Sick and Tired
 Anyway, I was trying to stay on top of Sam's grooming/brushing as much as I could. I don't have a grooming table at home, so that makes it even more of an ordeal. My DH has been trying to help, which I appreciate. But, apparently, his head and legs haven't gotten the attention they need.  I'm still not 100% but today I decided I would just push through and do a full brush out myself. The legs have some mats, but nothing that can't be worked out fairly easily. The head, however, is another story. He has pretty big mats on each side of his face and under his chin/neck area.  Grooming in the floor, this is the hardest area to get his cooperation anyway. He's in a puppy cut (about 2 1/2 - 3 inches on body, but his head is a tad longer). I don't really want to shave him, but I'm not sure how to get these mats out on my own. I would love any tips, recommendations. If I decide to have him shaved, what is the longest it could be left? What's the best way to get the mats out? Should I do a combo of conditioner, combing, scissors? Help! |
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My DH took pity on me today and ordered a grooming table and some Cowboy Magic. They should be here Tuesday or Wednesday. Hopefully, those, plus a couple more days for my new meds to work on me will do the trick.  |
| You'd need to be careful around his face but for largish, hard to manage matts it can help to use grooming scissors to split the matt vertically ie. away from the skin down the length of the hair. Then you're dealing with more smaller matts. I also use the last tine of a collie comb to break up matts but if the matt is really bad that's more painful. The grooming table will make a huge difference though. Tiggy will never lie still in one place if I try to brush her on the floor but on a grooming table there's less room to move. Good luck. |
I was going to suggest cowboy magic, but you beat me to it  Not only does it work, but the smell is so nice! After working in the magic, I use my fingers to tear the matt apart. Next, using the larger spaced end of the comb, gently pull the strands apart till matt is smaller and no more. I hate to admit it, but if the matt is still solid after the magic, I cut thru it vertically to begin a separation and then proceed. (Charm is not in a show coat, and that probably makes a difference on scissoring the matt) Hope you begin to feel better soon. You have had enough  |
| Thanks for the tips! I had reached the end of my rope yesterday and was in full on 'I'm a horrible puppy mommy' meltdown. Sam needs a trim and I know if I take him to the groomer with the mats, shaving will be a given. I wanted to at least say I had tried. The cough from the bronchitis never went away, and my dr had run tests last week. After a chest X-ray and bloodwork, they called to say I was positive for Whooping Cough. The only meds that help me not cough my head off constantly either make me jittery (albuterol) or make me sleepy (rx cough med w/ hydrocodone). Then I got a call this week saying the lab had run more tests and the WC had been a false positive.  Now we don't know what the problem is. They are hoping it's just left over irritation/inflammation from the bronchitis. More cough meds and another inhaler. Needless to say, my mood hasn't been one of calm approach to problems.  I hope the new stuff works. 'Normal' is something I never thought I'd miss so much. Of course, my sweet boy Sam has loved on me and taken care of me well. He is either laying on the couch with me or on the floor right beside of me most of the day. If only doctors knew the best medicine in the world was sheepie kisses!  |
| We're on the other side of the world but there's virus going around here that leaves some with a terrible hacking cough that hangs around and hangs around. Hope you get better soon. |
| I hope you better soon. When we're not feeling well, the problems seem bigger than they really are, I hope your grooming table comes soon. |
Thanks guys! On the plus side, I've lost 10 lbs since November.  |
| Hi Teresa--I have been out of town and am just now catching up on the forum. If you want to bring Sam over to my house I will help you groom him. I have everything we need here and will be glad to help you. |
sheepiezone wrote: If you want to bring Sam over to my house I will help you groom him. I have everything we need here and will be glad to help you. Thank you so much, Karen! You are so awesome!  Let me see how it goes once I get the grooming table and Cowboy Magic. Hopefully it will be exactly what I need. I will definitely call or text you if I need help with it. Maybe, once the weather is warmer, could we come over sometime for a general grooming lesson?  I'd love to learn how to maintain his coat/cut on my own. I'm not sure I'm ready to tackle a whole body trim, but at least I could save the money on the maintenance grooms every other month. I think we've finally got the right combo of meds. I'm feeling much better. The cough isn't gone, but it's much better. I'm actually starting to feel like a normal human being again.  |
Sam wrote: sheepiezone wrote: If you want to bring Sam over to my house I will help you groom him. I have everything we need here and will be glad to help you. Thank you so much, Karen! You are so awesome! Let me see how it goes once I get the grooming table and Cowboy Magic. Hopefully it will be exactly what I need. I will definitely call or text you if I need help with it. Maybe, once the weather is warmer, could we come over sometime for a general grooming lesson? I'd love to learn how to maintain his coat/cut on my own. I'm not sure I'm ready to tackle a whole body trim, but at least I could save the money on the maintenance grooms every other month. I think we've finally got the right combo of meds. I'm feeling much better. The cough isn't gone, but it's much better. I'm actually starting to feel like a normal human being again. So glad you are feeling better! Sure call me or text me if you have any questions. When you are ready we can definitely plan to have a few sessions. I am not an expert by any means but have a lot of practice now  !In addition to the Cowboy Magic--you might want to also get a good grooming spray, so you are not brushing dry coat. I will be here if you need me! |
