Tag: grooming

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Grooming Essentials for Dogs

Grooming is essential for all pets actually, but more so for our doggos. These fluffballs became dirtballs after their daily walks or play. It can be frustrating trying to keep them clean each time.

Every day since I started the Instagram journey of @kikithemp in end June, many people had asked me about grooming items as I’ve been grooming Kiki by myself for a while.

A disclaimer, I am not a grooming expert or a professional groomer, I am self-taught by watching Youtube videos and trial and error.

As a first time dog owner, and adopting a dog with chronic scabies, I was totally clueless of what is needed. I remembered just following the instructions of the vet and trying out various ways and means to groom Kiki in a way she felt comfortable with. We did not bring her for professional grooming during this period as most groomers we asked said that they cannot accept dogs with infestations. Kiki has to be cleared by the vet before they would let in.

For a start, Kiki’s skin was raw and bloody, she will wince and jump in pain whenever her skin touches the water and worse, shampoo. Then the ultimate nail trimming process as she refused to let anyone touch her paws. It was a long and arduous journey trying to get her used to grooming. After much patience, we finally got Kiki to be used to grooming and could stay still and let me work on her for… 2 hours straight.

I still do occasionally bring Kiki to the groomers for Full Grooming once every 3 to 4 months, and the in-between, I do my own self grooming. I believe that as pawrents, we need to do some sort of very basic grooming everyday or at least once a week so as to maintain its hygiene. A hygienic dog is a healthy dog.

Here are some of the top few grooming essentials that I used on a daily to weekly basis, which I think all pawrents should try to do as well.

Daily

  • Brush – Any type of brush that your dog is comfortable with should be fine. I typically use both a grooming comb and a slicker brush. Brush their fur at least once a day to untangle unwanted knots and matting.
  • Sanitiser – Not any kind of sanitiser is pet friendly but one which is chemical free and 100% natural would do. I typically spray it on Kiki’s paws after walks and whole body before bedtime. This helps to keep her clean and odour free too! Do you know that bacteria growth on fur is very smelly? Not only do I use it on Kiki, I also use it on the mat, bed, playpen she uses often. I recommend Pets Activated Water Sanitiser by For Furry Friends SG. (Code KIKI5 at http://www.forfurryfriends.com.sg for 5% off with free gift.)
  • Dental Chew – All kind of chews is good as long as the ingredients used is natural. Some people gives natural chews like antlers, pizzle, tendons. That works well. For me, I usually go for Absolute Holistic ones as it is not as smelly and Kiki goes crazy for it. However with all form of food, give in moderation. Kiki usually have 1 every night. It has been ingrained in her nightly routine. (Get dental chew here: https://shopee.prf.hn/l/6lPGOkY)
  • Tooth brush and toothpaste – I highly recommend brushing their teeth at least once a day to keep plague and tartar at bay. This helps to eliminate bad breathe and also with good dental hygiene they do not have to go through frequent dental scaling which may need them to go under anesthesia which can be quite scary for older dogs. I have been using Virbac toothpaste since Day 1 and Kiki loves it. She can even hold the toothbrush and brush it herself. (Get your 360 Toothbrush: https://shopee.prf.hn/l/KM0P2bp, toothpaste: https://shopee.prf.hn/l/70vGyZY)

