What is the "DESHED?"

What is the "DESHED?

This is a frequent question in our salon and once explained, many desperate pet owners are relieved to find that there is an answer to their shedding perils; answers that don't include shaving the beautiful coats off of their furry friends, which is a hot topic and debate for another day.

Although differing salons find differing means to adequately "deshed," in the end most methods usually follow similar suit.

So, how do we go from THIS.... to THIS?????

                                                      

Often times (although not every time), we find it best to use the HV (high velocity) dryer to blow out the coat prior to the bath. This cuts our time down drastically because we have already rid the pet of a ton of excess coat that we now no longer have to wash and dry [see top left photo]. This blow-out includes brushing as well.

Then, we head to the tub; a fun filled corner of the shop where everyone who enters is graced with the splash and overspray of dirty and clean pups. The dog is then soaped, lathered, rinsed, and then repeated until the coat is clean of all residues and particles. This is then followed by the use of the Furminator [brand] Solution that must sit and penetrate into the coat for 10 minutes. For heavy coated dogs we use another HV dryer to push the solution deep into the roots of the coat.

            

               What does the dog do for that 10 minutes of letting the Solution sit on the coat?

                                        Enjoys a massage..... OF COURSE!!!

After the 10 minutes are up, we rinse, towel dry, and then head back to the "Deshed Room" that has been cleaned back up by another staff member while Mr. Pooch was in the tub. Then, commence DRYING...

Once Mr. Pooch is COMPLETELY bone-dry, the real fun begins....

                                             Bathers or groomers (whoever is performing the task) is now in for a whirlwind of flying hair fun! The loose hair spins through the room like a Hurricane Booth at the mall. What fun, right!!???!!

But don't be fooled, this is no easy task, nor is it quick. You can often expect this process, from start to finish, to take up to 4 hours...or more if you own an Alaskan Malamute or Caucasian Shepherd, I dare you to Google the Caucasian Shepherd. ;)

                             .....but in the end, the results are worth it [see bottom 2 photos].