# Canine Essential Grooming Needs



## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

Thanks for posting that article. It is funny that I just posted about not having to trim my boys nails and the article says otherwise. : Maybe we have more abrasive pavement up here but the boys nails are perfect.


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## K9 Passion (Jan 2, 2009)

Oaklys Dad said:


> Thanks for posting that article. It is funny that I just posted about not having to trim my boys nails and the article says otherwise. : Maybe we have more abrasive pavement up here but the boys nails are perfect.


LOL-that is ironic.  Every dog has different nail growth patterns. Dogs who spend more time outdoors will obviously wear them down more than others.


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

K9 Passion said:


> LOL-that is ironic.  Every dog has different nail growth patterns. Dogs who spend more time outdoors will obviously wear them down more than others.


My boy like their exercise. It is good for me too. That nice Maine granite is a pretty good abrasive also.


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## K9 Passion (Jan 2, 2009)

These are very essential grooming needs that many people are unware of. BUMP


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

There are products other than those referenced in the article that can be used very successfully for the same purposes, and many homemade solutions, as well. The point of the article is good, and I am an advocate for regular and frequent grooming.


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## K9 Passion (Jan 2, 2009)

Pointgold said:


> ...The point of the article is good, and I am an advocate for regular and frequent grooming.


Yes, I can tell. A well-groomed dog says a lot (to me, at least). 

However, the *DermaPet* products are the best natural hygienic products in the industry. The creator (Dr. Melman) is a world-leading veterinary dermatologist. His products cannot be beat & have been recognized at various veternary dermatological conventions.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

K9 Passion said:


> Yes, I can tell. A well-groomed dog says a lot (to me, at least).
> 
> However, the *DermaPet* products are the best natural hygienic products in the industry. The creator (Dr. Melman) is a world-leading veterinary dermatologist. His products cannot be beat & have been recognized at various veternary dermatological conventions.


Are you a distributor of these products?


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## K9 Passion (Jan 2, 2009)

NO-I am a canine nutrition specialist & through my consulting clinic, I carry some of the finest hygienic products available. *DermaPet* is the best of the best.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

"If the hair inside of the lip folds becomes damp from saliva, then the hair in that area turns a reddish/black color.Further, if those areas are not routinely kept trim and clean, they are susceptible to infection."
I see that the hair in Brooks' lip folds is reddish dark in color (he's a light golden) but I don't see what hair I would be trimming. All the hair in that area just looks the same normal length. (I don't see any sign of infection)


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## K9 Passion (Jan 2, 2009)

lgnutah said:


> "...I see that the hair in Brooks' lip folds is reddish dark in color (he's a light golden) but I don't see what hair I would be trimming. All the hair in that area just looks the same normal length. (I don't see any sign of infection)


The hair in that area is not going to be any longer than the rest of the hair around the mouth. But, you want to take a pair of small round-tipped scissors (like mustache scissors) & run them parallel to trim that red hair super, super short so that all you see is the skin. Because that area is damp (from saliva), it is very, very important to clean it with some type of antimicrobial cleaner to prevent infection. I have a picture I will try to attach this weekend.

Thank you so much for reading & inquiring.


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## tintallie (May 31, 2006)

K9 Passion said:


> Yes, I can tell. A well-groomed dog says a lot (to me, at least).
> 
> However, the *DermaPet* products are the best natural hygienic products in the industry. The creator (Dr. Melman) is a world-leading veterinary dermatologist. His products cannot be beat & have been recognized at various veternary dermatological conventions.





Pointgold said:


> Are you a distributor of these products?


It sounds like an *advertisement* with the products in *boldface type*.

I think I will stick to my *Purple Potion* for cleaning ears and *diluted dog shampoo* in a spray bottle with a wet towel for cleaning my dog's feathers and boys.


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## K9 Passion (Jan 2, 2009)

tintallie said:


> It sounds like an *advertisement* with the products in *boldface type*....


Anytime I talk about specific products, regardless of what they are, I always put them in bold italic.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Enzymes in the saliva will discolor hair, but that does not mean that there will be infection. 
One must be extremely careful if attempting to trim the hair at the lipline, which is not meant to be cut.


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## K9 Passion (Jan 2, 2009)

Pointgold said:


> Enzymes in the saliva will discolor hair, but that does not mean that there will be infection...


That is correct, but if those damp areas are not kept trim, clean, & dry, that can lead to infection. When moisture gets trapped on the skin, that is a breeding ground for yeast & bacteria. The lip folds, paws, armpits, ears, stomach, & genital areas are the most vulnerable.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Healthy dogs, kept even reasonably clean, will have no problems. Yeast infections and other skin problems are more often than not related to thyroid problems.


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## K9 Passion (Jan 2, 2009)

Pointgold said:


> Healthy dogs, kept even reasonably clean, will have no problems. Yeast infections and other skin problems are more often than not related to thyroid problems.


I disagree-sorry.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Pointgold said:


> Enzymes in the saliva will discolor hair, but that does not mean that there will be infection.
> One must be extremely careful if attempting to trim the hair at the lipline, which is not meant to be cut.


Thanks PG...I thought I was nuts....
Ive never trimmed along the lipline or given a 'sanitary trim' to the girls...one is 10 one is 6...both have very dark fur they have never had any sort of smell or skin irritation and no signs of infection. 

Im not saying there can't be an infection in those areas from the fur holding moisture close to the skin, but I dont think that just because you see discolored hair that it automatically means there is an infection present or that it is an indicator that one is just waiting to happen....

If you see 10,000 pregnant women in a room and they are ALL chewing gum....doesn't mean that chewing gum causes pregnancy....


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

LibertyME said:


> Thanks PG...I thought I was nuts....
> Ive never trimmed along the lipline or given a 'sanitary trim' to the girls...one is 10 one is 6...both have very dark fur they have never had any sort of smell or skin irritation and no signs of infection.
> 
> Im not saying there can't be an infection in those areas from the fur holding moisture close to the skin, but I dont think that just because you see discolored hair that it automatically means there is an infection present or that it is an indicator that one is just waiting to happen....
> ...


 
Yeast (_Malassezia_) is present on the skin of most dogs and cats, but usually causes no problem unless there is an underlying hereditary disease, infectious process, or otherwise compromised immune system, allowing the yeast to grow and reproduce abnormally, causing yeast infection. A normal, healthy dog, kept reasonably clean and dry, generally will not experience problems. If this were not the case, any dog that drinks, eats, or salivates, causing wet lipfolds, would be infected, as would any dog that swims or gets wet.
I'm not saying that the op's article does not have good information, it's well known that I am all for regular and frequent bathing, but I just don't believe that expensive dermatologicals need to be used regularly or prophylactically, or that all, or even a lot, of dogs, if healthy, will have issues. Trimming hair in certain places can actually be more irritating than helpful.
Feeding a good diet, adding probiotics, and good genetics are at the core.


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