Peachie

I'm sure that's probably making his skin worse but nothing you can do about it if they are going to go longer and longer between grooms. He must have been given one hell of a sedative if he's still groggy the next day! Glad you both came out of it okay. Are you still going to groom once you move or is the town too small? Yep, well i can only go as often as the client wants and or can afford. I hope he is back to his normal self tomorrow. I think he was slow to recover from it due to a slow metabolism. That's what the vet told my client anyway. Yes, hopefully will be able to have another mobile, or perhaps buy a salon when i get there - it is the real reason Terrorbull is leaving Orange ... cos I am coming back.... hehehe Ta again everybody who has added advice. I feel very hopefull now for Husky and his skin. Cheers

Ari Yes, he did have a fair bit of that soft undercoat. I used to wash him monthly for his owner, but the last couple of years i have only done him ever couple of months. I know his mum does brush him, however i think due to the oily skin she has trouble getting all that coat out. He also cant handle the blow dryer, so i cant get as much out as i would be able to otherwise. Trust me, i would love to be able to really blow the rest of the coat out, tho i do get a lot out with brushing. I have never clipped a sedated dog before, and i certainly wont be doing it again. I am hoping that if we can clear up this skin with husky, he wont have to be clipped again - and as he is over 10 yrs old now, he may not even be around next summer. I wont be as my business is for sale and i am moving to the country, so if he is with us still by next summer, and she wants him clipped again, it will have to be at the vet. After that experience, i think i would probably strongly advise that anyway. As i said, it was a terrifying experience. I did it because i know this dog and how much he stresses out when not at home. There is no way he would have stood still for me to clip him, and the vet was the one who suggested he should be sedated for clipping. He is not a biter, sometimes a grabber when having his nails done, but he knows me pretty well and i would be surprised if he had a go. Of course i realise a dog under sedation may do something unusual to his normal nature. Thanks for the warning - and no, i will not be clipping any more sedated dogs.

Again, thanks for the replies. All very helpful. Poocow, the stuff she has is virtually the same as malaseb - cant remember the name of it but it is something like pyroex (that's not right but it is similar). I was told that one was the newer product, with the older product to be discontinued, but as it was still wanted by clients, both are still available. Westie, i will ask about the skin scraping - i am sure she has had one at some point or another - this problem has been going on since i have known him, and i have been washing him for over 6 years now. I will write myself a list of questions for his mum about his flea treatments, antibiotics he has been on in the past, and another list to speak to her vet about. Thanks again guys. I phoned her this morning and Husky is still quite sleepy, i figure that since he is pretty inactive, it is taking a while to get out of his system - she did phone the vet and that is what they said as well. Cheers all. I will let you know how he is on tuesday.

Thanks for the very constructive replies. I will print this out and give it to the owner on tuesday, so she can suggest these to her vet. This vet has a very good rep in the area, and i am sure he will suggest what is best for Husky. I will check out what she is feeding him, and go from there. I like the natural approach, i think his mum would be very open to this, i think she uses natural therapies for her own hip problems Thanks again, all replies have been very helpful and gives me hope in helping this lovely old boy

