Who Knew? A "Cure" for Shedding

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.