Weekly / As when necessary

  • Ear Cleaner – This one is something I highly highly recommend to do once a week. We do not need to wait for the groomer to do it for us okay! Maintaining a good ear hygiene makes the dog a happier one. Try to go for non oily ones. I’ve gone through quite a few different brands and found that Kiki tolerate well with the Ear Cleaner from For Furry Friends SG. Also, after ear cleaning, you can also try to use a tweezer to pluck out ear fur at the outer ear canal. This helps to reduce ear irritants. This helps to reduce and prevent unwanted bacteria growth causing yeast infection and smell. (Code KIKI5 at http://www.forfurryfriends.com.sg for 5% off with free gift.)
  • Tear Stain Remover – I do this as and when I find tear stains on Kiki’s eyes using a cotton pad to soak up the stain. Kiki tend to have eye gunk every now and then and they will stick to fur near her eyes. This helps to unclump the fur and also keep their eye area clean, which makes them cuter too!
  • Pet Dryer – I cannot stress enough about this. If you do home grooming enough times, you’ll realise how ineffective our own human hairdryer is. They take ages to dry their fur and then because of the long drying process, it makes their skin so dry too?! Always go for a pet dryer if you can! I use a 2-in-1 pet dryer that has a brush attachment on it. It saved up so much of my time! A typical 20 minutes drying process is cut to 5mins! (Get it here: https://shopee.prf.hn/l/KNqJX2P)
  • Electric Pet Nail Grinder – This is another must-have item in your grooming kit. Yes, you may bring your dog to the groomer monthly, but nail maintenance is something I personally feel is a must-know. The conventional way of nail maintenance is using a pet nail clipper which many owners I know are fearful of. Like how do you know if you’re hitting the quick? What if I have shaky hands? That’s where the nail grinder comes into play. Due to Kiki’s past experience, she hates the clipper and will attempt to bite us whenever she sees it. So that’s when I researched and found out about the Grinder. It is a tool that files away the nail bit by bit. Yes, it takes longer than a traditional clipper but it is less scary and you do not need to worry about hitting the quick! No need to second guess yourself and don’t need to worry about shaky hands. Just grind away and monitor accordingly! This is one of the best grooming devices in my opinion. (Get it here: https://shopee.prf.hn/l/rpJPLxq)
  • Pet Shaver – Since we’re at the topic of nail grinder, I highly recommend pairing it with a pet shaver. Even if you are not going to shave much, get one with attachment for paw pads. Do you know that the paw pads are areas best for bacteria growth especially when the fur is covering the pads? In addition, if there’s too much fur covering, our dogs will have walking issues too! I typically will shave Kiki’s fur to a poodle feet style as I really prefer the cleanliness and effortless maintenance. (Get it here: https://shopee.prf.hn/l/7BnODJ0)
  • Pet Shampoo and Conditioner – In the humidity of Singapore, I prefer showering Kiki weekly. However it is up to personal preference, some does it bi-weekly or monthly. If your dog sleeps with you on the same bed, maybe you might want to shower it more frequently. As Kiki has sensitive skin, I normally goes for 100% natural unscented shampoo / conditioner so as to reduce any skin irritation. I uses the Gentle range from The Blep Club and it has been my favourite shampoo thus far. Best of all, it is a conditioner shampoo. So I don’t have to rinse twice!

Optional Items

  • Grooming Scissors Kit – I personally use it when I trim Kiki’s fur to give her a cute face and pretty paws but I do not recommend it if you have shaking hands. When I first started this grooming journey, I feared for both Kiki’s and my life when the scissors is very near her eyes. I was so scared of poking her eyes unintentionally you know! But with much practice and also curved scissors (inside the kit), it helps a lot! (Get it here: https://shopee.prf.hn/l/6149wWZ)

Items like the pet grinder, pet shaver, brush, dental chews, toothpaste and so on, can be easily bought from Shopee SG. You can use KIKI12 for 12% off (capped at $6) on all pet-related food and items! (If you’ve already used it, feel free to DM me on Instagram at @kikithemp for more codes. I have a long list of it!)

I know after reading this, some of you may be thinking…

“Wow, that’s a lot of things to do for grooming. I will just let the groomer do it.”

My question to you will be…

Yes, sure you can wait and let the groomer do it. But remember Circuit Breaker? Everything is closed. What if a second wave or third happens? What if it was extended for several months? No one knows what will happen. But one thing we know for sure is that our fluffballs might become dirtballs, ungroomed and prone to all sorts of problems.

So what you’re waiting for? Go get your basic grooming supply now! What’s more, all the year end sales is upcoming! Go Go Go!

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Community Stories

Caring for a dog with a fractured leg

Disclaimer: I am not an expert. This is purely based on my personal experience.