I will say first and foremost that this dog is loved probably more than any other dog i know, and the owner has tried everything and anything to fix this problem. Yesterday i clipped back, very short, a 10 yr old malamute. I have been washing this guy for 6 years now and he has always had very bad skin. He has always had health issues, a number of surgeries on various joints (hips, knees) - he was a pet shop puppy... and very badly B Y Bred it seems He has a lot of social issues as well, and is very difficult to bath, but we manage. He goes nuts at certain pitches on tv commercials, telephones ringing, radio etc, howling and barking. Does the same when he sees other dogs - but his mum adores him nontheless. He was bought for her kids by her ex husband, of course now the kids are grown and it is their mum who has been his main carer for many years now (since i have known him). Of course, this means that he probably didnt get his proper training as a pup, and now his mum has adjusted her lifestyle for him - that isnt the issue i want advice on, but just some background. Anyway, her vet suggested she clip him short for his skin problems, and said they would have to sedate him for this. She doesnt like taking him to the vet as he stresses out too much, and i told her i would be happy to give it a go. Vet gave him a sedative to give him to calm him down so he would stay still enough to clip him. I called her half an hour before so she could give him the pill. Well when i got there, there was no howling at the door when i knocked, which usually happens. Owner opened the door and there was poor old Husky (that's his name, not breed) standin there looking really dopey. I put my gear down (had planned to clip him on her back deck to avoid outside distractions - usually wash him in her driveway in the trailer) and gave him a hello cuddle. Well, he went down like a bag of spuds. Just collapsed - i nearly had a heart attack. As i was nearest his head, and we were in her small hallway, i got down to see if he was ok, and i couldnt feel him breathing. I called his name and shook him to rouse him - thank god i heard him snoring. His mum is in tears by now of course, i would have been if i didnt know how sensitive she was. "call the vet' was on the tip of my tongue until i saw him breathing. Well i managed to rouse him and i had to physically lift him to his feet - no mean feat - he has to be 60 kilos, and has very long nails which he wont let me touch when i wash him, and the hallway is floorboards. We managed to get him out to the back deck, me holding him under his tummy and chest, holding his weight and walkin doubled over (his mum has a bad hip so i wouldnt let her take his weight, just lead him) Well we got him settled, laying down and i got to work - first thing i did was his nails, as short as i could possibly get them without quicking them. At least he can walk easier now. That coat was like felt - i went through two number nine blades - both are now trashed and need sharpening. I called her in the evening to see how he was, and she said he had woken up for a tiny bit of dinner, and was sleeping it off. The problem i would like advice on is his skin. As i said, it has always been bad, yeasty and flaky. He has had antibiotics several times, special washes - you name it. His mum is planning to get the vet over and check it out, and probably another course of antibiotics. I am going to wash him on Tuesday - i didnt dare yesterday after his clip, as he was far too dopey and i couldnt lift him down and up front stairs and in and out of the trailer - never mind he may have passed out in the tub and no way would i have been able to get him out. I am planning to use malaseb, and talk to her about his food - i think he is on a good quality kibble, but i will check that out. I will try and describe the skin condition. In some patches, the skin is comin off in large flakes - almost like sunburn peeling. There is also this yellowy orange kind of grainy stuff on the skin. I would think it is a yeasty type of thing. There isnt a very bad smell, tho he was a bit stinky - but i hadnt hydrobathed him for a few months. We also realised that he has a flea problem, which i will addres on tuesday with a good flea bath. There wasnt a lot of fleas really, but a hell of a lot of flea dirt. The skin was a bit red in some areas, where the skin was peely, but not overly - not really rashy. His skin is also very oily. My hands felt really greasy when i was finished. I will say that i do not normally agree with clipping these sorts of coats, but in Husky's case, i really feel that letting the air and sun onto it will help it out of sight. She is aware of sunburn issues, and only walks him at night or very early in the morning anwyay (to avoid other dogs and the heat of the day) Also at his age, skin cancer is not an issue really - he is 10 - very surpising given his health history. He is not an outside dog and spends most of his time snoozing in the house or on the deck. My plan is, to give him a good flea wash on tuesday, followed by a malaseb wash (two separate baths). I will ask about his food, and suggest he is on a good quality kibble if he isnt already. Is there anything else i can suggest? As i said, she is going to get the vet in to look at him now you can really see his skin. This dog is a real sweetheart, even tho he is totally psychotic. I do love him, he was one of my first clients, and his mum adores him to death. Again, i am after advice on his skin, not his socal issues - at his age i dont think there is much training that can be done, and he is a lot quieter in his old age than he used to be. His mum is planning to give him a sponge wash over the weekend using Pyroex (sp) - similar to malaseb. Any suggestions most welcome - There is nothing to flame this lady about, i know she has done everything she can to fix this skin and spent lord knows how much on vet consultations over the years. I'd just like to make this old guys last years/months as comfy as possible. Thanks

