month , no problem. 

I used this on a friend's chronically scratchy chihuahua and it gave her relief for a solid week before she started getting the "Scratch-my-butt-kicky-leg" syndrome again.

The Bottom Line

Coconut oil, though pricey at $13-$17 for 14oz is well worth the price.  For your own dogs, absolutely! Use it as a topical and as an internal treatment!  For dogs at your salon it is a great opportunity for a luxurious 'extra' to offer your clients well flaunting your knowledge. "Would you like Princess to have a nice hot oil treatment today?" you'll say , "WOULD I!" they'll exclaim , "Yes. Yes you would." you will reply to the rhetorical statement, making you both feel awkward.

Seriously though, try it. You'll thank me.

oOBubblecollieOo

Stay (Clean)

I had never heard of Isle of Dogs until this past weekend at the 139th Westminster Kennel Club dog show, but now I can't seem to get them off my mind. So this week I decided to test one of their shampoos. 

They have an excellent variety of products, and with so many to choose from I almost didn't know where to start. Smartly however, they have them all devised into their "Collections" with cute trendy names such as "Coature," the "Vanity Series" and, the one I ultimately chose, "Salon Elements." This line is made up of three different types of product. The first is "Sit (Still)", followed by "Stay (Clean)" and lastly "Stand (Up)". I'll be getting to each product respectively but first I'm going to start with their Stay (Clean).

According to their pamphlet, this product is meant to cut through "dirt, grime and odor" and also lengthen the time between baths. The bottle has a clean professional look to it, which is not as important as the contents, but I always like to see that people have put thought into their branding. It is not lacking for information as it boasts some of it's main ingredients right on the front. These include; green tea extract, aloe, and witch hazel (a plant used for a variety of medicinal purposes including skin care). 

I decided to test this 'poo out on my sisters mini poodle Humphrey-Beauregard (or "Humbug" as he's more fondly called.)I thought he would be a good candidate for the odor test. He gets a bath frequently as does my other dog, however after only a week he's already back to that doggy smell. Needless to say it drives me crazy. Even with an added spritz of fragrance he still smells rather quickly. Obviously he's the perfect test subject.

When you pop the top the smell is very mild which admittedly is not what I expected. I figured there would be an overwhelming smell in order to keep the dog smelling clean longer, but this is very light. My mother could hardly smell anything, but it reminded me of that old fashioned Bubble-Yum chewing gum. According to the bottle, the smell is called "Berry Champagne". It even goes so far as to describe the smells top notes, mid notes and dry down notes (Yes really. See photo below). Plus it also boasts something called "ExtenScent" which is "a natural odor-neutralizing complex that extends freshness". Hmm. Gimmicky? Maybe. Only time will tell. 

Righty off the bat one thing that I like most about this shampoo is its sudsing prowess. Even when diluted 20:1 (recommended), there's still a great lather which is something that's important to me in a shampoo. Maybe it's because it's like a visual representation that I'm getting the dog clean. Beyond it's awesome sudsability (yeah that's totally NOT a real word) is it's super quick rinse. Seriously, it's fast. And when it's out, you know it's out.  No guessing in terms of whether you've got it all rinsed, because once done properly this dog is SQEEEEEEEKY clean. It's great. 

Now after the bath they suggest using 1 of 2 conditioners or sprays. I opted not to do that so as to get the full effect of the shampoo by itself. On top of what makes for a quick bath, Humphrey was dry nearly as fast - and I wasn't even using my new awesome dryer (more on that in another post). I was really impressed. The only thing that was lacking was a lingering scent once all was said and done.  Humphrey smells clean for sure and there's a little bit of eau de berry, but overall there isn't much that says "Hey guys! I just got a bath and I smell delicious", which again makes me worry that in a week he'll start smelling doggy again. Now given that I wash our dogs frequently it's not as big a deal, but with clients whose pets only come once every 2 months, it's important to make sure that the dog smells fresh and clean for as long as possible. I'll be sure to update with the results of the ongoing sniff test. 

The Bottom Line

Coming to petedge next month it looks like the price will be $29.99 per gallon and if that's the case I think it's well worth the price. I have to say that thus far I am quite impressed by this shampoo. It does an excellent job of cleaning, rinses out super quick which cuts down on bath time. The cleanliness also helps in shortening dry time which is also a big plus. My only concern is whether or not it will keep pets smelling fresh and clean for an extended period of time. However for clients that come in frequently, this is an excellent addition to our line up of shampoos. I look forward to using it more in the future.

//The Spic n' Spaniel//

Upadate: It's been about a week and while Humphrey still looks nice and clean, the he once again smells rather doggy which is pretty much what I expected. Guess that "ExtenScent" really is just a gimick. Bummer. But I bet with a little spritz of fragrance, that might change. So again probably ok to use with frequent flyers at your shops but I'd avoid it for those 8-12 week clients.