The signs:

We went to pick Bailey up from the groomers’ after his grooming. He was so excited to see us as usual, so we left the groomers’ after paying for his grooming.

However, halfway while walking back home, Bailey had suddenly stopped walking and collapsed on the floor. At first, we had thought he was just dehydrated and tired from grooming and playing with the other doggies there. However, we realised that his tail was tucked in tightly, which could mean that he was scared or frightened. It was then when we suspected something was wrong.

We tried to lift Bailey and put him on all four legs, and got him to walk. We noticed that there was probably something wrong with one of his legs, because he was limping to one side. One of us decided to go back to the groomers’ to ask if something had happened during his grooming. We got one of the groomers’ to come to take a look at Bailey, who was then lying on the pavement by the roadside, refusing to move. The groomer decided to carry Bailey back to the salon after noticing that something was amiss.

What had happened:

Back at the grooming salon, the groomer who had groomed Bailey then explained that while she was in the midst of trimming bailey’s fur, he had suddenly jumped down from the grooming table. Bailey being big in size and quite heavy at that time, it was likely he had injured his leg from the impact of the fall.

At first, I was disappointed as to why the groomers had let us leave their place without telling us such a thing happened. If we had known such a thing happened, we would have been given a heads up if something were to happen to Bailey.

The groomer had then tried to touch all of Bailey’s legs. But Bailey flinched when she tried to touch his left hind leg. Now we know, the problem lies with the left hind leg.

The groomers were deeply apologetic about the whole issue, and immediately told us to bring Bailey to the vet and to come back with the receipt, as they will reimburse the cost of his vet fees. They had also offered Bailey a free grooming for the next round if we do come back.

We were so thankful to the groomers’ for taking responsibility for the incident, as we have heard of cases where the groomers would refuse to take responsibility.

At the vet:

The vet did an x-ray for Bailey. To our horror, his left hind leg had suffered a fracture, and it would need to be supported with a splint wrapped in a cast so that it will heal.

Splints are used to provide protection and support for his leg. They serve the same function as a bandage and has the additional benefit of preventing movement of the leg. On top of the splint, a cast padding will be applied to protect the bony prominences from pressure and friction.

Bailey was put under general anesthesia so that the process of shaving his leg and putting the leg in a splint and a cast could be as smooth as possible.

After Bailey woke up from the anesthesia, we went back home.

We thought: Bailey has not even turned a year old, yet he has to go through such an ordeal. Being a first time pet owner and not experiencing this before makes the situation even more stressful.

An x-ray of bailey’s fractured leg.
Bailey after waking up from a general anesthesia at the vet, with the cutest leg bandage in the world.

Caring for a fractured leg:

The vet had advised us to limit Bailey’s movements and not let him jump or run, just in case the splint breaks and the bone won’t be able to heal properly.

The vet advised us to get a cone to prevent Bailey from licking his leg even though it may be uncomfortable. He also told us that in the event we accidentally wet the cast, we would have to come back to the vet to change the bandages.

We would also have to bring Bailey to the vet once a week to change his bandage, and for the vet to access the bone recovery. We also could not bathe Bailey at all for a month in order not to wet his injured leg, so we had to purchase a dry shampoo to ‘shower’ him.

During walks, we had to make sure to wrap his leg in a plastic bag and wear a shoe on top of it, so that we minimise the damage made to the cast by friction and to prevent dirt or water from getting onto the cast.

Taking care of the fractured leg was no easy feat, as not only do we have to return to the vet once every week to check, but we also found out that Bailey had developed skin irritations on his injured leg due to it being wrapped up for a long period of time.

Bailey with his new ‘outfit’

Caring for the wounds on his fractured leg:

His injured leg had sores and wounds after being wrapped in the splint and cast for such a long period of time, and the vet had to apply cream on his wounds on the leg.

Of course, regular vet visits during this time were mandatory, so as to check in on the healing of the bone and to apply cream on the wounds on his leg for it to heal. Every time the vet unwraps the bandage wrapping his leg, we would cringe and cross our fingers, hoping that the wound had gotten better and not develop into an infection.