| What a difference a few days can make! My cough is almost gone. I feel mostly normal again. And I don't feel so overwhelmed. I thought I'd show you how much Sam hates the new grooming table. Click through for fullsize image:   It came yesterday. Sam was a little timid at first, but taking it slow (and giving LOTS of treats ) have convinced him it's not so bad. I worked on him for a while this morning. He was so good. I got everything done except his head. We are taking a break now. He's passed out on the kitchen tile, and I'm doing laundry. We'll work on his head this evening (and probably tomorrow since it needs a lot of work). I snapped a quick pic of Mr. Handsome on his way to his nap spot. He needs his hair cut, so I resorted to putting clips in to keep it out of his eyes. DH and my oldest son aren't too thrilled with his new look. Click through for fullsize image:   Thanks again for all the tips and for helping me through my little meltdown.  |
| He is looking good ! If you have any elastic bands (small) you could do two little "piggies"--the men might be a little more accepting ! |
Woo Hoo he's looking great!!  Sam looks mighty pleased with his new grooming table. If the men in the household aren't doing the grooming then the men in the household have to put up with the hairclips would be my rule.  |
| Aww, he is SO beautiful! For future reference, I always used a conditioning spray called "The Stuff" dog conditioner. It's a spray that you can use while trying to comb your dog out, it is particularly good for breaking up mats and it makes the comb just glide through. It's hypoallergenic and non-toxic. My dog groomer suggested it to me, for my OES. I love it! If you google "The stuff" dog conditioner, you can find it on the web. |
Glad you got your table...and that cough under control. It's all going around everywhere!  |
| My old groomer uses The Stuff as well, but just be very careful. It is silicone-based, and wherever the dog lays becomes very, very slippery. If your dog is anything like Oscar, he likes to lay on tile or hardwood, and I can't tell you how many times I went skidding across the floor in one of his "sleepytime" spots. Glad you are feeling better! Laurie and Oscar |
So after all the discussion about the possibility of shaving Sam, my DH is now determined that that's what we should do. He makes a good case. Missing out on some of the wonderful coat transition 'fun', having the opportunity to start over with his grooming now that I have a table and better tools (and I'm finally feeling healthy), etc. I still was determined to get those darn mats out, if for no other reason than to make me feel like less of a failure in the puppy mommy department. I spent quite a while trying to work on one side of his head today. I tried on the table and the couch. I have decided that, to conquer them this time, God needs to give me about 3 more hands or make Sam sleep through the process. Pulling on it is not the problem. He is determined to watch what Mommy is doing. I'm beginning to see the wisdom (or way out) in Chris' logic. And it will grow back. So, the next pic you see of my sweet boy may look less fluffy, but still just as sweet and lovable.  And, of course, Tennessee is having one of the coldest winters in known history. Okay, not really, but colder than usual. I made Chris promise if we shaved Sam, he had to order whatever warm coat I picked for him. I found one I like on Amazon, but they didn't have the size I needed in the color I wanted. Go figure. Does anyone have any suggestions? |
Sam wrote: So after all the discussion about the possibility of shaving Sam, my DH is now determined that that's what we should do. He makes a good case. Missing out on some of the wonderful coat transition 'fun', having the opportunity to start over with his grooming now that I have a table and better tools (and I'm finally feeling healthy), etc. I still was determined to get those darn mats out, if for no other reason than to make me feel like less of a failure in the puppy mommy department. I spent quite a while trying to work on one side of his head today. I tried on the table and the couch. I have decided that, to conquer them this time, God needs to give me about 3 more hands or make Sam sleep through the process. Pulling on it is not the problem. He is determined to watch what Mommy is doing. I'm beginning to see the wisdom (or way out) in Chris' logic. And it will grow back. So, the next pic you see of my sweet boy may look less fluffy, but still just as sweet and lovable. And, of course, Tennessee is having one of the coldest winters in known history. Okay, not really, but colder than usual. I made Chris promise if we shaved Sam, he had to order whatever warm coat I picked for him. I found one I like on Amazon, but they didn't have the size I needed in the color I wanted. Go figure. Does anyone have any suggestions?Sometimes shaving them is the best option and of course his hair will grow back and he will be just as lovable and cute with short hair or long. Sometimes Pet Smart does have some cute sweaters and coats in the XL and XXL size so you might check there too. I certainly don't mind helping you with his head if you want to try before you have him shaved. Just wanted to offer as I know how difficult it was for me when I was just beginning the grooming process. Four hands can be better than two. You just let me know if you want to, and we can arrange a time. Otherwise post pics of that cute baby in his new 'do'!! |
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