Product Review: Scratch 'N Squeak Ball Launcher

Scratch 'N Squeak sent us a Scratch 'N Squeak Ball Launcher, and it's everything I hoped it would be! It scratches, it squeaks, it launches tennis balls, and it does all of these things quite nicely. This is a tennis ball launcher with a squeaker in the handle, and grooming bristles on the back so you can give your dog a good brushdown after you play. It is currently available in three colors, and fits standard tennis balls.

It Squeaks!

We've destroyed a lot of squeakers around here, so I had some concerns about this one. Sometimes they're just built flimsy, and they give out in a few squeaks. Happily, the Scratch N' Squeak contains a nice, hefty squeaker that won't just fall apart. 

Why put a squeaker on a ball launcher? Because some dogs aren't natural retrievers, and need a little encouragement to bring the ball all the way back. The squeaker can help keep you dog focused on you, and the game, instead of the awesome ball they just captured.

It Throws!

I've been launching tennis balls with the same blue Chuckit for 17 years now, so I was eager to compare the performance of the Scratch 'N Squeak. This one's a bit shorter and doesn't launch the ball quite as far, but it also works in my smallish yard and doesn't have to be stored like a piece of sporting equipment. 

The circular ball compartment means I can also pick up and launch other toys with it. The Dogegg works if I balance it right. The Wox flops nicely over the end.

 It Grooms!

If you've used a ball launcher and then not scratched your dog's back with it, you're probably doing it wrong. This one goes step further with grooming bristles along the back. You can have a nice game of fetch, and then brush some loose hair off your dog in the great outdoors where you wont have to sweep it up. 

Pros

• Allows you to pick up and throw tennis balls and other 2.7" balls without touching their slobbery wetness
• Tough and durable squeaker built into the handle for building excitement
• Brush bristles allow for a quick groom while on the beach or at the park
• Long enough to throw balls a long way, short enough to fit comfortably in a bag or backpack
• I am significantly less likely to whack people nearby with this thing (may not be true for everybody)

Cons

• Currently only launches standard tennis balls, large and small sizes are not out yet.

Bottom Line

I love the amount of innovation that went into designing the Sns launcher. It was clearly developed by people who used existing products and went, "you know what would make this even better?" We haven't been doing much with standard tennis balls lately after learning about some unfortunate choking incidents, but I am thrilled to know that a large size is in the works. I can't wait to see this product in stores!

Paw Spa: Espree Ear Care

Espree's Ear Care is currently my favorite thing for keeping Brisbane's gunky ears fresh and clean. Sometimes I see people complaining about a dog's dirty ears, blaming the problem on a lack of maintenance. Obviously the dog has yucky ears because the owner doesn't clean them, right? Actually, dog ears are supposed to be self-cleaning. If they're not, that's a good sign that something isn't quite right. Brisbane has had ear infections, yeasty ears, and perpetually gunky ears for years thanks to his multitude of allergies. I know the underlying cause and he gets medical care for his issues, but this is a nice way to help keep the gunk under control.

Espree

This compay has been around since 1989, they originally made products for professional groomers. In the last decade they have expanded their offerings for pet owners as well. They focus on "natural" pet products, but I really just like the way their ear cleaner smells.

Does It Work?

Let's be clear here, no over-the-counter product is going to cure your dog's ear infection or solve his underlying issue. That said, peppermint-scented Espree Ear Care is a nice way to manage the gunk without irritating the delicate ear tissue. Made with tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, and salacylic acid, it dries quickly and doesn't feel like I'm dumping rubbing alcohol into my dogs' ears.

The Verdict

I've used a few different ear cleaning products both professionally and as a pet owner, and this is my current pick for regular ear care for my allergy dog. However, it does need to be used wisely. This product contains tea tree oil and is definitely not for use in cats. It's also not a great thing to be putting on a perforated ear drum, so it really ought to be used with vet clearance once you've figured out what the actual problem is. 

The Perfect Chihuahua Brush

Ru recently blew his already incredibly sparse coat, resulting in tiny hairs everywhere. The owners of some of Ru's favorite laps suggested that I brush him. This turned out to be a rather tall request. First, I tried the Furminator. Though I have at least five of these things, most of my stuff is currently in storage and the only one available was the large size. The width of the blade is about the same distance as Ru is around. Still, I gave it a go. It picked up a single hair in several strokes. Ru hated it.

