Groomer "only" uses flea shampoo on dogs?
 

Yesterday my bf took his mothers dog to the groomers and I took my puppy just to ask some questions. Well the groomer at this one place thats suppose to be the best in town (well it is because we live in a small town)
-just not the best for me

I asked her what kind of shampoo she washed them with and (cant remember the name) but she showed me the bottle and told me its a medicated shampoo for fleas.

I then asked her why use a medicated flea shampoo if they dont have fleas? Wont it dry out their skin? And she told me no because it offers added shine.

I then asked her if they put conditioner in their hair, and she told me no its not needed because that flea shampoo is good enough.

:confused: So i asked her what kind of brushes she uses, and she showed me all different size slicker brushes for different size dogs. So I asked her if she uses a pin brush..and she said no she never has in however many years she has been there as a groomer. Isnt a slicker brush for mats? And can pull a yorkies hair out?

Maybe it was an all in one shampoo but even so, I would prefer Gypsy to have shampoo and conditioner if I was paying for her to go to a groomer.

I'm not sure about the brushes, hopefully someone will know the answer though.

groomer has it
 

on the tv show groomer has it om animal channel, they said last week that slicker brushes are only for short haired dogs. :animal-pa

I would think that using a flea shampoo when it's not necessary is not a good idea. Personally I wouldn't want it used if my dog doesn't have fleas. That is why I groom at home. I do a good enough job and I don't worry about things like that.

No it wasnt an all in one shampoo
just a basic medicated flea shampoo

I would also like Lyric to have shampoo & conditioner if I was paying for him to go. I felt like it wasnt worth the $30.00 plus tip if they werent going to pamper him:D

Your right I forgot about that
thanks, I was just asking I guess
because it seems everyone uses
that CC brush

grooming
 

A good groomer is open to discussing a clients needs and wishes...if people wanted me to use a certain shampoo and conditioner, I asked them to provide it. I had a cabinet with labeled bottles of these products, used for that particular dog only.
Some dogs had allergies or a skin problem and the vet prescribed a product or rinse...so it was important for me to follow the program...otherwise I used Coat Handler on all my dogs...I never use flea shampoo ever. Sometimes, I use Adams flea spray to rid any minor flea problem, then use a regular shampoo/conditioner...

I would give advise as to what I felt is the best brush, comb etc..and it is NEVER a slicker on a Yorkie coat, unless you want to rip it out.

What makes a groomer or any professional service giver the best at what they do, is the willingness to listen and make the client feel their wishes are important.

Piece of advise...learn to groom your own Yorkie!!!! That is what I did..I got sick and tried of groomers ignoring simple requests... Grooming is not rocket science!

This is why I'm going to groom at home also
I just figured that I would ask since my bf
had to take his mothers dog there

i'm a groomer i would just like to say that there is no excuse for that groomer to be using a flea shampoo on all the dogs she does. it's harmful to the dog and not meant to be used all the time. i think that groomer is a little off :confused:

Thanks for all the comments :) I thought it was a little weird that she only has flea shampoo, I did ask about other shampoo's/conditioners and she pretty much said all I have is the flea shampoo:( I asked her could she maybe order something for me, and she said the "flea" is all I keep in stock I use it on my 8 dogs at home and recommend it to everyone. Just last week this guy bought two bottles to keep on hand for his yorkies at home.

"sigh" I hate living in a small town, but I will be grooming Lyric myself. I also dont like the fact that she lets the dogs run around the grooming area while everyones back is turned. Because you never know when one might snap etc..

Plus they dont have to have all vaccinations/show proof before going there to get groomed.

well i do grooming out of my house for the time being, and i don't ask for vaccine/shot proof BUT i do not allow dogs to interact with each other. and i usually only book one at a time because i don't have the room, unless it's one person bringing in multiple dogs.

I am a groomer
 

and I can tell you that maybe you need to shop around for another groomer. Every dog has a certain type of skin and coat...even two dogs from the same breed and litter may have different shampoo needs.
Using one flea shampoo (or one of any type) is not good.
Flea shampoo is very drying for the skin, not matter how much "shine" is on the label, lol. It sounds like this groomer does not want to spend the $$ on different products.
I use one main manufacturer, but I have over 15 different types of their shampoos in my grooming shop for the different coat types and skin problems on the clients I groom.
As for the slicker brush, it is NOT a problem to use it on a yorkie. I know that the TV show said to use a pin brush...and a pin brush is good, but it is not a bad thing to use a slicker. It will not pull out your dogs hair. In my grooming videos I recommend a slicker, but also show a pin brush and a boars hair bristle brush too.
If the slicker is a good one (Oscar Frank's Universal Slicker, made in Germany, inexpensive) it will not cause the damage. Almost every groomer in America uses this brush on most of the breeds of "pets" that they groom.

It is a safer choice for inexperienced pet owners to use, and that is why I recommend it to pet owners in my grooming DVD's. If, which ar estrictly for pets, not show dogs. If you have a show dog (like the dogs in the TV show) then you would strictly use a pin brush. The Old English Sheep dogs on the TV show were owned by a show dog owner/breeder/judge.
Slickers can stretch the fur and cause "slpit ends" but it will not rip the hair out.

