Anesthesia-Free Dental Cleaning

There has been a lot of talk recently about dental care for your pets.  A healthy mouth is very important for overall health, just as in humans.  The question is, how do you provide maintenance care for your dog?  Having teeth simply brushed once a month or less may freshen breath and remove loose debris (like food), but it does nothing to improve condition of the teeth.  This is why, while I offer teeth brushing as a cosmetic perk, I don't strongly promote it (plus I'm just a terrible sale-person. ;-)  However, there are options beyond basic brushing which many other pet professionals offer.  As I am continually educating myself on new pet care techniques, I have looked into some of these methods and products.  Most I don't care for, but a few are on my list to consider futher.
The big thing now is anesthesia-free dental cleaning.  It sounds great, but it is a controversial technique.  My main issue is that it is not necessarily as safe - or effective - as it's cracked up to be.  Of course, for every nay-sayer, there are also plenty of success stories.  So this one is tentatively on my list... however, (procrastination and busy schedule aside) I am not rushing to delve into deeper research and become adept at the technique(s) in order to add on the service.  My reasons are explained very well in the two following articles.  Another very valid concern is that such cleanings are not legal in most states!  Obviously, if it turns out NH does not allow non-veterinarians to perform detal procedures, then it matters not how much we all like the results or what my potential added income may be.
So what can be done, then?  Sorry to burst your bubble, but it does come down to brushing your pet's teeth at home.  I know, I know, I'm bad about keeping up with that too.  Other beneficial maintenance includes feeding a raw diet and/or offering bones for your dog to chew (kibble does NOT keep teeth clean no matter what they tell you), or try using an oral care spray such as Petzlife.  Dental gels such as Oxyfresh commonly used as toothpaste can also be applied quickly with your fingertip instead of brushing, as the product generally does more work than the toothbrush.  Brushing action mainly serves to remove loose stuff but can not make a dent in actual tarter buildup.  No matter what you choose though, the key is doing it regularly.  That means more often than every few weeks when you have your pet groomed.

Here is a simple, but well written article from a vet regarding anesthesia-free dental cleaning.
http://speakingforspot.com/blog/2011/11/27/anesthesia-free-dental-cleaning/

For more information, check out Whole Dog Journal's coverage of the technique.
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/7_11/features/Canine-Teeth-Cleaning_15666-1.html
p.s. I highly respect WDJ as a reliable source for good health advice.



Update:
Here is a list of laws by state regarding dental procedures on pets.
https://www.avma.org/Advocacy/StateAndLocal/Pages/sr-dental-procedures.aspx

Currently, this issue is not specifically addressed here in NH.

Pet Behavior and Grooming

This was posted by a professional groomer who is highly respected in the industry.  The message bears repeating!


http://groomblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/pet-behavior-and-grooming-conversation.html
Sunday, August 14, 2011

PET BEHAVIOR AND GROOMING - A Conversation with Pet Owners and Dog Trainers

One of the most crucial variables in determining the successful outcome of a pet grooming session is the behavior of the animal. Even the most adept pet stylist can only do so much for a dog that is lurching, jerking, dancing, mouthy, or laying flat as a pancake on the grooming table. Animal-handling skills are just as pertinent for a “master groomer” as styling skills, but there is a limit to what a groomer can be expected to accomplish with an uncooperative pet in a single session. Behavioral training requires repetition and consistency. That means that what happens at home between grooming sessions is probably more likely to shape behavior than what the groomer does in two hours at the table.
Yesterday I descended into Groomer’s Hell with a handsome young Portuguese Water Dog. I rarely see this breed, and I was excited to have the opportunity to start a grooming relationship with a new client and her 6-month old PWD. It was to be the dog’s first groom. That should have been my first hint of what was to come. The coat may not seem to need much work before six months, but the behavior does. Fortunately, the owner was honest and warned me that the dog was “rambunctious”. I pictured a happy, excited, wiggly puppy. BTDT and lived through it. I should have looked the word up. Rambunctious: “1. Uncontrollably exuberant. 2. Unruly.” In other words, T.R.O.U.B.L.E.!
The young beast was nearly ungroomable. It took all I had, and I have a lot of skills to bring to the party. These are some of the behaviors we encountered:
• Incessant excited barking in the pen, in the bathtub, & on the table (this somewhat abated after two hours of my ignoring it).
• Leaping, lurching, thrashing, standing on rear legs and waving forelegs, dancing and not keeping feet on the table.
• Not allowing face to be brushed, or even held – pulling away, and mouthing – there was no way I could use clippers on the head or face, I did some rough scissoring.
• Not allowing forelegs to be groomed – mouthy, had to be muzzled, pulling away, trying to leave the table.
• Did I say mouthy?
• Thrashing about while being clipped near genital area. ( The dog was not neutered). Not allowing feet to be held – pulling, barking, mouthing, and lurching.
All grooming requires patience. Sometimes it is a bit of a dance. This grooming was not so much of a dance; it was a wrestling match. It was also a match of will and wits. I accomplished the grooming goal, but only because I have advanced abilities, especially patient persistence and the ability to scissor a moving target. It required way more than I should have to do, and did not look nearly as good as I had envisioned. Clearly, the dog had not been prepared for the grooming experience, in spite of having graduated a six-week training course. My fervent wish is that dog trainers would offer training for behaviors needed for grooming. I also wish that owners of dogs that are going to need to be groomed start puppies out early with accepting grooming as a part of life. Some of the behaviors we groomers need help with are:

SETTLE – This is a part of some basic training courses. For dogs with excess excitability, however, it needs to be prioritized. Dogs need to be able to settle down and focus on the activity of grooming.
STAND FOR GROOMING – It is impressive that your dog has learned to “sit” on command. On the grooming table, we need her to stand. Sitting is a way of resisting having the backside groomed. Some little dogs will lay flat on the table and turn into a heap of jelly-with-hair. This is also not helpful in a grooming situation.
NO MOUTH! Mouthing the groomer is NEVER acceptable. Mouthing the groomer is NOT play biting, it is trying to stop the activity by mouth-to-hand action. This is a real precursor to biting the groomer and must be discouraged.
HOLD FACE – Allowing the muzzle to be held, or the whiskers to be held is utterly vital to safe grooming around the eyes and mouth. Free-hand scissoring around the head of a dog that is bobbing and jerking is nerve wracking and highly hazardous.
HOLD FEET – Holding the feet is necessary in order to clip nails, clip hair from between foot pads (bottom of foot) and trimming. This is a dominance/submission issue for many dogs.
ALLOW DEEP BRUSHING AND COMBING – Although initial grooming sessions for the young puppy need to be pleasant and not stressful, at some point the dog that is going to be groomed for a lifetime needs to be encouraged to tolerate thorough brushing and combing of the coat. Otherwise, the pet needs to be taught to allow the legs to be handled well enough to allow a shave down. On this PWD, I could do neither thorough brushing of the front legs OR run the clippers down the legs. The most I could do was a little light brushwork and scissor over tangles. Arghh!

ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL! This nearly unbearably stressful experience was made tolerable by the understanding and humorous nature of the owner of the rowdy PWD. I charged a $20 “Naughty Fee” over my estimated grooming charge and she tipped generously over that. Taking home extra cash always soothes my wounds, and helps keep me supplied with Advil. Being able to be bluntly honest with the owner about my experience with the dog allowed me to actually look at the possibility of grooming the dog again. I told her flat out that, on a difficulty scale of 1 to 10, this grooming was a 10. There was no brushing it off as “slightly rambunctious”. I strongly urged neutering. That boy needs some help to calm down! I also suggested some homework, such as brushing the legs and face. Although it was a serious situation, we were able to laugh about it. Any customer of mine who can pick up on my sense of humor and help me laugh about the trials and tribulations of pet grooming deserves another appointment.

~ By Barbara Bird in Arizona

Urgent Notice: Potential Danger of Dog Hair.....

In a press release today, the National Institute of Health has announced the discovery of a potentially dangerous substance in the hair of dogs. This substance, called "amobacter caninii" has been linked with the following symptoms in females: Reluctance to cook, clean or do housework, a reluctance to wear make-up, good clothes or high heels heels. Reluctance to spend money on home or car repairs until after 'Baby' has new collars, leashes, beds, treats, food, blankets or toys.

"Amobacter caninii" usually results in long hours away from home and exhaustion which may lead to a loss of physical contact with other humans (especially husbands and boyfriends). "Amobacter caninii" is thought to be addictive, driving the need for additional sources - this may lead to a "pack mentality" or like the potato chip commercial, "you can't have just one". Beware! If you come in contact with a female human infected by this substance, be prepared to talk about dogs for hours.

