Grooming Smarter

Andis Deshedder is MAGIC!

I have looked at this tool for several years and put it off. I kept saying "I don't do a lot of desheds", I would always say to myself and it never got ordered. We started grooming a Lagatto Romagnolo and again, was told "you need this tool" and the breeder and other people showing talked my groomer out of it (he was her handler) and again, we never got one.

WELL, at the Florida NDGAA show (the Fun in the Sun) in October, I was talking to Alison Franklin from the Groomer's Mall as they were packing up and she had ONE LEFT, and she kinda nudged me saying "You won;t regret it", so I added it to my bucket with a new brush and the nail trimmers, combs and brushes I was supposed to buy. I mean what was the worst thing that could happen? It went to the G.E.A.F. or delegated to the "unused gimmicky tool drawer" - and you KNOW we all have that drawer!

I got back to the shop and promptly put that tool into a drawer and figured when Sasha (the Lagatto) came in we would see what it did on her coat since she is not actively showing and her mom DOES NOT BRUSH.

One reason I was hesitant to use this is that the coat king, which is similar to this tool, has been known to cut coat if its new and hasn't been used enough to dull it. I didn't want to cut the Lagatto's coat and any dog with a double caot , like a sheltie or pom I was not willing to try it on if it was going to cut coat.

On Tuesday, however, a maltese mix came in and his mom was complaining that he was shedding so could I "cut him shorter to stop it". I had the same discussion I would have with a lab or golden owner where I explained that it would only be shorter hair and not stop the shedding, but then a lightbulb went off and I said "I have this new tool....if it doesn't work you can bring him back and I will cut him shorter." She agreed to try it and I was more than impressed with the results I got on hi and so was him mom. In fact, she took home the hair I got out of her dog to show her husband, tipped $10 and called back to tell me it was working and he was shedding "almost not at all".

Look how THICK that pile of hair is! The deshedder tool is over an inch high when laying on the table!

 

I was so happy with the results that on Wednesday we took this video of the tool being used on a matted and VERY thick coated snz/yorkie mix named Mumford.

 

That is one huge pile of hair!

notice how this is "hooked" and "looped". That is how this tool works and is proof it isn't cutting the coat.

SO, the results are lots of undercoat removed, coat not damaged or cut, and our work dramatically reduced in removing the dead undercoat from these two dogs. As a result the shedding they had been doing has been dramatically reduced and HOPEFULLY in Mumford's case, the matting she has been having will be reduced as well. 

Here are some more photos of the hair that we removed up close for you to see for a fact the hair was not cut. In fact, there is very little topcoat in that "pad" of hair shown. The Topcoat, as a matter of fact, is intact, hard and shiny. We have not used this tool on any pet strips as of yet but I would bet that a cocker back, or even a Wire Fox Terrier (or similar) pet strip, this would do wonders at mucking out undercoat and not removing the hard hair we want to leave.

This is the bottom view of a "pad" of hair removed from Mumford.

 

SO my suggestion to everyone is BUY THIS TOOL! It is a great tool and will make your job as a groomer easier and faster. If you do desheds or low shed services this tool would be faster than most and cause MUCH less damage to coat and skin. If you do carding on labs and goldens this will make that j ob faster and easier. In fact I cannot think of a breed it wouldn't help with. Debulking ears on poodles, legs on snzs or cockers...so many reasons to use it!

I know for a fact that Groomers Mall has them in stock and many thanks to Allie for kinda nudging me to buy it. She said I would be happy and would not regret it and she was right. 

 

PS. This is not a paid endorsement. I did not get this tool for free and I DID NOT get it with any expectations by Andis or Groomers Mall. I am writing this because, in my experience it WORKS and I was thrilled with this tool so I wanted to share it with you!

CYA in a big way!!!!

Every day on FB groups I am on groomers are complaining about clients who are accusing the of injuring their dog, or leaving bad reviews on their FB or YELP! pages, community FB pages or numerous other places that consumers go to read reviews and get a feel for a new business before trying them out themselves. More often than not, the pet in question was completely matted or not groomed in a year and there are sores and other health issues that are uncovered during grooming that set the pet owner off and make them think (rightly or wrongly) that we did something to their precious dog or cat.

Usually the groomer is asking for ways to reply to those people who are demanding a boycott of the business, or payment of a vet bill that the groomer is in no way responsible for, or at the very least a refund of the groom price.

I have yet to have this happen to me. I  can tell you my secret if you promise to share it high and wide!

I DOCUMENT< DOCUMENT< and DOCUMENT some more. AND I tell the owners I did it! 

I takes photos. Videos. I send home forms that detail how bad the matting was, what they can expect and attach the photos to that paper (I print them off in house). I also use my shop cell phone to either email or text the photos of before, during and after to the client and in some cases the vet that is going to see the dog after I am done with the groom.

Below are some photos I took the other day of a severely neglected, old poodle.

 

 

 

 

 

There is before, during and after, and I have about 20 other photos, some showing the leg casting that was so bad I was scared I would cut this dog.

I was a nervous wreck when we were done with this dog, but my photos ill protect me in the even there is an issue with her ears, skin or eyes after the groom. She also set up a 6 week appointment. It was her Grandmother’s dog and she had been ill, passing away two weeks prior. Yeah, I know. We all hear that all the time. In this case I believe her.

If the owner of this dog had posted anything negative to any ratings source I would be able to simply reply: We apologize for any trouble Fluffy may have had during the grooming process, but when you bring us a dog in this sad condition we do the best we can do and you were forewarned there might be injury to her during the grooming process. Here is the Download AFTER CARE FOR SEVERE MATTING REMOVAL you signed acknowledging that and relieving us of any responsibility.

Once you provide that rebuttal the post will disappear, and if it doesn’t you have stated a case that no sane person can argue with.

I have forms like the one above available for sale on my page at GroomingSmarter. I also have an accident report and numerous other forms that may be helpful to you for your business.

I also take photos of pre existing skin problems like the one below so that we cannot be accused of causing it.

 

 

I am fully aware that not everyone has a DSL or a camera on a tripod like I do set up to use at all times, but we do almost ALL have a cell phone and the vast majority of them have a camera and are capable of video. If yours doesn’t this would be a great time to upgrade to one that does before YOU get accused of something that you did not do!

Its not always matted dogs either that have an odd situation may arise. If you see an injury, a lump, redness...even in GOOD CLIENTS document it. Then there is no reason for them or the vet to come back and say you have an issue they were not aware of.

CYA in this litigious world we live in has become a way of life, and unfortunately a lot of folks still don't do it enough. CYA people. Then negative reviews feel like water off a ducks back!