Classy Canine Tips - Blog

Gastropexy

May 14th, 2010

Recently, my 2 Italian Spinonies had gastropexy surgery to reduce the risk of Gastric Torsion/Bloat. If anyone has ever witnessed the horror of a dog in full bloat, you know the pain, screaming, frantic eye contact and your utter helplessness! It’s just a !!@#@ nightmare. In my case, my beautiful Carpathian Sheepdog died in extreme pain. So to prevent my special spinonies from this torture, my vet and I decided to go ahead with the surgery.

My vet explained Gastropexy Surgery to me; It’s a procedure where the stomach is stitched to the lining of the abdominal wall to prevent the stomach from twisting. Mind you the dogs can still bloat, but the stomach can’t twist.

The symptoms of bloat are retching, nipping at their tummy, restlessness and salivating. I keep GasX on hand to administer and will be ready to walk them at great lengths and take them to the vet the moment I notice any symptoms.

Gastropexy is a preventaive surgery to protect your beloved dog from a horrific experience.

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Spring Is Here

April 28th, 2010

Spring is here – get out your furminators, undercoat rakes, pin brushes, slicker brushes, grooming mits and combs!

In some cases, it may be easier to wash and condition your dogs, fluff dry and the brush; but, in deeply matted dogs, just start brushing, then proceed with the bathing process. So you don’t waste your precious time, you can always ask the advice of a professional groomer at the Classy Canine.

We are always willing to share knowledge with those who love their pooches!

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Shampoo Sense

March 27th, 2010

I just read an interesting book. Beyond Suds and Scent, by Barbara Bird. It goes into great detail about the ingredients of all your pets shampoos and conditioners. Water is probably the most prominent ingredient in shampoos, but they alsi carry surfactants, lather builders, humectants (one of my favorites) thickeners, botanicals & proteins, conditioners & detanglers, ph adjusters, emulsifiers, fragrance & preservatives, colorants and chelating/sequestering ingredients. It’s “kind of” fun to look at the ingredients of one of your products and dissect it! You get a better understanding of what you are using and how it effects the hair.

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Spa Services – Celebrate Spring!

March 20th, 2010

WELCOME TO THE CLASSY CANINE DAY SPA
EVERY PAMPERING SERVICE INCLUDES HYDROTHERAPY BATHING WITH PREMIUM SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONERS, PEDICURE, EAR CLEANING, BLOW DRY, HAIRCUT & ONE ON ONE SESSION WITH SKILLED STYLISTS

PAMPERING SPA SERVICES FROM OUR A LA CARTE MENU
DESIGNED TO REDUCE STRESS, PROMOTE RELAXATION, CONTRIBUTING TO THE OVERALL HEALTH OF YOUR DOG.

HOT OIL TREATMENT
A 3 part process, with whole egg & wheat germ bath, exfoliant and a blend of oils to prevent moisture loss and further drying of the skin. Forms a protective film on the surface of coat and skin. $10, $15, $25

DEAD SEA MINERAL MUD SCRUB
A calming exfoliating treatment, which reduces shedding, calms hotspots, and relieves itching. Contains Eucalyptus oil, aloe, vitamin E and silica. $10, $15, $25

BLUEBERRY FACIALS
Foaming cleanser to exfoliate and hydrate. Helps remove unsightly eye and mouth stain. All dogs $8

RED CLAY & GINKO OIL SPOT TREATMENT
A lavender scented clay infused with Ginko to sooth and dry hot spots, calm skin irritation and moisturize. All dogs $10

PAW MASSAGE & NOSE MOISTURIZER
Soften cracked, weary pads and invigorates the nose. All dogs $5.