Surgeon General's Warning: Dogs are expensive, addictive, and may impair the ability to use common sense.

[Reprinted from Facebook.  Original author unknown.]

The Final Fall Fest

I recently returned from RI where the NEPGP held their 30^th anniversary grooming festival.  This is to be the last year for November shows, as in 2011 we move to July for Summerfest.  If 2010 is any indication, it will surely be an exciting show. 

The club went all out for their big anniversary, with extra special speakers and new contests.  I almost felt like I was at a big international show where there was too much to choose from!  So many great seminars overlapping each other, it was hard to pick which ones to attend.  If only I could do them all… unfortunately, prioritizing means missing some stuff.  And once again, because of the busy educational program schedule, I missed nearly all of the regular grooming competitions, only getting quick peeks between classes, tending to dogs, and shopping.

Oh the shopping!  This vendor turnout was better than I’d seen in several years.  While I don’t think our New England show will ever compare to the giants like Intergroom, for a relatively small show, we had a very nice, large selection of products to browse and buy.  I was able to cross several items off my long shopping list, meanwhile saving on shipping and special show pricing. 

The whole thing started off with a bang on Friday, with fantastic add-on programs.  I chose to spend the day with BBird and Kendra, knowing the topics covered would be right up my alley.  Plus how could I miss BBird after waiting so long for NEPGP to bring her here all the way from AZ?  Both speakers did a great job as expected and as an irresistible bonus, attendees got an awesome gift certificate for the Cherrybrook booth, which practically paid for half the seminar, and certainly helped save money, as I bought a ton of Chris Christensen products and tools!

Tripp thoroughly enjoyed his time at the show too.  He accompanied me to most of the classes, which I’m so thankful NEPGP allows.  Of course, as always, he thought everyone was there just for him.  His fame continues to grow… even more so after Kendra asked to use him as her demo dog.  How exciting for both of us!  And it worked out well for her dematting segment, as I had no time before the show to wash and brush Tripp out, so he was in rather embarrassing condition.  (Though that worked out well while shopping too, as I was able to test tools and products on a “realistic” coat, rather than one already perfectly primped.)  I’m so proud of my boy for being such a good guinea pig.  By the end of the class he was so surrounded by groomers getting a closer look, I could barely see his face through the crowd – and it had the biggest smile, just sucking up all that attention.  J 

Friday evening brought the all new “Pom-Adorabe” grooming competition, for which Chicken Joe supplied his lovely Pomeranians.  It was winner take all – an intimidating but invigorating scenario.  I had considered entering, but waited too long and the class filled.  Which I’m kind of glad, as this gave me the chance to see it first and get a feel for whether it was something I’d really want to do, or for that matter have half a chance at the prize.  I can’t say watching the competition was encouraging, only considering the groomers who entered – some of the top competitors were there.  Kendra actually won the class with a Pom who looked ready to enter the show ring at Westminster.  Tough to beat that! LOL  It will be interesting to see what future years bring, if this becomes a regular event.  Perhaps some day I’ll work up the nerve. ;-)

This year all my nerve was saved for Saturday.  After another full day of seminars – all of which I spent with Eric Salas, finally getting the chance to hear this awesome speaker, who I somehow missed at every other show over the years (but won’t miss again!) – the evening brought two firsts for me… 

Over the summer Honey Loring organized an all-Poodle musical freestyle team, which Tripp & I joined.  We only made it to a couple practices, but his foundation training and natural intelligence makes him a quick learner.  All of us were excited but understandably a bit nervous when NEPGP invited us to do a group “dancing with dogs” demo at the show.  We had just an hour or so before the demo to practice, and due to a last minute change in lineup, our basic routine had to be altered quite a bit.  I must say, we were all pretty thrilled with how well the team improvised.  Although it didn’t go off without a hitch, the crowd loved it and everyone had fun, which is most important.  They called us back for an encore, which flowed a bit more smoothly, and ended with the passing of the hat – carried by Standard Poodle Charlie - to collect for APAW, which trains Poodles as service dogs.  Tripp was a total show off and a big hit with everyone.  But then I always say he looks flashy whether he does stuff right or wrong.  Hmm, hopefully that will work to our advantage in the grooming ring as well as performance.  hehehe

Next on the schedule was the Creative Runway competition, sponsored by Barkleigh.  I was ecstatic to see NEPGP finally offer creative, and couldn’t resist the opportunity to enter.  This was my first creative competition and a great learning opportunity.  While my design was a basic “abstract” with a breed profile base, I did more coloring than ever before.  I admit I’m surprised at how much work creative is.  Much as I completely love and respect profile grooming, creative is definitely harder, at least in preparation.  I spent 3 days getting my borrowed Poodle ready for the contest, doing multi-stage dying, scissoring and rescissoring, touching up patterns, and so on.  That’s not including time in previous months spent setting in patterns and testing dyes, or time at the show doing finishing touchups!  (Compare that to a profile dog, which “only” requires regular grooming, basic prepwork, and a perfect fluff before the competition, then you just show up and groom.  Okay there’s a bit more to it than that, but it definitely takes less out of your schedule!)  I was pretty happy with how my design turned out, which rarely happens.  Maybe I’m becoming less self critical?  Doubt it! LOL  I did a German trim with a Celtic knot over the back, accented by a stylish green and purple color pattern.  It was definitely not perfect, but the profile turned out nicer than I’ve ever done, and the knotwork was decent considering I had to entirely reset it from scratch.  I have to mention a comment I received on my design after the show – one of the top competitive groomers (who does incredible work) asked me if I had help doing it.  Wow, I take that as quite a compliment to think it must look so good I couldn’t possibly have done it all myself! haha J

The creative lineup was fun and the camaraderie was great.  Everyone was helping each other get ready and offering tips, while helping calm nerves.  One by one we took our turn on the runway, the audience obviously enjoying every bit of the show.  At the end we waited with dogs posed as the judge went over each one and made her decision.  Prizes consisted of ticket packages to Groom Expo, including lodging for the top winner.  Ends up, I’m going to Hershey!  I guess technically that makes three firsts for the evening. ;-)  There was also a People’s Choice award, which happily went to the 3^rd place winner.  (As cool as it is to win both, I think it’s often fairer for a lower or non-placing entry to win PC.)  But it was close!  I admit I felt almost embarrassed when the crowd went wild for me, like I was back in high school or something (as if that ever happened! LOL).  Guess I’m just not used to mass positive attention.  But I played it cool through the whole thing, as I was focusing my energy on keeping my dog calm.  And luckily my wallflower side is overshadowed by my drive to compete and improve in grooming.  Next year will be interesting as I will hopefully have Tripp ready for Intergroom in a much more intricate theme design.  Stay tuned!

The show winded down on Sunday with more seminars and finishing shopping.  Tripp must be my lucky charm, as we had the “magic key” to open the Cherrybrook treasure chest, winning a very special brush.  Along with other freebies I got in classes and with show specials, and all the cool tools I purchased, I have several fun new “toys” for the salon and myself!  Add that to the fantastic educational programs presented, and of course the unforgettable events and wins, it was indeed a wonderful celebration of 30 years for NEPGP.  What a way to go – the final Fall Fest… here’s to continued growth and hopefully an even more exciting all new Summerfest!

For more information on APAW, visit americanpoodlesatwork.org.  To learn about creative grooming, visit thenapcg.com.  And to see footage of NEPGP’s Barkleigh Creative Runway and “The Pompoms” musical freestyle demo, check out my youtube page at youtube.com/caninestyle.

NEPGP 2009 - debuting an original style

Ah, the "home show" for us New England groomers.  We really are lucky to have such a dedicated club that offers so wonderful an event each year.  Great atmosphere & people, awesome competitions, and even better prizes than some of the bigger shows, excellent seminars, and considering it's "just a small regional show" there's a decent turnout of vendors.  Being that it's currently in RI, it can be a bit of a trip for those members residing in the northern states, but unless they live on the border and want to attend a Canadian event, NEPGP is also the closest trade show/competition... and well worth the drive, too! :-)

This year was new for me traveling with two dogs.  Made life interesting trying to keep the puppy off the clean contest Poodle for two days! LOL  But tagging along was a good experience for Tripp, since he'll be up on that table one of these years!  Chaz, as always, was a good sport, and his incredible coat held up all that time with barely a touchup before competing.  Next year perhaps I'll work up the nerve to add another dog to the mix and enter more than one class??  Gotta do it one of these years, I suppose!

