Monthly Archives: October 2010

Why Mobile Dog Grooming Is Growing In Popularity

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Why Mobile Dog Grooming Is Growing In Popularity

If you are a dog owner then you know that grooming is very important if your dog is to remain healthy and happy; especially if your dog has a lot of hair. Many toy breeds, like Shih-tzus and Poodles, require regular grooming. If you avoid regular grooming for these dogs, then you will end up with a matted dog that is no longer cute and fluffy. Because regular grooming is so important many dog owner’s have turned to MOBILE GROOMING because it fits in with their busy schedules.

What Is Mobile Grooming

MOBILE GROOMING is when a professional pet groomer comes to the dog owner, instead of the dog owner bringing their pet to an established salon. MOBILE GROOMING offers the pet owner the convenience of not having to drive to a salon, deal with their pet in the car, and having to deal with the stress of grooming salons.

There are two different forms of MOBILE GROOMING: “In-Home,” or “Housecall” Grooming, and Mobile Van Grooming. Both of these forms provide dog grooming services at the dog owner’s home or office.

“In-Home” or “Housecall” Grooming

With “In-Home” Grooming, the professional dog groomer visits the client’s home and performs the groom inside the home. They generally use the bathtub when bathing the dog, unless the owner prefers to bathe the dog beforehand. The groomer brings all the supplies and equipment and grooms in the dog’s familiar environment. Many dog owners enjoy being near their dog while he or she is being groomed. Many dogs enjoy being in their own environment as well; no new smells or scary van equipment for them to deal with. less fear for the dog means any easier groom for the groomer and the dog being groomed.

Mobile Grooming In A Van

Grooming performed in a mobile van is very popular as well. These groomers are able to drive their “pet salon on wheels” and travel to pet owner’s homes or office. These vans are equipped with a tub, dryer, grooming table, and all the other equipment that is required to groomed pets. Some groomers even use trailers that are towed by a truck or van and these trailers can stand alone when parked.

There are many different van models available to pet groomers who wish to go mobile. Mobile Van groomers enjoy the fact that everything they need to groom a pet is right there in their vehicle. Mobile Van grooming is great for pet owners who wish to have everything done at their home but wish to have the grooming services performed inside the pet groomer’s van.

Hear From A Mobile Dog Groomer

Olivia Johnston, of Mobile Dirty Dog Grooming in Kennesaw, GA is an In-Home/Housecall Dog Groomer. She has built a clientèle that allows her to perform dog grooming services inside the dog owner’s home. She worked in a fast-paced pet salon for 3 years, but she enjoys mobile grooming much more than being limited to a salon. She says, “I enjoy getting to know my clients and I love giving more one-on-one attention to the dogs. It is much harder to give that attention when you are so busy in a salon.”

As you can see, Mobile Dog Grooming offers a great deal of convenience for the pet owner and the dog, too.

Tear Stains and White Dogs

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It is an unfortunate fact that many white or light colored dogs have under-eye discoloration called “tear stains.”This discoloration is unsightly and can make the dog appear to look dirty, ungroomed, or even sickly; despite the grooming effort you make to remove them. And longhaired white dogs are not the only dogs affected by tear stains – other breeds like the Shih-Tzu, Poodle, Cocker Spaniel, Bulldog, Shar-pei and even some of the larger breeds, like the St Bernard and Newfoundland suffer from tear staining.

Why Does My Dog Get Tear Stains?

In general, your dog’s tear stains are usually due to an excess of bacteria or yeast growth. This is usually due to an unpleasant organism called “red yeast” which produces those reddish-brown facial stains and unpleasant odor your dog may be dealing with. The bacteria and yeast thrive in a moist environment, so the tear ducts in the eye are a perfect place for the bacteria and yeast to grow.

Another cause of the tear staining may be due to allergies to a particular dog food or the environment, especially if you notice the tear staining occurs during a specific season. It may also be aggravated by the pH of your dog’s drinking water or the mineral content within it.

Finally, genetics may also be a cause of the tear staining. Over breeding with some dogs suffering excessive tearing due to the shape and structure of their eyes or physical deformities of their face or tear ducts leads to a bloodline that may suffer from excessive tearing. Whatever the cause is, it is best to always take your dog to a trusted vet for a general examination first if you notice excessive tearing and tear stains. The vet will detect any serious problems – such as tear duct infection or blockage.

Determining the cause of excessive staining is very important as no matter how effectively it is removed, it will just return if you do not discover the reason for it and tackle the source of the problem.

However, it always helps to keep the dog’s face clean all the time, particularly the hair underneath the eye. Wipe this and other areas of the face several times a day by dabbing with some warm water or dilute lemon juice or salt water, taking extreme care not to get anything into the actual eye. Also keep the hair around the eye trimmed.

How To Keep Hair Out of the Eyes

Professional pet groomers and online pet stores carry specialized commercial products for dealing with tear stains but these often only lighten the stain’s color, never completely removing the stain. Unless your dog is a show dog, this is not really a serious issue. However, you can also try some home remedies which can be just as effective. The most common one is a mixture of equal volume milk of magnesia, and peroxide, plus cornstarch, made into a paste and very carefully and gently rubbed into the area of the stain, around the eye. Leave to dry and then rinse thoroughly, taking extreme care not to splash anything into the dog’s eye or allow any solution to wick through the facial hair and into the eye area.

You may need to repeat this application over several days if the stain is stubborn. Another option is to use a mild solution of bleach designed for human hair (usually hydrogen peroxide) – however, this is a very harsh treatment and best left to the experienced groomers or breeders.

As most tear stains are due to an overgrowth of bacteria and yeast, your best option for eliminating them completely is to control and eradicate these organisms. One way is to add a teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar to your dog’s drinking water, thus changing the pH and preventing the yeast and bacteria from growing. Another option – which can be discussed with your vet – is to put your dog on a very low dose course of antibiotics which will eliminate bacterial overgrowth. However, this is very much a last resort and should not be used for continued treatment. It should also not be considered for puppies that have not got their adult teeth yet, as the antibiotics can cause the new teeth to stain yellow.

Always go with the least invasive treatment first and give it some time to work before moving on to the next option – never use multiple treatments at the same time.