# Ruined a patch of his fur with the furminator :(



## ashleygrimaldi (Sep 6, 2011)

My dog has been shedding something FIERCE for the past month, like I literally have to sweep twice a day and every time the hair pile looks like its own separate animal haha. So I bought the furminator and it arrived today and we used it.

There's a patch between his shoulder blades about 3x3 inches that's now all frizzy and damaged and not soft at all anymore.  He doesn't seem bothered by it but is there anything I can do to restore the fur? I think I just concentrated on that spot a little too long.

About how long should it take to fall out and regrow?


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## Deber (Aug 23, 2011)

You are braver than I! I saw a golden at the Petsmart groomer who had been brushed with the furminator and looked like a 4 yr old had gotten the clippers out and used them on her. Poor family I am not sure what the groomer could do to try to fix that poor dog. Really pittiful. The furminator is a good tool, but seems you really need a lot of experience with it before you use it on certain breed coats. It will cut the guard hairs (top coat) along with the undercoat and can really do a bad number on the coat. I won't use it. I am a clutz and after seeing what it did to that golden, will never have one. If you are set on using the furminator I would take it and your dog to a groomer you trust to show you how to use it, but not convenced it is the right "tool" for our goldens coat, IMHO. 

The guard hairs will grow back but it takes quite a few months. I just use a regular pin brush, grayhound comb and a coat rake for all my regular grooming. If you brush them once a day or twice during the worst of the shed (take them outside or your house will look like you killed something). I know I got a garbage bag full of hair off my two. I even left some outside in clumps and the birds used it for spring nesting. Also might get a squirt bottle and put a bit of conditioner in it and fill with water and always dampen the coat a bit before brushing. If/when your dog is really shedding a good bath and blow dry against the way the hair grows really loosens the hair and you can brush/blow it off. Some take their dog to the groomers for a bath since they have those big blowdryers to do it better. Glad it is over pretty quickly.

But the hair WILL grow back. I would put the furminator away! (But that is my opinion only). Until I have more confidence, I will leave that tool for the specialists. Just up your brushing/combing during this time and quickly it will be over and you will have saved their coat.


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## aerolor (May 27, 2011)

I agree with Deber's post and I avoid any tool which will remove hair by cutting or stripping hair out. I don't actually like the Furminator at all for a golden retriever, although I know quite a few people do like to use one. I think perhaps the Furminator is more suitable for a dog with a wiry type of coat which occasionally needs stripping and I'm thinking of Airedales and other terrier breeds. 
The best tool I have found is the undercoat rake. It is very gentle, easy to use and can really get down to the undercoat to remove the dead, loose hair. It will only take off what is already loose and doesn't cut so you can't spoil the coat with it. There is also a comb available with wide swivel teeth (which doesn't pull) and this is very good for getting at the harder to groom areas like behind the ears and on the legs. Tails and tummies I am always very careful with and like to use a plain old natural bristle brush or one with wide plastic bristles. It's perhaps a bit old fashioned, but I often finish off with a small amout of oil -something like baby oil or a blob of Vitapointe hair conditioner usually does the trick.


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

I own a furminator but only used it once because it scared me. I have been thinking of trying it again, but after this thread, maybe not.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

I hate those things. I've seen more damaged skin and coat because of them than I care to think about.


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## ashleygrimaldi (Sep 6, 2011)

cubbysan said:


> I own a furminator but only used it once because it scared me. I have been thinking of trying it again, but after this thread, maybe not.


I'm chalking it up to user error, it's only a small patch and now I know not to over brush him. Other than that spot we had no problems at all, got a ton of hair off and the rest of his hair is soft and shiny. 

I think I'll continue using it, just be more careful. To be honest I read reviews and watched usage videos and all but I thought it was just a brush, I wasn't aware it could damage hair at all. I read reviews specifically for golden retrievers as well, I never found anything about it damaging a coat until I googled "furminator ruined coat" yesterday after the fact.


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

I've used one on my dog for a few years with no issues.
The only person I know who had issues tried to use it like one of the brushes that you go against the fur.
With a furminator, only brush the area fur a couple times and always go with the fur.


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