Sue & Cricket
:aimeeyork

thank you so much for clearing that up for me! about the slikcker brush and pin brush thing. i need a good pin brush. ill have to look at your dvd again to see which one you suggested. now on the show they were getting out tangles. but what can you use to get tangles out, other than the mat rake? pin brush? or the slicker brush?

Sorry I have no advice to offer! BUT I love your baby's name! Lyric was what I wanted to name Xavier but my hubby thought it was too unusual...o well.

:thumbup::thumbup: I'll never forget the first flea that our Toto got! We had driven home for a visit and planned to leave around 6 AM to drive back. About 4 AM Patrick found a flea on her!! I was mortified! I keep our Dr. Lucy on speed dial and fought the urge to hit her "Home" number! :) At 8 AM I called her and asked what kind of flea shampoo to use. She said "don't you dare put any of that stuff on her ... ever!" I explained that we were traveling and she said for us to just remain calm and when we stopped for the night to simply bathe her in her regular shampoo [Coat Handlers] and pick the nasty things off one by one and kill them! We did and only found about 3-4 on her. I always trust Dr. Lucy because Yorkies are her specialty and is the only vet that I truly trust! She also recommended that I do Toto's grooming myself ... especially the bathing. She may look a little ragged, but I have peace of mind knowing what she is bathed in and who she is exposed to. Good luck!

[BTW ... Pat, I would trust you to groom Toto! ;)]

I asked my vet this question while there for our first visit with Daisy our almost 9 week old yorkie. She told me not to ever use any kind of flea shampoo on her. For one she is on preventative meds (Revolution) for fleas and ticks and for another it does dry their skin out and gives them irritation. She told me to use any of the shampoos or baby washes from Johnson and Johnson. I used my 2 year olds Shea and Cocoa Butter and she smelled great and her coat was soft, plus I didn't notice any dry skin either.

Alabama?
 

I live in Alabama too! What part do you live in?

I'm so excited that I found this place to learn new things about my yorkie! I was so uninformed when I bought my baby! I am finding this site so useful. I don't know what any kind of brush is, I just went to the pet store and showed them my baby and said what should I brush him with. I think I have a slicker brush but I'm not sure? Should I get a different one and if so, what does it look like? Also, my baby is only 11 wks old, how often should I bathe him and with what?

answer
 

I use and prefer the Chris Christinsen pin brushes. For mats I do use a slicker, but I hold the fur close to the body and put my fingers between the body and the fur. Then I brush out the matts over my own fingers, not on the dogs skin. Matt rakes often have razor blades, so I do not recommend pet owners using them, they are very dangerous (deadly!) if not used properly.
Use a spray on de-tangler, massage it into the matt, and comb out with the rotating tooth comb I show you in the video, or brush out, depending on the severity of the matt.
Sue & Cricket
:aimeeyork

Hi!
We have a home in Anniston but are living in Grand Junction, CO [our work keeps us on the go! :p] We get home a few times a year. Where are you?

Alabama
 

I live in Fultondale, AL near Birmingham. I used to live in Jacksonville, AL when I went to JSU for college.

My opinion
 

I do agree that flea shampoo dries out the skin and it's not recommended to use it on regular basis. It's a very agressive shampoo. I'm a groomer myself. I don't use slicker coz you'll break the coat. If you ever go to dog show, nobody ever uses slicker to their yorkshire. They only use pin brush (with no point at the end)


Many groomers know nothing when it comes to Yorkshire standard and how to keep those coat show. They usually advice you to shave the hair. I'm myself is a big fun of show coat hair. I attend to many dog shows to get some useful information. I bet that this groomer knows nothing about how to grow a dog show coat. You'll never achieve perfect show coat if you use slicker. This is a very bad idea :) onless if you want to break the hair :)

I post pics of Kenzo. You can see his pics in order to have some idea of him :)

Pin brush?
 

Do you have a picture of a pin brush? I'm new to this "grooming" thing and I don't want to do it wrong.

I would never use a slicker brush on my yorkies..never never. Slicker brushes are supposed to be for short-haired dogs. Definitely not to be used on a single-coated dog. I would use a pin brush and a stainless steel comb.

Pin brush
 

Please check this site out:

HUB International (Mr & Mrs G Urquhart) Pin Brush

You see some examples of pin brush. You can use comb also for checking if there are some matts. The comb can be useful for combing his face or feet area.

Ok I get it, it looks like my hair brush that I use on me! lol

The pin brush
 

Btw pls check out these! You'll see the pin brush I use to brush Kenzo :)


http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/pic...pictureid=7273
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/pic...pictureid=7269
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/pic...pictureid=7440
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/pic...pictureid=7437
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/pic...pictureid=7434
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/pic...pictureid=7436
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/pic...pictureid=7433
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/pic...pictureid=7275

Wow
 

I can't wait til my baby gets long hair like that!