Using #Dawn to Kill #Fleas

I get so so so sick of hearing people - professional and non-professional - go on and on about how Dawn Dishwashing Soap kills fleas!!!
It DOES NOT!!!
But for godsake don't believe me... Try this test yourself:
     Fetch a live flea and drown his ass in Dawn the bestest way you know how. Wash your dog in Dawn (It will not hurt them, but*), or just pick a flea off your pet and put the flea in a puddle of pure, straight Dawn (if you feel that's potent enough).
    Watch for death. When you are convinced the flea is dead enough, take the flea OUT of the Dawn and remove any excess soap - (pat it with another paper towel - careful, it will stick). Or, pick a "dead" flea off your freshly Dawn-bathed dog.
     Carefully place this flea on a big piece of fresh, clean, white paper towel. Make sure the paper towel is sturdy and in a safe place that is free from high traffic and drafts like fans or an air duct. You can even place a container such as a glass up-side-down over the body to make sure NOTHING disturbs it. (Because if you come back and its GONE, you need to know for a fact it's because the flea hopped away on its on and was not knocked off or blown away...)
     Once in a safe place, walk away and leave the dead body for at least 15-20 minutes.

Then go back and look at the flea and tell me that bitch is dead. If you did not cover it with a glass, and it is gone, that means it WAS NOT DEAD.

FYI - ANY soap will "kill" a flea in exactly the same manner, not just Dawn.

Soap does NOT drown them.
Soap does NOT suffocate them.
Think about it - If synthetic chemicals like Frontline and Advantage no longer work.....

* Dawn is as harmless as any commercial soap on your pet. The biggest thing to note is that it will dry them out! Unless their skin pH is out of balance, in which case Dawn will make them gooey and basically unrinsable.

We have also "trapped" a live flea in a small jar of baking soda.... And then forgot about it! A month later...... Still alive...! Again, don't believe us - try it yourself...

Additionally, just so you know - corporate grooming salons are NOT ALLOWED to use Dawn in the salon! If they do, they are breaking policy and can be fired immediately.

Technical Flea Info: FLEAS

[All of this information is true for all fleas, on dogs and cats.
Ticks seem to be completely oblivious... They don't even get high or pretend to die for a few minutes.]

NEW!!!

i-am-DOG-GROOMER T-shirt at this PG911 approved link!

Christmas Shelter Dogs & Cats

Ok yall.... I'm just so frikken sick of all the sad-sack shelter stories at this time of year!!!!
The sad photos, the pleas to Santa for a "forever home", the desperate bombardment of SADNESS!
That is an "issue" that runs deeper than Christmas!  So lets just stop steppin' in dog shit for a minute and GET HAPPY!!!!
It's CHRISTMAS f'god sake!
And all the push to adopt shelter dogs as Christmas presents....... Well, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE AN ISSUE!!!!

Don't Do That ! ! ! ! !

Don't give animals for presents!
It's dumb.  It's stupid.  It creates a very long term problem for the rest of the world.  It makes sure that the shelters will be full, overflowing and desperate for NEXT Christmas....

So hows about we focus on the RESPONSIBLE pet parents right now....!  The Happy kittens and puppies (of all ages!) who bless us, make us laff, keep us company and listen to our hearts when no human can hear them.....
Let's celebrate THIS!!!

The shelter problem will NEVER go away!  As long as there are stupid humans, there will be pain and suffering.  So let's be grateful, joy-filled, and happy with the little "effers" that live with us right now.  Lets hold all the other animals in our hearts while we feel this unspeakable joy and share it with them!  They will feel it!!!!

Cats climbing Christmas Trees, darting in and out of empty gift bags, running thru ripped wrapping paper...
Dogs sniffing the table, drinking from your cocktail glass, stealing the gift box of chocolates.....

Celebrate.
That's all this day is about.  Not beliefs.  Not money.  But a reason to celebrate.
So do it right!
Love your animals!
Beam that love into the world!

Merry Christmas from Petgroomer 911!!!

Diet & Exercise 2.0

To expound a bit deeper into an earlier blog, Diet & Exercise, I'd like to write a bit about food.
The FIRST STEP to good grooming is good food.  I'm not talking about tasty-good, I'm talking about nutritionally good.
The FIRST ISSUE I address with my clients who report any problem with their pets whatsoever is FOOD.