Luckily, his bone had healed by end-october, and there was no need for a splint or cast anymore. Since his leg no longer needed to be in a cast, we would have to learn how to apply the anti-bacterial cream on his wounds more frequently at home.

During this period of time, we also had to be extra careful and keep the leg as clean and dry as possible. This is so as to make sure the wounds do not become infected.

His leg finally recovered by mid November with the wounds fully closed and the bone fully healed. We will just have to let the shaven fur on the leg to grow back.

This process was tiring and stressful for both the dog and the hoomans, but we are so grateful to the fact that Bailey’s left hind leg has fully recovered, and that he is now a healthy and happy pup.

P.s did you notice the name on the bandage ‘Storm’? That is because Bailey’s previous name was actually Storm! That is another story for another time! ♡

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Brand Highlights Community Stories

[Product Review] Mira-Pet Ultrasound Toothbrush

Our goob boys and goob girls embarked on a 3-week journey to test out the Mira-Pet Ultrasound Toothbrush. Read till the end to enjoy a special deal!

@taroiskaypo

The set consists of:

  • The Mira-Pet Dog Toothbrush
  • 2x Single-sided Brush Heads
  • 1x Double-sided Brush Heads
  • Dog Toothpaste (specially formulated for dogs and ultrasound)
  • USB Charging Cable
  • 2-year Warranty

The product promises to effectively remove tartar with the Ultrasound technology and destroy bacteria deep in the gums. It also keeps your dog’s teeth in great shape minimizing the need of visiting the vet for dental procedures such as removing tartar under the use of anesthesia. You can now save on dental anesthesia!

Let’s see what our goob doggos have to say about the product
@chai_thesingaporespecial

The ultrasound function is really interesting – by pressing the main button twice, the doggo-friendly silent and vibration-free mode is turned on. If it works well, I can imagine that expensive and stressful trips to the vet can be avoided in the future. I usually hate brushing my teeth, and usually clench while it’s happening. 

@chai_thesingaporespecial
@gemmathepomsky

Initially thought it would feel like the human type electric toothbrush but it’s nothing like it. No strong vibration or noise.

It’s gentle ultrasound produces, helps in tartar removal.

The toothpaste that comes with the set smells amazing! Gemma breath will definitely improve from now.

@gemmathepomsky
@taroiskaypo

It is soooo easy to use! Just turn on the ultrasound and hold it against your furkid‘s teeth. Compared to manual brushing, there is much less struggle and discomfort!

More importantly, you can see visible results even though we only used it for around 3 weeks.

Easy to clean, disinfect and maintain. We just wash it under running tap water with the ultrasound on to disinfect.

@taroiskaypo
@lokithetoast

It’s really easy to use! Despite it being bulkier than our usual toothbrush, it’s something we are willing to accept due to its features. With a complementing toothpaste which works effectively with the ultrasound technology, we will definitely be using this for long.

@lokithetoast

Not convinced? Check out these amazing results!

@taroiskaypo

At the end of 3 weeks, Taro enjoyed significant improvements. With reduce in plaque, he can now flash his pearly white smiles in photos! Isn’t it just amazing! And that means a lesser need to go for dental scaling which can cost a bomb in the long run.

@orithespitz

Despite using the device wrongly for the first week, Ori still had some amazing improvements with whiter teeth! Brown stains were visibly lightened in just a short period of time.

@chai_thesingaporespecial

In just one week, Chai had such noticeable improvements! The dark plaque near the gumline is lessened while the stains on his teeth are reduced.

As seen, the Mira-Pet Ultrasound Toothbrush is a great one-time investment for tartar removal and teeth cleaning. The product is on sale at about SGD370 on Amazon. However, The Woof Agency is holding a groupbuy where pet owners, groomers and vets can get them at a special rate of SGD300 per set! This price includes shipping, taxes as well as delivery to you.

Fill up the order form here to be part of the group buy! We will drop you a message regarding the payment.