See, you CAN fit 5 dogs on your lounge - looks like he wants to stay... Interesting look, i probably wouldnt have done him so short, but then i havent ever met a chinese crested. He looks like a pup, love the freckles. Could change his name to Uncle Freckles, instead of Uncle Fester. Or, i know it isnt that original, but how about 'Lucky'

Stormy, how did you get on? On another note about chinese cresteds, i was listening to Nova this arvo on my way home, and they had a competition for aust's ugliest dog. (not the best thing for radio, but hey, apparently you can see him on the website - i havent looked yet) The winner was a chinese crested - they thought he looked more like a pig than a dog. The owner won a glamour photo shoot for the dog. I think the worlds ugliest dog who died last year (sam i think) was also a chinese crested. What is it with these people who think dogs who look different are ugly - cant tell you the number of times i have had people say my dogs (greyhounds) were very nice "but i have always thought they were quite ugly.

I'd like to see you try......

Stormy, feel free to give me a call. My mobile biz is on the northern beaches, but i live in willoughby, if you can bring him over on saturday afternoon, i will do my best with him. Will pm you my mobile Of course, no charge - i am a big time sucker for a rescue.

i have a goldie i clip a couple of times a year, and they like her tummy to be left and trimmed straight, like a schnauser i guess, but the sides and back short and the tail left and just tidied up. She looked hilarious the first time i saw her (i didnt originally clip her back then, they took her to a salon but now i do it for them the same way) I guess i'm used to her like that now so it doesnt look so strange. I did see another goldie the other day, i did a triple take as i couldnt believe what i saw. HE (a very obvious He, from the back if you catch my drift) was shaved very short, probably a #7 - #9, all over, except about 10 cm of the end of his tail, like a lion i guess, tho at the time i thought they must have been going for a poodle pom pom look. It was trimmed around so it was rounded off. I do not know what they were thinking.

I've had that one as well. Part of my service is to wipe out dogs ears with a babywipe after their wash. As you would all know, you can tell if there is an infection instantly - the ear is red/hot to touch, the dog yelps with the slightest touch, and most of all - it STINKS! I will always notify the client if any of this is evident, and ask if the dog has been rubbing his head on the ground or if there has been excessive head shaking. I cant count the number of times where the owner didnt know there was a problem until i mentioned it. With the situation you described, i would be calling the client in a week and ask how the dogs ears are, just as a matter of course. The fact that she still left him with you tells me that she didnt wholly believe what the vet said.

Aww Shucks Ginger's Mum.... Tielle is just a delight - but then most greys are easy to wash - they just freeze in a statue when they are nervous... except my little girl - she wants OUT and i mean NOW - tho she has improved out of sight. Having said that, they dont get washed much, mainly because they just dont smell! Gotta love a greyhound! Regarding drugging dogs for grooming, i think, over 6 years in the mobile dogwash industry, i have only had mabey 2 clients who had to have their dogs groomed (as in summer shave off) by sedating them for this at the vet. One other had to be sedated for nail clipping. I tried my hardest to clip this lovely guy's nails with a muzzle and lots of cooing, but it didnt work - i wasnt worried about him biting, but he just was so freaked out by the whole thing. In the end, (he was a cattle dog of about 17 yrs old) he didnt recover well from a sedation for nail clipping and he had to be put down the following week. There were probably other issues but i think the anaesthetic probably tipped him over in the end. Basically, i think there probably ARE some dogs out there who will always need to be sedated for a coat or nail clip, but i really try and work hard with these dogs to get to the point that they dont have to be. I do have a couple on my client list who used to have to be sedated for coat/nail clipping but as they have gotten to know and trust me with just washing them, i can do them myself drug free. Same with dogs who were originally terrified of the blower, gradually, and gently gently, they have trusted me enough to use it on them. It is the best and most rewarding feeling to acomplish this. It totally makes my whole week when this happens. And of course, you have a client for LIFE! I find the best advertising is word of mouth, and the best way of getting this is by treating the client's dog as if it is the most beautiful, most well behaved, sweetest little thing in the world. I always do this, and i usually mean it. I am often asked which my favourite dog is to wash/groom, and my answer is, quite honestly, whichever dog i am washing at the time. Each one is the best at that time for different reasons. I guess, basically, all we can do is just keep on doing what we do best, and leave the best impression we can.

