July 2012 News at The Groom Room

Dog of the Month

This fabulous Irish Terrier made his first visit to The Groom Room recently. He had his coat carefully hand stripped, a skilled technique where dead hair is teased out to reveal new, beautiful growth underneath.

Because the hair we remove is dead it comes out very easily and doesn't hurt. It is very important that the groomer is trained in this technique, and knows which hair to remove, not only to give the dog top class styling, but because trying to remove the wrong hair would damage the dog's skin.

Sadly the feature below, showing a Wire haired Fox terrier is an example of so called professional groomers who didn't know what they were doing, and got it very wrong!

It is always worth investigating your local groomers credentials, are they trained and what qualifications do they have? Are there certificates on the wall you can look at?

Beware of Untrained Rogue Groomers!

This poor dog had been taken to a so called "groomer" and her owner parted with £50 cash, and what a mess they made - see below left! Not only did they pluck hair at random, but they also took scissors to her beard and chest hair which should be longer! She was brought straight away to The Groom Room, and as you can see below right, our skilled staff went on a rescue mission. In time the beard and chest hair will re-grow and can then be properly styled. Her owner lives in Macclesfield but she certainly doesn't begrudge the journey to Winsford in order to have her dog professionally styled!

'Tis the Season for Ticks...

Once upon a time Ticks were localised to very rural areas of GB, but now they can be found in most areas of Britain, and this includes Cheshire. As our dogs enjoy a rummage in the countryside they can't help but pick up ticks from greenery in the undergrowth. Don't panic though, some of the monthly spot-on treatments used to prevent fleas also cover your dog for ticks. And if you do find a tick on your dog there is a specific way to remove it - it is important that every last bit of the tick is removed to prevent infection. Just ask a good groomer to remove it for you, or your vet can do the same.

Grass Pollen Allergies and Your Dog

Allergies can be caused by a number of things, and in the late spring and summer months, pollen is a common culprit. Generally it will cause an irritating pink or red rash on the underside of your dog. This can spread up the sides in small dogs which are close to the ground. As your dog runs through grass, the parts of his body which come in to contact with grass and the pollen it carries will react adversely. Your dog may lick, bite or scratch the affected areas which just makes the skin more inflamed.

Although it's the last thing you might think of, it has been well proven that taking a tablet of bee pollen each day pre-sensitises the animal to defend itself against allergic reactions. In fact the news gets better, because The Groom Room uses and stocks bee pollen tablets from FLP (Forever Living Products) and being natural and organic, people and animals alike can take bee pollen to protect against a whole range of allergic reactions. Feel free to contact The Groom Room for free and helpful advice on a whole range of allergies. 07833 681574 info@thedoggroomroom.co.uk