Maintenance Grooming

We can all hope that someday science will present the perfect solution to "spaniel ears," but in the meantime, the best course is to clean the ears regularly and prevent infection. First, it’s very helpful to keep the hair around the ear canal shortened. An electric clipper is very helpful in this regard (use a 10 or 15 blade here, as you want this hair very short), but if you do not have access to a clipper, you can scissor the hair if your dog is cooperative and will be still enough for you to do this safely.

My disclaimer as to the information that follows. I am not a veterinarian, just a somewhat experienced spaniel owner. If you suspect your dog has a problem that could be serious, by all means consult your veterinarian.

I use several different preparations for ear maintenance. For routine cleaning, a chlorhexadrine solution works well. Squirt a small amount into the ear canal, massage gently. Use a cotton swab to remove and loosen excess wax, and then swab the ear canal area with a cotton ball to remove any debris. For dogs that tend to have a lot of "gunk," I like to use a product called Earoxide, which is simply an extra-thick hydrogen peroxide solution, to break up and expel the wax. Just squirt a small amount of the product into the ear canal, wait a few minutes, and then swab out the ear canal. This can leave a sticky residue, so you may wish to use this product in conjunction with bathing. Note that it can bleach the hair around the ear canal.

This likely isn’t your favorite chore, or your dog’s, but regular nail trimming prevents splayed toes or other foot problems for your dog, and saves your floors, clothing, and furniture. Most dogs benefit from a nail trim every other week or so. You can use a nail clipper (I prefer the "pliers" type to the guillotine variety, which seems to pull the nail as it cuts), or if you or your dog really dislikes the clipper, you may find that a Dremel grinder with a sandpaper or aluminum oxide stone spares you both considerable anxiety. A cordless Dremel is quiet and easy to maneuver, but if you happen to own a corded type already, set it to a fairly low speed and it should work well for you too. Avoid tangling your clothing, or the dog’s ears or feathering in the tool. The grinder avoids quicking the nail drastically which can happen with a clipper. Even if you use the grinder it’s a good idea to include some Quik-stop (styptic) powder in your tool kit in the event that your dog breaks a nail. Grind or clip the nail at the proper angle, and this will encourage the nail to wear itself back naturally.

I am not a big fan of body clipping Springers. Seems to me that the breed was developed with a coat for a reason, so why mow it off? The undercoat rather than the long topcoat creates the shedding/dust bunny problem, and unfortunately the body clipping only addresses this on a short-term basis – the coat is shortened overall, where the better solution is to remove the excess/dead undercoat. Most field-bred Springers do not grow an excessively long topcoat, so controlling the undercoat quantity will keep him or her looking great, and your house much neater. If you’re determined to clip your dog, please use (or request that your groomer use) a 5 or 7 blade (full) for this purpose, rather than a 10. The 5 or 7 blades leave the hair a bit longer and your dog will still look like a Springer as opposed to an English Pointer.

A new grooming tool was introduced in the past year or so that makes Springer coat maintenance a much easier undertaking than it has been in the past. It’s called a Mars Coat King, and it’s well worth the investment to obtain. Here are several sources:

http://www.dogsoutfitters.com

http://www.hubint.com (this is a UK vendor, but I have found their service very prompt and their prices comparable. You can calculate the exchange rate at http://www.xe.com prior to ordering.)

I have found the 20 blade model the most useful with our dogs. This is not a case where "more is better." I purchased a 26 blade model, but have not found it useful on our Springers’ coats, despite the recommendation at the Groomer’s Mall site. I also have a half-width model with the same blade spacing as the 20 that is helpful for the neck and shoulder area.

If you intend to bathe your dog, strip the coat before you bathe – the dirt and oil in the coat create more "drag" and thus the stripping process proceeds more quickly. Use the Coat King like a comb, drawing it through the coat with the handle parallel to the body. You do not need to exert a great deal of pressure on the tool. This should not be uncomfortable for your dog; on the contrary, most seem to find it appealing, like a massage. You may find it helpful to use a regular comb on the coat first, as this seems to help the Coat King glide through the coat more easily and work more quickly. I use the Coat King on the body coat only, not on the leg or ear feathering, though if your dog really grows a lot of hair on its ears the tool will do a find job of thinning it out. A quick grooming once a week or even every other week with a Coat King should keep your dog’s shedding under control and their coat looking beautiful.