Sorry, double post

EXACTLY what Shmoo said! Dogmad, i think i know who you are talking about. I have also heard of a mobile groomer and a mobile washer on 'the beaches' who does the same. It doesnt help those of us who actually take the time to get to know a new dog before just throwing it in the tub. I get calls from new people with dogs who just cant handle salon environments, i explain that i will take all the time the dog needs to make it as comfortable with me as possible. Gently gently is my policy with these little (and big) spooks. Pretty much all of these people rebook and more often that not the dogs come around. Some will never like parts of their bath, but i get those parts done as quickly as i can and spend more time on the parts they like - and as always, many cuddles go a very long way. As far as the OP's post, i always do as you describe, tho i dont carry water, i refill from the clients tap at each stop, after disinfecting and cleaning out the tub, as well as backwashing the shower head. There is no way there is any residue between dogs. I would write up your exact process for washing/grooming, and go visit all the vets in your area (painful but you may turn some around who will go on to recommend you highly) and explain it again, perhaps even offer to come and wash their dogs to show your dedication to quality control (for the hard noses). Put it down to marketing, which is exactly what it is. All we can do is keep doing what we do and do it well every time. Those who love us will tell others who are 'anti' mobile grooming. I have to say that, for myself, most who call me with stories of their unhappy experiences in the past more often book in again after i have washed their dogs. It is worth the extra time (which is not charged) to deal with these nervous nellies for a couple of resaons: - Having a happy customer - Having that customer talk about what a great job we do - The immense personal satisfaction of having a dog who is terrified, letting you love on it after it's bath and seeing them run around happily instead of cowering in a corner of it's yard afterwards.

The dog's owner who i mentioned in the OP puts the curash on at the first sign of a hottie - ie, damp fur and the skin slightly reddening. She applies the curash and the hottie simply doesnt appear. I guess the powder helps with the irritated feeling and the dog doesnt want to chew at it. I probablyi wouldnt use it for a full blown hottie, unless it was ok'd by the vet. Would probably help to dry it out, but if fully inflamed an antiseptic cream and antibotics would be definately called for. Horrible things, i have seen probably half a dozen on client's dogs in the last week.

Another idea Imy, is with their kibble, put it in their bowl and fill it over the top with water. Not necessarily to soften it, but to slow them down, and have them take in more water (which isnt a bad thing in summer) and makes them feel fuller. good idea about smooshing the meat on the bottom of the bowl. Chin up, you're doing it for them. dont feel bad and i'm sure the extra cuddles will help.

Ah, noooooo... probably not the same thing hehe. A hot spot, and anybody can correct me if i am wrong in my description, is a sore, ulcer like which occur with some dogs frequently. They flare up in no time at all, literally from nothing, to a damp spot on the fur, to an open, gooey sore sometimes within hours. If not treated they can become infected and very painful for the dog. I guess i liken it to acne for people - some people have big problems, some people have an occasional zit, and some people never get them at all, same with dogs and hot spots. http://www.balgownievet.com.au/1_gen_derm_hot_spots.htm this one has a pretty gross pic: http://www.vetinfo.com/dppyoderm.html

Imy My boy was 33kg when he was racing, He was a lot lighter when we got him - about 28. I weighed him the other day and he is about 31. The vet said he is fine, and looked race condition - which is how i like them to look (they are still ripped - even tho my girl never made the cut as a racer). They aren't starving by any means (although they will tell you they are) They get 1.5 cups each of eukanuba each morning and night. They get bits and pieces here and there, depending on what we are eating for dinner. They usually get leftovers (if they are safe for them) If they had their way they would eat 10 cups a day - they are greedier than the labs i used to have a few years ago. They seem to maintain their weight well, so that suits us For your guys I would mabey cut the meat in half, unless it is low fat, and trim down the kibble a bit. Pad it out with veges, but of course, not potatoes or sweet potatoes (trying to remember from my weight watchers books). If you mix the veges in with the meat they will just eat it and think it is meat. Well, mine would cos they scarf it so fast. I had to get my lab down 4 kgs years ago, i cut her food in half. It was very hard, she was down to about 2/3 cup twice daily, but we did it. She was none worse for wear. We increased her exercise as well ( i was training for a half marathon) so she lost it in about 2-3 months. Good luck, i know how tough it can be to cut back their food. Dont feel like you're depriving them, that doesnt help - think it of adding a couple of years onto their lives.

