See this adorable pooch? That's our Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Bonnie. I love her almost as much as I love my children -- but her shedding is truly the bane of my existence.
Between Bonnie, our two cats, two flokati rugs, and the "amazing shedding shag" carpet that I blogged awhile back, I pretty much spend my days scooping up tumbleweeds of shed pet hair and carpet fibers from all over the house.
Not too long ago, a sympathetic pet store owner (who actually wasn't trying to sell me anything, since she didn't stock it herself) told me about a product called the FURminator. Have you heard of it?
Using a patented "de-shedding" shampoo and grooming tool, it's supposed to all but eliminate shedding by grabbing and removing all the dead hairs from a dog's undercoat. (The photo above, from the company website, is of hair removed after one "furminating" session.)
Seriously, check this out:
I was dubious, to say the least, but willing to try pretty much anything. So a couple of weeks later I booked an appointment with a mobile grooming service that used the FURminator line.
Now, a normal brushing session with Bonnie yields a comically large pile of hair -- but the hair that came off of that dog during the FURminator treatment was truly a sight to see. She actually looked like she'd lost a few pounds when all was said and done.
The treatment didn't even come close to stopping Bonnie's shedding (which, with a notorious shedding breed like corgis, is probably impossible). But it did significantly cut down on the volume of shed hairs for the next month or two.
The verdict: Not an end-all, but definitely worth a try. (Note for you feline fanciers: The company has a line of products for cats, too.)
Now that the we're actually heading into the warmest months of the year here in the Bay Area, I think I need to book another session. And though they're more expensive than standard grooming supplies, I may even spring for a FURminator brush ($25 to $45, depending on size) and shampoo ($15), available from retailers like PetSmart and Petco.
Now a question for you other pet owners: Have you tried the FURminator? What did you think? Post a comment and let me know.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Who Knew? A "Cure" for Shedding
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8 comments:
I love the FURminator. It really cleans out the undercoat. I also use the Mars Tool, which does a great job, too. I have 6 cairns at home right now and it's so much faster to get them cleaned up with one of these tools.
How funny that you post this! We just bought the FURminator (called the Furburizor at our house) for our two cats! You're right that it doesn't eliminate the shedding problem completely but now when I pat the cat, a plume of hair doesn't waft up into my face. Worth the money, totally. Oh, and the cats, they LOVE it.
Just got a FURminator and it works. No I can pet my cat without coming away with a handful of hair!
One of my kitties hasn't quite warmed up to it.
Okay, I can't say that I've tried the FURminator...but your corgi is gorgeous. I've had corgis all my life, several of which were purchased in the bay area, and I'm begging my hubby to let us get another dog (we have a mini-dachshund right now)...and all I want is a corgi. Did you get her locally?
Great post Leah, I feel for you...I've been there but with several at once :)
~Kate
Your dog is soooo adorable. Fur and all. I do feel what you are going through. My daughter has a yellow lab and has dark wood floors need I say more. I love corgies! If you ever need a sitter you can send her to me.
I just wrote about this myself. Such an ugly comb, but it totally helps. Their PR department must have sent a million of these around to people or something. Or they paid for placement in Target, eh?
Using a deshedding tool does cut down a lot on shedding. There are other deshedding tool available but I think The Furminator is the best of them - very effective.
Using a deshedding tool does cut down a lot on shedding. There are other deshedding tool available but I think The Furminator is the best of them - very effective.
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