There are debates..... of course there are.
But there are also some basic truths that many today are completely oblivious to, because most of the only ones available to teach them, don't know the full story either.  This includes veterinarians.... yes!  Yes it does!  Ignorance proliferates like bunnies.  Not to worry, not to blame.  Let's learn.

The "packaged", "processed" dog or cat food I always recommend is Nature's Variety.  The reasons are 1) they are NOT a bandwagon company.  They're one of the first independent companies to do real nutrition for pets.  2) They have consistently produced a very high quality product, including thru the years of recalls because of bad meat.  They raise their own...!  3) And I hope this remains the case forever... At this writing, they are still independent!  Even Dick Van Patton's beloved Natural Balance was bought out by Del Monte - maker of more crap than a heard of buffalo! 4) Their recipe is raw, minimally processed.

My second choice is Halo Purely for Pets.  The reasons are basically the same.... 1) Not a bandwagon company. Another of the very first to do real, natural food for pets.  2) Consistent quality and no recalls.  3) Still independently owned!  A few years back Ellen DeGeneres bought into the company because she was so impressed with the results it produced for one of her pets.  Amen sister!  The stuff is good food!  4) Minimally processed. 5) Beautiful story of origin from a local Tampa area resident (Halo History)!!

And........... That's it.  Those are the only one's I really recommend anymore.
My family has used both on and off for over 10 years.

The only other option for feeding your pets is to make it yourself at home.  This is challenging.  So many different opinions on what you can and can't feed a dog or cat...!  All the things they say are dangerous and NEVER feed your dog.... Well they put the word out much too late!  Sorry but I already fed my dogs all that stuff....!  Oops!  And guess what...?  Didn't hurt them at all.  Not one bit.  Not one hair.  Not one ounce.  Not one iota. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Grapes, raisins, chocolate, avocado, onion......
But that does NOT mean that "dangerous" foods will not hurt your animals!  Everyone is different.  Everyone pet parent is responsible.  Do your own due diligence.  Do some research.  Hear all sides of the discussion.  Open your heart to the truth regardless of cost, recipes, ingredients..... just desire the truth and you'll find it!

I was a firm believer in the concept that dogs aren't meant to eat grains, they're made to eat meat!  Well of course this has gotten more confusing for me on a spiritual level over the past several years as I am a vegetarian.  Again.... I've done new research just this past week into vegetarian diets for dogs and cats!  It can be done!  And very, very successfully.  NO, you shouldn't go into it blindly and ignorantly.
For that matter, you may find it interesting to know that all vegetarians are not healthy!  Just because vegers don't eat meat doesn't mean they eat healthy.
The point is complete, healthy nutrition!
I was convinced that grains were the cause of much of the epidemic skin allergy problem that most dogs suffer with these days.  But grains are not the whole story.
Grains are good!  For all animals, humans included.  What's horrible is how most commercial food producers - animal and human - process the grains.  The process totally destroys anything that was ever nutritious about the grain.  Its processing that is the cause of allergies.  Whole natural foods such as grains are INSANE in their nutritional profiles.  The key is that they remain whole and complete.

Another issue, portion size.  Many believe that pets, in particular cats, should be allowed to free-feed.  This is not good.  As a reference, think of wild animals.... What do they do?  Of course they free-feed.... after they hunt the food down.  This is true of carnivores, herbivores and omnivores alike.  So they only eat what they work off.  Pets rarely work these days.  Its a shame but its the current reality.  So they don't need much to eat!  What they need is high quality.  The more active they are, the more fuel (food) they require.

Quality over quantity.
You save money in the long run because you just don't need the vet anymore!

Money and cost is the biggest deterrent  to eating healthy, again - for pets and humans.  But I'm here to tell you that it can be done!  Regardless of what anyone may have ever told you, your pets can eat what you eat IF you eat healthy.  No processed foods, frozen foods, canned foods...
Whole, natural, organic foods.... Foods from the Earth.  Foods that God made to be eaten.  Same for beverages.  Filtered water is a must.  Tap water is not good.  Teas are good for people and pets on occasion.  Herbs and spices... all very medicinal.  Again, you should not feed ignorantly.  Do some research. There are local farmers, co-ops, farmers markets popping up all over!!!  Use them!

Don't buy corporate.  Buy small local organic and get healthy along with your pets!