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Why you should Always De-Shed your Dog

Everyone who has a dog with the kind of hair that sheds knows what a struggle it can be to keep all that shedding hair under control. It’s not an easy task, but there are many things that can be done to minimize the unwanted shedding. First we need to understand why dogs shed in the first place..

Why do Dogs Shed?

A dog’s hair grows in cycles, shedding is a normal process in the life cycle of each individual hair. The initial phase is when the hair shaft is actively growing, however when the hair reaches maturity it enters a resting phase, and this is where the shedding comes into play.

All dogs shed to some certain degree, it’s a natural process that allows their new coat to come in. However, some breeds tend to shed more than others, and breeds with slow growing hair shed very little. No matter what breed of dog you have, knowing all about the need to deshed your dog will help you deal with the insurmountable amount of hair your dog may be leaving around the house.

No one wants their home, car, clothing, or even furniture being covered with dog hair. For dogs, shedding can be very uncomfortable, itchy, and can even sometimes cause skin complications. This means that deshedding a dog is more of a necessity, especially during a seasonal shed. Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique advises that you deshed your dog at minimum once a month, more so if your dog is prone to shedding.

My Allergies Go Crazy When I’m Around A Dog Who is Shedding!

dog shedding

A common misconception is that animal hair aggravated allergies, however the real culprit is the dead skin cells that shed with it. The dog hair itself is not a significant allergen, but the dander (dead skin cells that are continually shed). Dander collects airborne allergens such as pollen, dust, and mold spores. 

Removing the shedding hair will stop this process, and dramatically reduce these allergens and the dander on your dog.

 

Why Can’t I just Cut the Hair Off?

Simply cutting all of your dogs hair off is not going to totally eliminate shedding. The shedding will involve shorter hair, however no matter the length, shedding hair needs to be manually removed (by brushing or de-shedding methods).

Another problem is that if you cut your dog’s hair very short all over, there is a chance that your dog’s hair may not grow back properly.

 

But what exactly does de-shedding a Dog mean?

Deshedding a dog is basically a removal of a dog’s loose undercoat hair. When you deshed your dog, you’re helping them get rid of hair that will eventually end up on furniture and clothes. This will benefit your dog in many ways, making them more comfortable and keeping their coat and skin healthy.

 

My Dog sheds even after multiple de-sheddings?

Although shedding is very common in dogs, excessive shedding can also be a sign of certain diseases. Dr Alison Diesel, DVM at Texas College of Veterinary Medicine explains that any excessive shedding and scratching is a sign for you to book a vet visit.

Another explanation for your dogs excessive shedding is that you didn’t deshed correctly or professionally. At Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique we offer a “Shed No More” deshed service that will assure your dog is deshed naturally and safely every time. In addition the service is guaranteed to work.

 

Year-Round Dog Shedding

dog shedding

No matter what type of dog you have, all animals with hair shed on a regular basis. This is a natural part of the life cycle of hair shafts within the follicles. All hair shafts go through phases of growth and shedding no matter the breed. These phases affect the rate of hair growth and usually vary depending on breed, age, hormones, environment and overall health of the dog.

Dogs like Poodles and Yorkshire Terriers continuously grow hair, which mean their hair shafts have longer life spans and shed very little. On the other hand, dogs like Labradors and Huskies have a shorter hair shaft life span and more abundant undercoats, resulting in greater shedding.

 

Seasonal Dog Shedding

Dogs will shed extra during Spring and Fall, all the more reason to get your pup into Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique today. Most dogs are double-coated, which means they have undercoats and top coats. The top coat is often what you see and feel on the outside, while the undercoat is made up of secondary hairs that grow around the primary hairs.

Seasonal shedding often occurs as a result of temperature change. This process is often referred to as “blowing coat.” When the weather warms, dogs often shed their old winter undercoats to eventually make way for a lighter summer coat. This process is reversed for winter, when dogs shed their lighter undercoats and grow a thicker and warmer coat.

 

What is Stress Shedding?

Have you ever taken your dog to the veterinarian and suddenly found yourself covered in their hair? Is your car full of hair every time you take them for a ride?

