VIV'S DOG GROOMING PAGE

 

  JULY 2010 UPDATE

 

 

TICKS, FLEAS AND GRASS SEEDS

 

I apologise for not having written a June update, but home and work commitments were such that the deadline to send in my "missive" came and went rather too quickly.

Anyway I hope this finds you all well and that all you dogs (whatever breed) are in good health and have been coping with the incredible heatwave, so unlike Great Britain in June.

I thought it appropriate to write a few lines as a reminder to you all to keep a close check on your dogs in case they pick up ticks and grass seeds out on their walks. The grass is so dry at the moment and all the seeds are dropping and easily become embedded into ears, paws, eyes etc. The seeds can so quickly work their way into your dogs skin, the first thing you know is when a festering lump appears and a trip to the vet is required. It is worth checking your dog from nose to tail (and especially in the ears) when you come home from your walk, it could just save you a vets bill.

Ticks seem to be specific to certain areas and can be a nightmare, I have seen dogs covered with 30 or more, very uncomfortable and distressing for the dog. I am sure that you are all well aware that you must not just pull the tick off the skin as it will more than likely leave the head behind which can then cause a septic sore. You can purchase special tick removing implements which are fairly effective, the old fashioned way is by smothering the tick with something like vaseline or a strong perfume, to supposedly suffocate the tick. Whatever your method proceed with caution and if in doubt consult your vet.

You probably already keep a close watch out for fleas and regularly treat your dogs. As a groomer thankfully I see very few dogs with fleas, but it is always worth giving your dog an extra check at this time of the year, especially if they are due a visit to your groomers as taking a flea infested dog into the grooming parlour is not appreciated.

That's all for this month, don't forget that your pets don't always know when to take themselves into the shade (my borders are dreadful sun worshippers), so don't leave them in the sun it can be very harmful to them as well as us.

Have a very pleasant summer, any thoughts, questions you have are always very much appreciated.

Best wishes

Viv
 

ANY QUESTIONS?

If there are any questions you want to ask Viv about your BT please email us at doggrooming@borderterrierwelfare.org.uk.
Viv's reply will be posted on this page ASAP.

 

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

(All Questions & Answers from January 2010 and earlier can be found on Viv's Old Qs & As)

  

Hi Viv,

We have a lovely border terrier called Bob, who is coming up to 2 years old.

Last September he started to itch.  This has got worse and we have had all sorts of things done to him: flee, and fox mange treatment, diet change, blood tests, allergy screening etc.

Nine months on and he is still itching: at times in distress and when his coat is short is skin gets infected.  When the itching started to happen he was going off his dry food so I started to use different brands.  It also coincided when my daughter put down half a bottle of shake n vac on the carpet!  However we have washed the carpets 5 or 6 times since then and he is still itching, and regardless of what food -wet or dry- he is on.

He is on daily tablets which are supposed to calm down the itching but don't.  Out last resort is to go on steroids which will shorten his life.  I checked with the breeder and there is no history of this problem.  Can you help as we are getting desperate watching him suffer.

Thanks

Gill

Hi Gill,

I am sorry to hear the your lovely border Bob is suffering with skin problems, these are so difficult to diagnose, whether it be in animals or humans, and as you say steroids are not without their side effects.

It sounds as if you have tried all the obvious things and poor Bob is no better and you no further forward in knowing why. In view of this I would suggest that you contact Camrosa (if you haven't already), their products have had some amazing results. Their telephone number is 01892 783240 or their website www.camrosa.co.uk if you order their products they come with a very useful instruction booklet.

I do hope that this helps, please let us know how Bob gets on.

Good luck and best wishes

Viv

 

Hi Viv,
       

We have a border terrier aged 18 months called Molly and we've noticed that after she has been out for a walk or just got out of bed after being asleep all night we hear a clicking noise which appears to be coming from one of her front legs , she doesn't seem to be bothered by this and shows no outward signs of being in pain could this be a vitamin deficiency.
       

We have her on Royal Canin dried food and was bought from a reputable breeder so their are no links that the parents shared this clicking

Many Thanks
Tony

Hi Tony,

I read your question regarding your lovely little Molly with interest, and must admit feel baffled as to what may be causing the clicking noise coming from her front leg, have you consulted your vet on this issue, if not it may be worth doing so just to hopefully put your mind at rest that there is not an underlying problem.

I apologise for not being able to offer any advice/solution to your question and hope that you find that Molly is a fit healthy border.

Wishing you good luck and best wishes

Viv

 

Hello Viv

Me and my partner Linda recently got a border terrier puppy who is now 6 months old.  He's called Amos, and is a fantastic little dog full of energy and fun while also responding to training really well.

He's black / blue and tan and is starting to look like we need to think about stripping.  I've ordered the instruction video you mention in on of your earlier posts but meanwhile I'm still a touch confused about a couple of points mainly to do with how to tell if he's ready for stripping. 

You mention dogs hair being "blown" which I presume is the longer straggly, slightly curled up hair we're seeing along the top of his back, does this mean its time to strip?  His hair is also getting very thick around his neck, and he's got long, quite silvery hair on the top of his head.  But, the hair on his sides, belly etc is still much softer and not as thick.

I've had a go at pulling little bits of this hair and is seems to come out easily, without him really noticing.  How do we tell for definite if he's ready for stripping, and can we do any harm doing it to early?  The breeder he came from said we shouldn't need to strip for about a year which is why I'm cautious.

I've attached a couple of shots that although not details give you an idea how he's doing.  The beach shot is the most recent, please excuse the peeved look, Amos couldn't understand why dogs weren't allowed off the lead on the beach!  The shot in the field is about 6 weeks ago, you can see the difference in his coat.


Cheers,

Dylan.

P.S. In the shot of Amos on the beach, he has just been in the sea so he is a touch wet, hope thats not too misleading!


Hi Dylan,

I love the photos of Amos (not to mention his name), as you say the photos show a considerable difference in his coat. 

From what you say and looking at the photos it would appear that the coat is ready for stripping and you have found that you are able gently pull out hairs without Amos even noticing which shows that the coat is “letting go” and ready to come out. The fact that the coat texture varies is quite normal and often the coat will be heavier along the back. When I used the term “the coat has blown” this means that the coat is beginning to part along the back and that is a definite sign that the coat is ready for stripping, this is not always quite so obvious on blue and tan coats.

With regards to doing any damage by stripping early, if all you are removing is the longer top coat hairs which are ready to come out then no this won't be a problem. 

As I have mentioned in previous updates, when dogs/bitches are neutered their coats can alter and become thicker and more difficult to hand strip, though not always and not straight after neutering.

Hopefully you will soon (if not already) have the stripping video and it will prove informative and you will enjoy transforming Amos, perhaps you would like to send BTW an “after” photo.

Good luck and best wishes

Viv