The things I do for love... during itchy summer months with 2 big dogs...

[IndyOp]

It feels like I can spend an hour or more a day during the summer working on their coats. During the rest of the year I spend more like an hour a week and they are perfectly content. Summer months bring itches - itchy shedding, fleas, allergic reactions to plants...

Furminator to drastically clear away the undercoat that is hot, itchy, and can help fleas hide. I bought this in May and felt guilty for weeks about having not done this previous years. It really is incredible. :-)

http://www.furminator.com/

EPA Forte Fish Oil caps for my Chocolate Lab, Sajdeh, who has dry skin year round. He gets one in the morning and one in the evening.


Rubbing Alcohol for Golden Retriever Ben - who tends toward problems with "moist areas" -- he has had mysterious fungal problems and hotspots. I use rubbing alcohol only on healthy skin without any bites or scratches to keep it healthy and dry.


Aloe Vera used as a thin-film helps dry out any small irritated spots on Ben.


Scissors to trim away fur in/around Ben's ears and butt. I cut away enough fur that there is more air circulating in and around his ears and butt.


Sentry Natural Defense flea control -- was good for Spring and early summer -- if you decide to try it read the instructions carefully, some dogs have very strong allergic reactions, especially, apparently small dogs...


Biospot -- had to upgrade flea protection a few weeks ago...


So, what is your summer routine?

:hi:

[Longhorn]

1. We are very fortunate that our dogs haven't had fleas since we moved out here

in 1996. I was told that the fleas are worse in the city due to the higher population of squirrels. We have squirrels and deer here but no fleas or ticks!

I love the furminator and just used it on three of my five dogs Sunday. One dog has very short hair and the other is a poodle mix. Other than brush, furminate, or bathe them, I don't really have a summer routine.

Your babies sure are loved! :hi:

[IndyOp]

2. No fleas? That is a miracle!

I am glad you love your furminator -- the enthusiastic responses I've gotten from other "furminators" cracks me up. I haven't talked to anyone yet who is neutral, most people LOVE them!

Enjoy your summer!

:hi:

[roody]

3. Few fleas and ticks in N. Cal.

The dogs love it. We came from Arkansas, home to quintillions of fleas, ticks, and chiggars.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. I also got a furminator for my German Shepherd. It is amazing!!!!

He loves to be brushed, and this thing just cleans away all that thick, old undercoat.
Of course I MUST do it outside, or else I would get lost under all the fur that comes flying off him.
I give him 10 Brewers Yeast and Zinc tablets each day...that is one for every 10 lbs he weighs...and knock wood a million times, we have not had fleas in years...and this is even tho I walk him where other dogs have been.

His breeder told me a great trick to keep his coat clean, comfortable and shiny. You mix one part Listerine..the old fashioned yellowish kind...with 4 parts water, in a spray bottle. Spray their coat, all over, top and bottom, of course being careful of eyes and ears.
After the coat is VERY damp, you brush them. The Listerine cleans their skin and prevents irritations, makes them smell delicious...not at all like what you would guess Listerine would smell like. It makes their coat VERY shiny, as well as cooling them off between bathing.

The breeder says this is a secret of many who show their dogs. They do this just before the judges see the pups and it is wonderful.

[IndyOp]

5. Will they eat the Brewers Yeast & Garlic supplements like treats?

Do you have to "give" them like pills or will (most) dogs eat them like treats?

:shrug:

I found a bottle online - 1,000 pills for $9.99 - that is a price that I can handle for a test run of effectiveness. Do you have a particular brand you recommend or brands that you've tried that you suggest avoiding?

Thanks!

[BrklynLiberal]

6. I throw them in iwth his food. He just eats them right up.

I use Four Paws brand -1000 tablets for 10.99. Sounds pretty much like what you found.
The tablets have Brewers Yeast, Zinc, Garlic, Biotin.
The Brewers yeast has the full spectrum of B Vitamins.
There is also a list of included amino acids on the bottle.

[IndyOp]

7. I've placed my order. I saw some brands of brewers yeast that also had

Omega-3, but I went with the Four Paws brand, because I am already giving my lab the fish oil supplements. I already feed them both Natural Balance Duck & Potato dog food which is supposed to be good for allergies, but maybe regular nutritional supplements would help them do well on other varieties of Natural Balance dog food. We'll see.

My lab has been good for weeks but just started licking and chewing a bit more yesterday and today. I've had to put him on Benadryl the previous years I've had him and I am hoping that everything I've been doing this summer will keep us from having to do the Benadryl this year.

I haven't tried the Listerine spray - it might be good for Ben (Golden Retriever), but Sajdeh's skin is so dry that I am not sure that wetting him down with anything would be a good idea. The Listerine spray would be less drying than a bath I would think, though. We'll keep it in mind.

:hi:

[BrklynLiberal]

8. Good luck. Let me know how it turns out...

[Muttocracy]

10. huh, I have two GSD mixes, may have to find a furminator!

One of them is part husky and his undercoat comes out in nice pluckable tufts.

The border collie mix is prone to matting. He's sick of me brushing him, but for some reason he shed really late this year.

You'll appreciate the photos of the German Shedder Dogs here (scroll down a bit and click for the best one):
http://gsrne.org/

[sazemisery]

9. Furminator is teh bomb! Suggestion for fungal problems and hotspots.

With a long haired cat and a Labrador sharing our home, Furminator keeps the fur from flying and sticking to everything.

Have you tried tea tree oil spray for fungus and hotspots? A teaspoon of tea tree oil mixed with 1/3 cup water in a spray bottle has worked wonders on doggie itches. Spray affected area 2 - 3 times a day. I have seen an advanced case of hotspot dry up within 24 hours. Cats should not be treated with tea tree oil as some are highly allergic and adverse reactions have been observed.

[hippywife]

11. Our dogs are ones that got

dumped off out in the rural area where we live. They are outdoor dogs and don't take to a lot of preening and stuff. They would just as soon not be bothered at all. But we have tons of ticks! So every three months we catch 'em and have to tackle them down to put new Preventic collars on them. And that's pretty much it as far as our routine. Now, they may have their own because they are almost never dirty in appearance. They do like to go down into the creek bed when it's full.

They are really good natured dogs and don't mind lovin' and pettin' but they somehow just know when you're coming at them with something other than food, even if you hide it, and they take off away from you. :shrug: