Review: Vet Solutions & Crazy Dog Brands

VET SOLUTIONS UNIVERSAL MEDICATED SHAMPOO
This is probably the BEST medicated shampoo I have EVER used! The first time I used it I was working for a Vet Clinic who used this brand. Although this shampoo is alittle thick, it works very good. It's for dogs who have hot spots, cuts, etc. I cleans very well and removes scales & crust from dry skinned dogs. It's also an anitbacterial and antifungal & deodorizor. Compared to many med shampoos you can buy at Walmart (Hartz brand is not very good, period!) this one I feel works the best. In all my experience and all the med shampoos I've used, I believe none of them have worked as well. This one can be purchased in a 16 oz bottle or a gallon and is not diluted. Just about any medicated shampoo you get is going to smell "hospital like" but this one smells good and can be used up to once a day. I am actually currently using this one at home on Elvis because of his sensitive and dry skin and it works great. You can buy this on Amazon.com buy clicking the button to the left or you can find it here:
*1800petmeds.com
*EntirelyPets.com
*VetSolutions.HealthyPets.com
*vetmeddirect.com
*Locally this is only found at Vet Clinics for around $20 per 16 oz.

These shampoos are my favorite "in general" shampoos! You can buy them online, but also in pet stores like PetSmart, PetSense, ect, and in stores run around $6 per 12 oz bottle. They smell awesome! My favorite is the Rainforest scent and I used this one almost daily in the groom shop along with the corresponding cologne. The wonderful thing about these shampoos is that you can dilute them at home! From the 12 oz bottle you can squirt one or two sqeezes into an empty Dawn dishwashing soap bottle and fill the rest with water. This will get 10 times the shampoo than any normal store bought shampoo and it works great too. So now you can have salon quality shampoo at home and save some money while your at it!


The Crazy Dog brand of shampoo and grooming spray come in:
*Green Apple
*Rainforest (fave)
*Pina Colada (2nd fave)
*Very Berry
*Baby Dog (smells like baby powder)
*Wild Cherry

All of them smell very good, and I have used all of them in the grooming salon.
*A plus about the grooming spray is that not only is it a perfume, but it's also a leave in coat conditionor and detangler! This stuff is my fave fave fave!!!

Can be found at:
*Amazon.com * PetEdge.com * PetSmart Stores * PetSense Stores * PetCo Stores

Little Monroe is Preggo!

Once a pup herself, little Roe is now about 3 weeks away from pups of her own! She was such a CUTE baby! So was Elvis, who is the father! I will let you know when the babies arrive!

Review: Green Tea & Mint Shampoo

GREEN TEA & MINT SHAMPOO

This shampoo is an all-natural formula that contains chamomile, sage, nettle extracts, and coconut oil conditioners that clean and tone skin and rejuvenate tissue. This shampoo dilutes 7:1 and smells really good. It has an actual green tea scent to it and is one of those shampoos that you can actually smell after the bath and blow dry. I use this one religiously on Elvis because it's so light weight, and leaves his hair so soft. I actually think that this shampoo helps in the blow drying process because seems to help seperate every little peice of hair without weighing it down. This is definatly in my top 5.

Cost is $8 for 17 oz

$28 for a gallon

Can be bought online at www.petedge.com.

Product Review: Bark 2 Basics Shampoo

BARK 2 BASICS SHAMPOOS These shampoos are one of my favorite lines of shampoos so far. They dilute 16:1 and it doesn't take much to get your pet clean with them. They don't bubble much, however, but don't let that fool you, they're doing their job. I like this product because you don't have to use alot of it and it leave the coat feeling soft, clean, and air-light instead of dampering the coat and making it feel thick and gritty like some other shampoo lines. There are several scents and uses for these shampoos, and a few of my faves are: OATMEAL ANTI ITCH(which smells like coconut)= for dry itchy skin SKIN REMEDY = for contoling bacteria, yeast, and healing sores D-MAT ALL COAT CONDITIONER = help demat & detangle, can be concentrated into a spray. BRIGHTEN WHITE = for brightening all coat colors, especially white ONE STEP SILKY = shampoo & conditioner in one, smells alittle berry like, but good. MELON CUCUMBER = this one produces a rich, thick lather & leaves coat luxurious. CITRUS PLUS FLEA CONTORL = natural alternative to chemical based products. Smells like orange. The only thing with this one is that sensative skinned dogs seem to think it burns alittle. There are many many more in this collection and just about every one of them are awesome. They also offer Fresh Groom colognes in the same scents. The shampoos usually run between $25-$35 a gallon or you can get them in 16 oz bottles (which is what I do because they seem to last a long time) for around $7 a bottle. I believe Groomer's Choice offers a first time introductory offer of six 16 oz bottles for $12.00 whether you are a professional groomer or not. You can find these online at WWW.GROOMERSCHOICE.COM.

Product Review: Top Performance 256 Disinfectant

TOP PERFORMANCE 256 DISINFECTANT

This powerful, concentrated, multi-purpose disinfectant & deodorizor provides area control of staph, salmonella, E. coli, bordetella bronchiseptica, feline picornavirus, HIV-1, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, rabies, herpes, pseudorabies, respiratory syncytia, streptococcus, and canine parvovirus.

Works better than bleach and won't ruin your clothes. One gallon makes 256 gallons of solution and kills viruses, bacteria, and fungi.

I've been using this not only in the shop, but also use it at home to clean and disinfect. I filled a small shampoo bottle up from the gallon and keep it on top of the fridge. I use it for just about everything, including mopping and cleaning counters and the bathroom. It smells good and comes in 4 different scents. Lemon, Cherry, Wintergreen, and Fresh Scent. The Fresh Scent just smells like orange and is my favorite. I also use it outside to disinfect and wash the porch and to clean up pee pee accidents in the carpet. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this product! It can be ordered online at http://www.petedge.com/ for $21.99 a gallon plus shipping and handling!

Dog Food Review: Eukanuba

EUKANUBA BREED SPACIFIC FOODS www.eukanuba.com Click on breed spacific formulas to see what breeds they carry. Eukanuba's breed spacific foods differ from Royal Canin in the sense that Royal Canin is spacific for one breed and one breed only. Euk's breed spacifics are usually spacific to 4 or 5 breeds. Example: Royal Canin Shih Tzu 24: spacific to Shih Tzu only Eukanuba Yorkshire: spacific to Yorkies, Lhasa Apso, Pekingnese, Maltese, and Shih Tzu So if you look through the web site and don't see your breed, try clicking on the closest breed to it. Ex: There is a breed spacific for Rott, but if you click on Boxer, it's also spacific for the Rott and Doberman Pinscher. I believe that this is a very good food also, usually my dogs rotate between 4 foods: Royal Canin Shih Tzu 24, Euk Yorkshire, Sciece Diet Small Breed, and Iams Small Breed & Toys formula. Usually Royal Canin is mixed in with Yorkshire or Euk, but I don't usually mix it with Science Diet. I have never had a problem with this brand and actually highly recomend it with my other top 2 brands. Does Not contain Red 40. Please check out their website to learn more.

Dog Food Review: Royal Canin

ROYAL CANIN BREED SPACIFIC FOOD

http://www.royalcanin.us/

For any questions or to see all breed spacific foods, please check out the link above. (Dogs & Cats)

Royal Canin is probably my #1 choice for my dogs. I own 2 Shih Tzus and a Shih Tzu mix and they seem to thrive on this food. Elvis has allergies and this food seems to be the answer. He only gets one or two spots now every now and then , instead of breaking out all over all the time and it's easy for him to eat.

It's made specially for every breed and their exact needs.

I had a customer come in the store and tell me that her 17 year old Cocker Spaniel had ear infections so bad that the Vet suggested putting the dog down. She explained that she was putting drops in her dogs ears 4 or 5 times a day and they just weren't getting better, but she wanted an alternative to putting down her beloved pet. I asked her what food she was on and sugguested switching to Royal Canin Cocker Spaniel 25, which is made so spacific that it actually has certian vitamins and fatty acids to promote healthy skin and ears along with vision, dental, and healthy weight, which are all something that the Cocker struggles with. I told her that she could at least try it before making any decisions. About a month later she came back to buy more food and informed the that it had been working. She told me that her cocker was starting to act younger, and her ear infections had almost completely healed. She said she was only putting the ear drops in 2 or 3 times a WEEK.

So, needless to say, I do believe this is one of my top dog food brands, even though it's alittle more expensive than other brands (10 lb bag or $30) but it is worth it for dogs who seem to have alot of issues. The good news is, that most pet stores who sell this brand (PetSmart, PetSense, etc.) usually offer the 10th bag free. Check out the Royal Canin web site to see all the breed food they carry. They also carry breed spacific food for cats also.

Finding the Right Dog Food

So, how do you know what's right for your dog? There are alot of factors that are involved in choosing the right dog food. Age, size, breed, allergies, all of these can be contibuting factors in your search. Let me explain to you some things in the pet food world. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS HOLISTIC! Legally, there is no description or guidelines for the term holistic, so foods that claim that they are holistic really aren't. Your just paying extra for the work HOLISTIC on the bag. There is no difference in a "holistic" food like Blue Buffelo and a good nutritional food like Science Diet other than the "holistic" name label and the "holistic" higher price. Don't buy into a "holistic" food label. FOR ALL LIFE STAGES When a dog food is labeled for all life stages this simply means that it MUST support ALL life stages, including puppy, adult, and senior dogs. When a dog is a puppy, it needs more nutritionally to build a strong immune system and grow up big and strong, therefore, it usually contains alot more fat, protein, etc, than your adult or senior dog needs, and in turn, can trigger weight gain or other problems. When a bag reads "FOR ALL LIFE STAGES" you should think of it as no more than a puppy food. SENIOR/MATURE ADULT FOODS Usually an older adult dog needs more joint and immune support with glucosamine in their diet than mid aged adults. They also usually, if they are alot older, may need smaller kibbles because they may have less teeth or have trouble chewing. If your dog is older than 6 years old, it's probably a good idea to get them started on a mature adult food spacific to their size (mature adult large breed, etc.). SMALL BREED VS. LARGE BREED FOODS There are foods out there simply for adult dogs, which is usually okay for medium sized dogs like Aussies, Pits, Rotts, etc, but its the biggest and smallest breeds that you should probably be feeding size spacific foods. Larger breeds have hip and joint problems, shed alot, and don't live as long as smaller breeds, and smaller breeds usually have allergies, skin problems, and smaller jaw sizes than large breeds. Pure breed or Designer breed, it's always a good idea to put your dog on a food spacific to it's size. BREED SPACIFIC FOODS Breed spacific foods are probably to easiest and best way to go. Because the food is BREED SPACIFIC it was designed spacifically with your dog in mind, down to the size and shape of the breeds teeth and jaw, to the kind of hair (evergrowing or shedding), the immune systems, whether you dog needs flatulence help like the Pug, or targeting hearing or sight loss. Eukanuba and Royal Canin both make breed spacific foods and I will be reviewing both brands shortly, so check my posts. My top 3 dog food brands: Royal Canin Science Diet Eukanuba Iams is also a pretty good food, as long as your checking your ingredients for red 40.

Dog Allergies & Hot spots

Does your dog get hotsposts? Constantly iching? Not sure what it is because you KNOW that it isn't fleas or ticks??? A little known fact about dog nutrition is that most dogs, especially small breeds, are prone to allergies caused by Red Dye #40 (or Red 40) that is in most dog food ingredients. The easiest way to determine if you dog is allergic to Red 40 is to go check out the ingredients on the dog food bag of the food they have been eating. If Red 40 is in the ingredients, switch your dog food imediatly to a brand that doesn't have Red 40 in it. Just check the ingredients on EVERY bag and you will know which has it and which doesn't. Any time you switch you dog food for any reason, you should never take up the old food and replace it with the new. You must mix in the the new with the old until you've gradually switched to your new food totally. The reason being is that the switch could make your dog sick. 9 times out of 10, when an owner switches food, they don't gradually switch, mixing the foods, and their dog gets sick, which makes the owner think that it's just the new food that's making them sick, and they switch back. It's not the new food, it's just the switch. After switching food totally, allow about a month to see if the hot spots and itching stops. If it does, you know your dogs was having an allergic reaction to the Red 40. If not, then you should probably see your Vet for further testing. Here are some foods that DO have Red 40: Alpo Ol' Roy Kibbles & Bits Beneful Check ALL bags ingredient before buying because even some of the top brands have Red 40. Beggin' Strips....I would stick to one piece a day. (Check ALL dog treats ingredients also!) Here are some brands that DO NOT have Red 40: Royal Canin Science Diet Eukanuba Iams Small & Toy Breed I will be having some Dog food reviews in detail in the future.

Review: Flea and Tick Products

Prevention to be placed on pet's back: FRONTLINE PLUS: Contains both fipronil and methoprene to control fleas, flea eggs, ticks, and chewing lice for 1-3 months. Safe for pups and kittens 8 wks and older. Comes in all sizes and contains 3-6 tubes for coverage of 3-6 months. What they don't tell you is that for smaller dogs, usually 25 lbs and under, you can save money by buying the largest package (Dogs 89-132 lbs) instead of the one you usually get (dogs up to 22 lbs) and split the tubes. I get one large tube individually from the pet store and empty it into a small container with a lid that tightens. Using a syringe with no needle, you can pull 0.67 ml for every dog under 22 lbs. This one large tube will last between my 3 small dogs for up to 3 months (that's about 9 applications) compaired to one small tube that is only used for one small dog and then it's gone. 3 month supply of 22lbs & under go for around $40. A 3 month supply of dogs 89-132 lbs is usually around the same price, sometimes a couple dollars more. ADVANTAGE: Kills fleas and flea eggs, works same as FRONTLINE but cannot be split and I personally think that this one smells horrible and leaves the fur/hair very oily because it is a waterproof formula. Costs are same as FRONTLINE. K9 ADVANTIX: This one kills fleas, ticks and repels mosquitoes. I don't think this one smells very good either, but it's not as oily as ADVANTAGE. Cannot be split. Costs are same as FRONTLINE. BIO SPOT: Also kills fleas, ticks, flea eggs, and repels mosquitoes. This brand is much cheaper than the others... dogs under 15 lbs for a 3 month supply usually runs around $15-$20, but this brand has never worked for my dogs. ZODIAC: Kills and repels fleas, ticks and mosquitoes on dogs only. This one comes in bulk though and in one size fits all. You will have to split these tubes and measure correctly to obtain the right amount to be placed on your dog. Package comes with 48 application tubes and cost is between $50-$60. Oral Flea and Tick prevention: CAPSTAR: Comes in packages for large and small dogs and usually contains 6 tablets. Plus about CAPSTAR is that it can be used with any other form of prevention but is for fleas only. You can give one pill when your pup is heavily infested to increase success of getting rid of those pesky fleas. Pills start working within 30 minutes. This product poisons the fleas, which in turn sends them into a ruckus, so when you notice that you pup starts to itch alittle more, it's only the pill WORKING. Can be given orally once a day. COMFORTIS: You can only get this pill at the Vet Office right now. It's a newer brand or flea and tick prevention that works alot like CAPSTAR, but is a montly pill intead or daily. This one has worked wonders for my dogs so far, and usually last for a month and a half to 2 months. This one is by far my favorite. AS WITH ANY PREVENTION, the fleas and ticks around your home may become immune to the spacific brand you are using if used constantly for long periods of time. For better success at killing these critters, I would suggest you switch up your brand every now and then. For instance, if you have been using FRONTLINE for the last 3 years and still notice you have a flea or tick problem, it's probably time to switch to COMFORTIS or ADVANTAGE, and same with any other prevention. Prevention should also be used with outside lawn preventions, such as ORTHO GRANUALS, etc, and also used with inside carpet preventions, such as NATURAL CHEMISTRY natural flea and tick spray (retail $17), which smells like cinnamon and is safe and natural around babies, puppies, kittens, etc. I use this at home and it works wonders.

Coming Soon: Product Reviews

So I've decided that since I'm a groomer and in the Pet Industry, I would start writing reviews of pet products and such. Alot of people that aren't in the Pet Industry would probably love to know what's good, bad, or pro grade, so I would like to tell you! I will, however, throw in a couple reviews every now and then that are not related to pets just for fun! So stay tuned! Here's a couple Pro Magazines to help you out! Shih Tzu: All About America's Favorite Dogs (found at PetSmart and also comes in other breed mags also.) Groomer's Choice Product Magazine PetEdge Product Magazine Groomer to Groomer Magazine (Free to order online) Groomer to Groomer Buyer$ Guide