Nervousness, Excitement, and stress can be trigger points for a dog’s hair to shed. You may notice some stress shedding in the first twenty-four hours following your dog’s appointment. However after that you will see a dramatic reduction in the amount of unwanted hair on your dog and in your home!

 

What can I do at Home?

A healthy coat starts from the inside out. Feed your dog a good diet of high quality food. There are many tools that aid in the removal of hair to help you care for your dog between his grooming appointments, and each one is design to do a specific job. Your Splash and Dash Groomer can help you select the tools that will work best for your dog and then show you how to use them.

Your Dog will enjoy the time you spend together and all the attention they receive during your at home grooming sessions. With help from our specialty salon, you will be able to think less about shedding hair – and spend more time enjoying your time together.

 

Take control over your Dog’s shedding

Routine grooming is absolutely essential for all dogs. Brushing or combing your dog helps to remove dead hairs before they can fall on your carpet, bedding and furniture. It will also prevent those dead hairs from forming mats on your dog’s coat, that can eventually harm the skin.

Take control over your Dog’s shedding before it’s too late and you’re googling how to deshed your furniture. Save that sofa, Schedule an appointment with our professional groomers today.

dog shedding

  • Dogs shed seasonally as a result of weather change
  • Shedding is uncomfortable for your dog, and inconvenient for your furniture
  • Routine grooming is absolutely essential for all dogs
  • Deshedding your dog regularly keeps their coat and skin healthy
  • Deshedding prevents skin irritations and complications

 

Our “Shed No More” deshed service is a miracle service that is designed specifically to give your dog sleek, detangled fur free of excess hair. The proprietary blend does more than just smell amazing while cleaning your pet; it also helps remove excess hair and breaks down mats.

It will keep your home free of tumble fur, that nasty condition where clumps of fur roam your home, making their way into every crevice and inflames allergies.  Remember Splash and Dash guarantees our service will produce results.

For a limited time, we’re inviting you to take advantage of this amazing service at a discounted price. Book your appointment today! We guarantee you’ll notice the difference or we’ll do it again for free!

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Can you Clone your Dog?

During a recent interview, Barbra Streisand revealed that she had her late dog Samantha cloned after passing away last year. Ms. Streisand revealed that two of her three Coton de Tulear dogs were clones. Specifically, the two dogs named Miss Violet and Miss Scarlett, both had been cloned from cells taken from the mouth and stomach of Samantha.

Barbra Streisand cloned dogs

How new is this technology?

Cloning dogs may be new to some of you, but the process has been available to the high-paying public for over a decade now. The first cloned dog was created in 2005, an Afghan hound named Snuppy in South Korea, named after “Seoul National University puppy”. Snuppy actually lived a full 10 years before she died of cancer. Afghan hounds typically live for 11 years, so this was considered a successful dog cloning. To take it a step even further, scientists cloned three new puppies from Snuppy, all have reportedly been living healthy and normal lives.

Companies like Sooam Biotech in South Korea, and Viagen in Texas offer the service to the high-paying public. On Their websites, both Sooam Biotech and ViaGen confirm that live births are used to create their clones.

Cloning dogs successful texas

How are dog clones made?

In an interview with Scientific American, author of a book on dog cloning, John Wostendiek explained the process:

“In addition to the tissue sample of the original dog, cloners will need to harvest egg cells from dogs in heat, at least a dozen or so. And, after zapping the merged cells with electricity so they start dividing, they’ll need surrogate mother dogs to carry the puppies to birth.”

There is tons of science behind it, basically the nucleus is removed from the original donor’s eggs and injected with material from the animal to be cloned. This process usually takes around 60 days after injection (about the same as a normal dog pregnancy).

A video by BuzzFeed showing how dog cloning works:

Are cloned animals healthy?

This largely depends on how you define “healthy.”

Believe it or not the FDA actually monitors the cloning of animals like goats and sheep. According to the agency’s website, cloned animals are generally healthy. Dog cloning can be a little more complicated because of the advancement of their reproductive system. At the Sooam Biotech lab in Korea, the process requires operating on the egg donor and the surrogate mother – two dogs who are rented from a lab-animal provider. It’s not exactly clear what happens after those two dogs are no longer needed.