PEDICURE WITH NAIL BUFFING
To round off the rough nail edges and protect your floors. All dogs $15

HOT TOWEL WRAP WITH DEEP CONDITIONERS
Heat opens the pores and penetrates the hair shaft with intensive conditioners, leaving the skin and hair supple, hydrated and soft. Combination of oatmeal and aloe revitalizes damaged hair. Small dogs $10, Medium dogs $15, Large dogs $25

DENTAL HYGIENE $10
EXPRESSION OF ANAL GLANDS$10

SPA PACKAGES
DAY OF BEAUTY
LOVED ONES BASIC PAMPERING PLUS BLUEBERRY FACIAL OR DEEP CONDITIONING FINISH. $6- $15 EXTRA

ONE PAMPERED POOCH
LOVED ONES BASIC PAMPERING, PLUS 2 SPA TREATMENTS. $15-$28 EXTRA

ROYAL TREATMENT
LOVED ONES BASIC PAMPERING, PLUS 3 SPA TREATMENTS. $25-$38 EXTRA

DEMATTING $25 PER 30 MINUTES

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Westminster Kennel Club

February 18th, 2010

The Westminster Kennel Club dog show, February 15th and 16th, was fascinating as usual. All of the dogs we own and groom are each beautiful in their own way and we love them all. But, my eyes popped at the gorgeous and fit dogs at the show. W never get to see such a variety of pampered beauties in one room. Every breed being shown to its utmost, with all the primping, prepping, styling and fuss that goes along with becoming a coveted pet.

For the past 2 years, I have gone to the show with friends, that have never been to a dog show before and it’s fun to see and hear their reactions; “Oh my god, look at all these dogs!” “What in the heck is that?” “You expect to win looking like that?”(A breed with an unusual haircut) “What are they doing now?” “Why do they lift them up by the tail, doesn’t that hurt?” Where do they poop?” and eventually, “How much longer do we have to stay here? and can we go now?” If you can bring someone into the back room of Westminster KC and let them view the behind the scenes events, it’s priceless!

Many people never realize how much goes into showing a dog in such a forum. The back room, or grooming and holding area, is a buzz with activity and a lot of fun for me to see, but after a while, your friends interest will pale unless they’re a total dog lover.

Please, wherever you are, visit a dog show, ask questions and just marvel at the beauty, pagentry and patience that goes along with being an owner/handler of a show dog!

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Wash! Brush! Hydrate!

January 20th, 2010

This time of year, I find my skin dry and flaky and nothing feels better than a nice, warm shower with great emoillients, skin softeners, conditioner and finishing with a luscious body cream. The same goes for your dog!

The heat is on in the house, the air is crisp and cold outside, our dogs are lying in front of the wood burning stove or fireplace and the air is dry. Your dog’s skin is affected by all of these factors as yours is. A common misconception is not to wash your dog during these times. Their coat is filled with static electricity and drying out. The flakes are accumulating, dandruff is showing and the pores are getting clogged with dander. It’s good to wash your dog using moisturizing and botanical shampoos and conditioning cream rinses. Besides great bathing products, a good brushing stimulates the skin and gets the natural oils in your dogs coat activated (pinch your cheeks and see how they get rosey and blood rushes up).

In addition to treating your dog as we would treat ourselves, it’s a wise idea to add an omega rich oil to their food to lubricate from the inside out. I am presently using Halo Dream Coat because I saw dramatic results on a few clients dogs as far as skin and coat improvement. How could it be bad? The ingredients read soybean oil, wheat germ oil, safflower oil, garlic oil, cod liver oil, linoleic acid, vitamins A, D & E and more Omgea 3’s. Our dogs gobble it up and with their baths every week, they are itch free, have no dandruff, soft silky coats, they have beautiful pink skin and naturally, they are very happy.

Happy Grooming!

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Grooming From The Inside

January 13th, 2010

I just read an interesting article in the AKC magazine, Family Dog, Nov-Dec 2009 issue. It’s called “Inside Out Grooming: How To Practice Good Grooming Without Touching A Tool”. In a nutshell, it explains how all dogs need proper bathing, brushing, blowdrying, nail trimming, and teeth cleaning, but they also require a proper diet and supplements. Grooming is about hygiene and health. That doesn’t happen only from the outside in, but from the inside out!

What your dog eats directly effects his overall health and that includes his coat and skin. Dogs on poor diets tend to shed more and have dry, brittle coats. They may be itchier and suffer from skin allergies, rashes and hot spots. Upgrading their food wil result in many improvements, including less shedding, less matting, more resilient skin and shiny coats. By adding essential fatty acids, omega 3’s, studies suggest this can reduce the risk of cancer, slow tumor growth, support cardiovascular function and help turn dry coats into sliky coats and itchy skin into strong, healthy skin. Some ways to get these fatty acids are through cod-liver oil, salmon oil, flaxseed oil, hemp oil, safflower oil and olive oil. Of course your veterinarian should make the suggestion for your dog, as many over the counter products are not equal. So, buy from a company you trust and by your vet’s recommendation.

Before I became a dog groomer, I had a black/tan cocker spaniel, Spike, whose coat was dull, shedding a lot, and brittle. At a vet’s suggestion, I switched the little guys food to a premium brand and after one month, I saw dramatic results. He had less shedding and his coat started to SHINE! It was very rewarding.

So, please, take some time to assess what your best friend is eating and how he looks. It’s a new year for us, as we try to better ourselves, let’s treat our four legged friends the same!

Living is learning, giving is loving.
Happy New Year!

Posted in Caring for your dog, General, Grooming Tips, News & Events | 1 Comment »

New England Pet Grooming Professionals seminar

November 18th, 2009

Last weekend owner Kelly Scammell and our manager Rodrigo Apiolaza attended the 29th Annual Fall Festival for Pet Grooming Professionals. They attended a few classes to further their skills and knowledge to benefit our clients beloved pets.

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The Dog Flu Is Back!!!

November 6th, 2009

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW (THIS YEAR) ABOUT THE DOG FLU!
NOVEMBER 2009

Dog flu is a contagious respiratory disease in dogs caused by a specific Type A influenza virus. This is a disease of dogs, not of humans

The symptoms of this illness in dogs are cough, runny nose, and fever. A small proportion of dogs, however, can develop severe disease. Dog Flu cannot easily be distinguished from other causes of respiratory infection based on clinical signs alone. It is often mistaken for kennel cough and other respiratory infections because of shared clinical signs.

About 80% of dogs will have a mild form of disease. The number of dogs infected with this disease that die is between 5–8% percent. About 20% of infected dogs will show no clinical signs, while 10–20% of infected dogs may progress to pneumonia.

It can be spread by direct contact with infected dogs, through the air via a cough or sneeze, and by contact with contaminated objects such as dog bowls and clothing, or by people moving between infected and uninfected dogs. Therefore, dog owners whose dogs are coughing or showing other signs of respiratory disease should not participate in activities or bring their dogs to facilities where other dogs can be exposed to the virus. Clothing, equipment, surfaces, and hands should be cleaned and disinfected after exposure to dogs showing any signs of respiratory disease.

Canine Influenza Vaccine, H3N8, the first vaccine for canine influenza virus (CIV), was granted a conditional license by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on May 27,2009, for use by veterinarians in the United States.

The vaccine cannot cause the disease because it is made with an inactivated (killed) virus.

Veterinarians and animal care professionals may contact their Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health representative or visit www.intervetusa.com.

We are advising our clients to get the vaccine. Please call your veterinarian to discuss it as there are some exceptions to which pups can get the shots!

Keep our wonderful dogs healthy this flu season!

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Biscuit Recipe

September 7th, 2009

One of my dogs, Kenya, a beautiful cocker spaniel, came down with mouth cancer and feeding her became an ordeal. Everything she ate had to be soft and full of nutritious ingredients. This receipe was given to me by my mother and my Kenya and other dogs just love them.

Healthy Dog Treats

1 pkg. Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1 egg
1 pkg. chicken liver
1 can mixed veggies or fresh grated
1/2 cup water
Process all in a processor & pour into greased pan, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or so. Toothpick should come clean. Cut up and freeze for a later date.
Yummm.

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