Thought i would share and get some opinions on this A client of mine has a couple of labs. The yellow one is prone to hot spots in summer. I spotted one just starting a few weeks ago ( i see these dogs mon-fri for a walk) and mentioned it to his mum. She said she would put some 'powder' on it. Next day there was almost no sign of the hottie, didnt flare up at all. There was a few tiny dry scabs, he didnt loose the hair in the centre or anything. It was definately going to be a hot spot when i saw it the day before, i see them so often during summer i am positive i wasnt mistaken. What was this magic powder??? Curash. Yep, baby nappy rash powder. What is the consensus. I have mentioned this to a couple of other clients who have this problem with their dogs - with a disclaimer of course that it has not been recommended by a vet, just another client with the same problem. I guess my thinking is that if something is sensitive enough to use on a baby, then it should be ok for a dog. Thoughts welcome.

i cant imagine how you would get the coat clipped nice and smoothly on a racing grey. My vet told me that my two look to be in race condition, as in, you can see several ribs and their backbone (how they're sposed to look - i'm not starving them....). How do you get a smooth cut over those bones???

I am mobile, and i often dont hook up the hose until i am finished. I fill up the tub for the next dog at the previous dog's place, if that makes sense. That way i can have it warming up whilst i am drying off the first dog. When i get to the new place the fresh clean water for the dog is already in there - hope that makes sense.... Yes it is heated, by an element in the water tank. As others have mentioned, you can bathe a dog by hand in a hydrobath, i dont. I put the shampoo in the tank (squirt it on the dog's back before i start the water basically) and use the hydrobath. The water used for that dog's bath does get recycled through from the tank, through the hose and back into the tank where hair etc is filtered out. So if that's what you mean by recycled water, then yes, it is. But it is NOT recycled between dogs, even dogs who live at the same house. I always change it as i said. I find using the hydrobath system much better, as the shampoo is in the water, and the strong shower rose really lifts up the coat and cleans the dog right to the skin and all over. I think i would miss spots if i did it by hand.

Hmm. strange, thought i already replied to this... didnt come up I am mobile, and i use fresh water for each bath, as well as backwashing the shower hose to get rid of all water from the previous bath. I also carry a spray bottle of mild disinfectant to spray before i hose out the tub. There may be an aussie pooch mobile in your area. you can find out via the website at www.aussiepm.com.au, or call 1300 369 369.

I'd be doing regular tick checks as well. I mean, we all should be anyway but i'd imagine there would be a few by a river.

Good advice about the flea treatments there, but i do have another comment. We rent as well, and i am sure somewhere on the lease there was somethign about the landlord must provide rodent and pest free accomodation - or somethign to that effect. As in, NO INFESTATIONS. I would be taking it up with them, you shouldnt have to pay rent AND all the costs of the flea control items you are using - i would definately have it out with them - mabey a call to the rental bond board and explain the situation first may help - you will have all the information and relevent rulings first. Good luck.

Yep, i get that Kismet, i would do the same. I used to still feed on dog school days, but class wasnt till about 3pm in the afternoon, and i would take them for a good walk before hand. I can also understand about dogs fasting themselves, as some have said. (have never had that happen with my labs or grehounds). But i still dont get (call me dim if you want) why do it by OUR choice, not the dog's choice. Is there a nutritional reason behind it? I still think i woudl get slashed to pieces by greyhound claws if i tried it with my two chow hounds.