Some Springers grow a lot of excess hair on top of their heads. One of our Springers seems to grow hair only on top of her head! I use a Mars coarse or medium stripping tool (this is different from the Coat King) to remove the excess. If you don’t wish to spend this much on an additional grooming tool, I can discuss less expensive alternatives with you. I use a plucking motion with this tool, catching the hair between the blade and my thumb. Eventually I hope to post more grooming information with pictures and possibly video clips here, but time is short.

Frequency of bathing will depend much on personal preference and circumstances. The dog supply catalogs offer a multitude of options for shampoos and conditioners. I’m partial to Pure Bright shampoo, as this smells pleasant (to me), whitens the white coat nicely, rinses easily, and doesn’t seem to overly dry the coat or skin. If you’re bathing quite frequently or have a dog with particularly sensitive or dry skin, you may find that an oatmeal-based or conditioning shampoo works best.

Brush the dog out before bathing if possible, as mats are harder to remove once they’ve been washed in. Wet the dog thoroughly, then apply diluted shampoo (the bottle should give a recommended dilution ratio, and you’ll learn what works best for you through trial and error) and work it thoroughly into the coat. Diluting the shampoo provides more economical usage, easier distribution through the coat, and much easier rinsing. Once I’ve worked the shampoo through the coat with my fingers, I like to use a "Slicka rake" (PetEdge item #TP57512) to work it down to the skin, and loosen up any remaining dead undercoat. If you’re using Earoxide, put this in the ears after wetting the dog so that the shampooing process will take away the excess. Otherwise, I use some chlorhexidrine wash at this point.

I generally check anal glands during the bathing process and express if needed. If you need instruction in that regard, please ask a knowledgeable friend or your veterinarian – it can be easier to demonstrate "in person" than explain in writing. Good technique for this task is highly desirable, as a most unpleasant mess can result for the unwary.

RINSE THOROUGHLY, until the rinse water runs clean, and then rinse some more. Nothing will set your dog up for itchy, irritated skin more than shampoo residue left in his or her coat. Particularly if your dog hasn’t been bathed recently, or if s/he is in a shedding phase, use the Slicka rake with the rinse water and this will remove more of the dead coat. I do not normally use a conditioner. After rinsing, dry the dog and you’re through.

Especially if you do bathe your dog fairly frequently, it may be worthwhile to invest in a forced-air dryer. This will eliminate a large amount of the water from the dog’s coat (along with more of the dead hair) and help them dry quickly and comfortably in the house or kennel. I currently have the Double K Challengair (see PetEdge catalog), and am very happy with it. I’ve also had a Metro Air Force Commander and had good performance, but I think the Double K is quieter, thus easier on the dogs. Use this type of dryer while the dog is still in the bathtub after squeezing the excess water from the coat with your hands. Hold the dryer nozzle against the skin and blow first against the grain of the hair, and then to finish blow with the growth to lay the coat back down. Avoid blowing into the ears, as this is most uncomfortable for the dog.

If you’re going whole hog, invest in a cage dryer as well, which will hang on a crate door and complete the drying process. Again, I like the Double K product, but there have been a number of new products introduced since I was part of the dog show scene, so you might want to browse the catalogs prior to making a purchase decision.

If your dog tends toward an unruly coat and you prize neatness, you may wish to towel the dog when it comes out of the tub. You’ll need two extra large safety pins and a towel wide enough to cover your dog. It might look a bit silly, but try it once and you may find that the results are worth any embarrassment your dog suffers ;-). Leave the towel in place until your dog is thoroughly dry. Unless your dog is trustworthy, however, do not leave him or her unsupervised while wearing the towel. You would not want to deal with the effects of a popped safety pin, or worse, an ingested towel.

I use two vendors for most of my grooming supplies. I purchase our vaccines, ear cleansers, Frontline, and nutritional supplements (e.g. Lipiderm and Arthramine) from Omaha Vaccine, http://www.omahavaccine.com. For scissors, stripping blades, dishes, ex-pens, and toys, I order from PetEdge (formerly New England Serum), http://www.petedge.com. Pure Bright shampoo is available from either source.