The company has told media outlets in the past that the dog cloning process works only about 33 to 40 percent of the time, which means the chance of a miscarriage is highly likely. Of course, the general public only hears about the successful dog cloning and not the failures from the lab. However, after the cloning process is successful, the cloned dog has a very high chance of living a full and healthy life.

Will the clone act the same as the original dog?

Although the cloned animal contains the exact same genes as their donor, they still will have slight variations with how these genes are expressed. There can be different markings on their coat, different eye color even. Personalities vary as well, this isn’t a surprise though as dog personality is highly influenced by the environment and manner in which the puppy is born, something that is tough to replicate in a lab.

dog cloning done in labs in south korea

It wouldn’t be 2018 without some controversy

Although animals in the agriculture industry at typically highly regulated, cloning dogs is largely unregulated. Without public data it’s difficult to put an exact number on how many dogs are cloned annually. Many animal advocacy groups such as the Humane Society and Peta, oppose the practice.

In a statement release by Vicki Katrina of the Humane Society:

“The Humane Society of the United States opposes cloning of any animals for commercial purposes due to major animal welfare concerns. Companies that offer to clone pets profit off of distraught pet lovers by falsely promising a replica of a beloved pet. With millions of deserted dogs and cats in need of a home, pet cloning is completely unnecessary”

Peta President Ingrid Newkirk also voiced her opinion on the matter:

“We all want our beloved dogs to live forever, but while it may sound like a good idea, cloning doesn’t achieve that – instead, it creates a new and different dog who has only the physical characteristics of the original.  Animal’s personalities, quirks, and very essence simply cannot be replicated, and when you consider that millions of wonderful adoptable dogs are languishing in animal shelters every year or dying in terrifying ways when abandoned, you realize that cloning adds to the homeless-animal population crisis.”

Dog Cloning

Final Thoughts on dog cloning

Whether you agree or not, cloning dogs is here to stay, unless laws are passed that would stop the cloning of dogs for the future. The $50,000 price tag is steep to many, but the chance of possibly “prolonging” the life of a loved one is priceless to some. All of Us at Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique love all dogs, cloned or not.

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Splash and Dash Highlights Its Safe Dog Grooming Practices For All Pets

Splash and Dash for Dogs Highlights Its Safe Dog Grooming Practices For All Pets

In the Midst of ‘PETCO Dryer Cage’ Incident, Splash and Dash Reminds All Pet Parents of the Safe Drying Methods That Should be Practiced By All Pet Stores for Safe Dog Grooming

 

St. Petersburg, FL – June 9, 2015 – During a routine dog grooming appointment at PETCO’s Midlothian store, a dog named Colby died after being placed in a dryer cage too long. Colby’s death was the result of the store’s animal care protocol not being properly followed by employees.

Seeing this incident as a huge issue, Splash and Dash Groomerie and Boutique, one of America’s go-to sources for all things pet-related, strives to make sure that your pet is always safe and secure in a comfortable environment at all times.

“For pet parents, bathing and brushing are never-ending tasks, so safety should always be key,” says CEO of Splash and Dash, Dan J. Barton. “At Splash and Dash, our employees hand dry your dog, followed by a gentle brush out – so an incident like that will never happen at any of our locations.”

With safety being a top concern, Splash and Dash also encourages all customers to take advantage of their ‘10 Point Wellness Review’, where your pet is thoroughly examined and you are informed of all details regarding any area that needs to be addressed with possible solutions. Over time, you can track your pet’s score and use it to monitor any changes that may occur. These areas include: teeth, gums, and mouth; skin and coat; overall physique and behavior; and eyes, ears, and nose. This check is free with every dog grooming visit every time.

Petco said that it plans to retrain all groomers nationwide, but a life was already lost, and cannot be replaced. SAFETY COMES FIRST!

To date, Splash and Dash currently has locations in:
California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,Texas, Utah and Australia.

At a three-year growth rate of over 2119% annually, Splash and Dash for Dogs is featured as one of Inc. 500’s America’s Fastest Growing Companies for 2014.

For more information, please visit www.splashanddashfordogs.com. For high-res images, samples, interviews, or any questions, please contact Lamont Johnson at Lamont@ArtDepartmentPR.com. 

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