A Focus On Nails

31/07/2020

A little long in the toe. All fixed up now. Before, after clipping, and then after dremmeling. I use a diamagroove dremmel tip with less vibration, and less chance of catching hair or heating up.

21/02/2020

Are you thinking of buying a doodle, or Cockapoo, or any Poodle cross? Have you got one of these puppies and been told they don't need grooming until they are a year old, or that their coat maintenance is easy? If so please read this. (The original post was written by an unknown groomer but I have edited it quite a lot! Please feel free to share.)

Poodle crosses (cockapoos, doodles, maltipoos etc.) are not "easy breeds" to maintain. The photo attached (shared from another groomer) shows how matting forms at the skin. By looking at this dog's top coat, you may not see the knots and you may not feel them as you would a knot on the ends of the fur but under that fluffy top layer this is going on. Once it starts its very difficult/ impossible to brush out... and even if you could it would be cruel to put the dog through it. Maintenance at home has to be more than a quick once over for these dogs if you want to keep them in that fluffy coat which was probably one of the reasons you chose a poodle cross in the first place. You really need to sit down with a brush and then a metal comb and make sure you can get it through the entire body at least 2 to 3 times a week.

I often feel like owners don't believe groomers when they say their dog has to be clipped very short. I always hear "I know he/she is matted, but leave as much as you can". You cannot clip through matting, you can only clip under it. As this photo shows, clipping under the matting means taking the coat back to the skin.
I promise you, your groomer really doesn't want to do this but they won't hurt your dog by putting it through dematting, they also don't want to hurt their reputation when the clients go around complaining about how the last groomer "scalped" their dog but there really is not any alternative. Instead of being angry with your groomer if they clip your dog very short please respect their commitment to do what is in your dog's best interest, accept responsibility for not having brushed your dog properly at home, and work with your groomer because, together, you can prevent this happening again. All groomers will be very happy to demonstrate a technique called line brushing which will help make your grooming at home more effective. Just ask! We all want owners to know how to do this

Poodle crosses are easily one of the highest maintenance dogs in reference to their coats. The combination of the soft coat they are mixing poodles with these days is a coat that is extremely prone to matting.

If you like a fluffy pup, you probably need to consider no more than 3-5 week intervals between grooming and set aside time for regular brushing AND combing at home.

Please know, if you bathe your poodle cross you really need to blow dry and brush out right after. Moisture, be it a bath, rain, swimming, snow etc are all going to make matting worse. If you know your dog is already matted-- bathing is only going to make it worse! Brush out before the bath.

Lastly "breeders" who say these dogs can't or shouldnt be clipped and not to give them a hair cut until they are one year old are misleading potential owners in order to sell puppies and setting them up for a sad day when they finally take their pup to the groomer.

If this hasn't put you off buying one please schedule your puppy's first groom immediately after they've had their vaccinations and then be prepared to do the maintenance at home between regular professional grooms. (Picture by Paola Perez)

19/02/2020

We do soft Paws for kitties too! Sometimes trimming cats toenails just isn't enough, so to help prevent destruction of furnishings and scratching humans, Softpaws are the humane alternative to declawing. Most cats tolerate them well and they only need to be replaced about every 4 to 5 weeks. Sometimes they can go a bit longer to coordinate with a six-week groom schedule.

29/01/2020

This video is a companion for an article on my blog at http://wp.me/pyy8f-2kc Please take a second and share with us your learning “gem” or “ah ha” from this...

25/01/2020

This is a controversial subject, but one worth investigating. After having lost two pets due to vaccine injection cancers, I am very frugal in vaccinating my pets after their first few boosters.

Many veterinarians still over-vaccinating pets when a simple blood test can actually tell them if the animal is immune.

21/01/2020

My focus is on nail trimming in your home. You save time on travel and less stress for your pet.

21/01/2020

A good nail illustration showing where the quick is in various length nails. We never want to invade the main quick while doing nails, but on really long nails, bleeding can still happen as sometimes tiny blood vessels will extend to almost the end of the nail. These tiny blood vessels usually do not cause pain. Frequent nail trimming utilizing a dremel will go along way to pushing back quicks and making it possible to cut the nail a bit shorter each time.

21/01/2020

Does your cat have long toenails that get caught in blankets and tear up furniture, walls, and all sorts of other things? Does your kitty leave scratches on your arms and hands? Declawing is an inhumane, painful procedure that can change the personality of your cat, making him shy, aggressive, and hesitant to use the litter box. Most kitty claw issues can be solved by a simple, pain-free nail trim every few weeks. The kitty in this post had started scratching up furniture and did quite a bit of damage to this leather sofa. After starting a frequent regimen of nail trims, she stopped destroying furniture and became a much easier cat to live with. If you are having an issue with YOUR kitty's nails, you can schedule a nail trim in the comfort of your own home by contacting this page, or calling or texting the phone number in the services section. I would be happy to put your kitty on a regular nail trimming schedule. I also groom cats! I am currently enrolled in NCGIA's Certified Master Cat Groomers course and can do lion cuts, sani trims, bathing, etc. all in the comfort of your own home. Check the services section of this page for pricing. Hope to meet you soon!

17/01/2020

Hi! I'm glad you stopped by! I will be starting in-home nail trimming services in mid-march of 2020. I am creating a schedule at this time and finalizing some insurance and tax details and plan to be ready to arrive at your door by March 15th, 2020. In addition to in-home nail trimming services, I will be partnering with Wet Noses Dog Training for Nail Trimming Events around the area of South Boston and perhaps other areas too.

Our events will host two professional nail trim technicians and will offer a free ear cleaning, breath spray and bandanna to complete your service. We will also have selected upgrades with added fees including sani-shaves, paw pad trims, visor/light face trims, and upgraded cute after-groom collars from DMK.

We are still working on prices for these additional services, but they will be discounted if purchased all together.

If you have any questions, please send me a message. I may be able to get to you before March 30 if you are on my current farrier route.

Hope to see you and your pets soon!