We drove down Saturday morning, and made it in time to catch a seminar, do a little shopping, and watch a bit of the contests.  Sunday of course I rose early for ring time at 7:30.  This was going to be the official debut of my original Poodle design!  I came up with "the Bandu" several years ago.  The basic trim is a "Banded Dutch" (hence the name) - pajama/sweetheart style body, with deep crest on the neck to promote balance, and English Saddle style legs, with bands on the front to match.  I decided long ago that if I were to ever compete with this trim, I needed to add a little flair to it with a fancy body pattern, just to make it a little more special.  After many tweaks on paper, I finally came up with the perfect design just last year.  Of course putting it on a dog is a totally different thing than drawing a 2-D picture!  And then there is the whole part of waiting for just the right dog to try it on.  Any style of Dutch clip can be tricky to make balanced, so the dog must have rather good conformation to pull it off.  Chaz, being a UKC CH and AKC pointed, with that to-die-for coat, is an excellent choice for any style trim.  Still, it was a process getting it just right.  My first attempt over the summer at setting the body pattern fell a little short.  But after one or two touchups I managed to get it the way I wanted.  I double checked with NEPGP that it wasn't against the rules (or just plain ridiculous) to enter something this creative in a regular competition, and was encouraged by both the club and fellow groomers & Poodle friends to go for it.  I'm glad they talked me into it, as I've been saying for years that I'd like to see and do something different in the ring, rather than the same old trims.  As absolutely beautiful as those are, we groomers are generally an artistic bunch, and most would appreciate a little variety in grooming styles.  And what better venue to display new trims than at a grooming show?  I must say, I did see a couple rather creative trims in the mixed breed ring this year.  Very nice. :-)  There was gorgeous grooming being done across the board in all classes.  Excellent turnout in every division.

Oh, before I forget again, I also wanted to thank whoever left their hydraulic table in the ring and offered it's use to whoever wanted it for the Poodle class.  It was in my assigned spot, so our "pit boss" said to go ahead.  Must say it was a great help during grooming, though did make me want one of my own all the more. LOL  Anyway, thank you so much for your generosity!

So the competition begins, and I get to work on my Bandu trim.  Setting the pattern took up half the allotted time.  I knew I was probably shooting myself in the foot entering such a complicated design, but what did I have to lose?  As long as it turned out presentable.  I did get nervous when they called 45 minutes remaining and I hadn't even scissored the legs - yikes!  Luckily he wasn't terribly overgrown in that area, so could get by with just a quick tipping of the hair.  Still, the finish was a lot rougher than I'd hoped, plus the topknot needed tons more work to be correct.  And somehow I managed to miss several spots on his face - usually my clipper work is much better than that!  But at least I was quite happy with how the body turned out.  Overall it was pretty well put together, so I'm glad it had a decent unveiling.

I'm told that there were several positive remarks made by spectators, who, no doubt, were impressed to see something different being presented.  And I was pleasantly surprised to be given very positive feedback from several top competitors and judges!  That alone made it worth the entry.  Alas, I did not win anything, but hey, at least they didn't laugh me out of the ring! LOL  I was also up against some stiff competition with seemingly flawless grooms, so it was no surprise, either!  My photos don't really show all the imperfections of my groom.  Of course, I'm never really happy with my work at first, anyway. ;-)

The critiques I received were very consistent, yet rather ironic...  Everyone agreed that the body pattern was very cool and well done, but the banded legs were distracting - taking away from the Celtic knot design, as well as making it hard to judge balance/profile.  But as previously described, the legs are what make the Bandu special, and the knotwork was thrown in more as an afterthought!  Therein lies the irony. LOL  I do understand their point, though, and looking from their viewpoint I kind of agree.  But it's still really funny! hehehe  Many encouraged me to try again, keeping the body pattern and just doing regular Poodle puppy-style legs.  Whether or not I do so remains undecided.  Part of me is tempted, hoping to do better and perhaps earn an award (wow, when did I get so competitive?), but the other part wants to move on and try something else.  I have a year to decide and play around with Chazie's hair, so we'll see...

I can't wait to find out what next year's 30th anniversary show brings! :-)