Next I asked my large body of internet dog nerd friends for suggestions. These suggestions were all for the same thing: rubber curry combs. I have several of these, but they are all quite large compared to Ru, and the rubber bristles are rather far apart. The result is that only half the rubber teeth end up touching him and none remove any hair either. Also, Ru hates them. I can't really blame him, it's like being rubbed with a large piece of luggage, kinda weird and threatening.

Finally, I Googled it. Search terms included "chihuahua brush" and "perfect smooth chihuahua brush". I found a discussion on a chihuahua-centric forum in which several people extolled the virtues of soft boar bristle brushes. Amazon has a bunch of inexpensive ones, but most of the reviews are complaints that the brushes labeled "100% boar bristle" turned out to have a bunch of plastic bristles in them. Someone on the chihuahua forum mentioned finding theirs at Sally Beauty Supply.

And that was where I found it. Sally's had nearly a dozen brushes labeled "100% boar bristle". On closer inspection, all but one had definite plastic bristles mixed in with the pig hairs. There was just one brush that was very definitely made from all boar bristles and no plastic. I bought it for $5. So fancy. It works though!

Paw Spa: Happy Tails Spa Eye Pads

These Eye Pads from Happy Tails Spa are just what I need to keep Brisbane's tear stains under control. They are premoistened, and come in a little plastic jar just like my acne pads did when I was thirteen. Tear-free solution means I don't have to worry about getting too close to Brisbane's eyes, and the lavender smell is lovely.

Briz is not a fan.

Happy Tails Spa

This company bases their business on all-natural grooming products. We sell them at work, and I am in love with their Fur Butter conditioner. While I'm not one to fall for the appeal to nature fallacy, they do make some very nice-smelling and effective products.

How Do They Work?

The Eye Pads are soaked in a witch hazel solution that includes colloidal silver and various other plant-based substances that make it tear-free and easy to wet down fur with. The pads are round and kind of nubbly, exactly like the Oxy snd Noxema pads I used to use. Are those still around? The pad texture and solution make it very easy to get the dog's face fur very wet, and allow for some gentle scrubbing unlike smooth wipes. The pads are also infused with colloidal silver, which is supposed to inhibit microbial growth and help gradually clean chronic tearstains by preventing new hair from getting stained. .

Do They Actually Work?

I'm not dealing with chronic tearstains caused by allergies, deformities, or just plain bad breeding. What I am dealing with is a weepy eye caused by Brisbane's tumor, which is better or worse depending on the day. I know that constant wetness can create a perfect breeding ground for yeast and bacteria, so I'd like to keep his face as clean as possible.

I had long thought that products like this were a waste of money, and I could get the same effect with a washcloth and plain old water. These things are all about the convenience factor, right? I underestimated the convenience factor, these things are amazing. They mean the difference between daily routine face wiping and procrastination. So, so very convenient. I originally wasn't using them that often, and I expected the jar to dry out pretty quickly. Happily, they seem as great as they were the day they were opened. I also assumed they would run out almost immediately, but there's 50 in the jar so that's almost two months of eye wiping once a day.

So I don't really care if they're working because of antimicrobial silver and herbs, or because they're just kinda wet and scrubby. Happy Tails Eye Pads are amazing.

Paw Spa: Madra Mor Soothing Mud

I wash my dogs a lot. Well, I wash Brisbane and Sisci. Ru rarely gets bathed because I can't handle the pathos of a wet chihuahua. But the non-ornamental dogs get washed all the time. Brisbane has a bunch of allergies and his vet has for several years recommended he get washed with baby shampoo at least once a week. More recently he had prescription shampoo and conditioner and had to be scrubbed every three days after the embarrassing shavedown.

The mud.

I don't mind washing Brisbane so often, as his skin issues mean he gets greasy and flakey and smelly right away. Still, Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo gets a little boring after a while.

Seriously?

I can't remember where I first spotted Madra Mor mud baths for dogs, but I know I laughed. It's a mud bath. For dogs. It's expensive mud bath, too.

So is mud from a bottle really worth it? Can't I get the same effect from letting my dog roll around in the yard after it rains? (Just kidding, it never rains here. Also Brisbane wouldn't roll in the mud or even go outside if it was raining. He finds water falling from the sky to be unsettling.) Check it out, the bottle even says "Nature's Way to Clean & Treat".  The company's website says it is inspired by dogs' natural instinct for...mud. I'm somehow going to get my dog clean with mud, and only mud.

The mud on Brisbane.

So, how did it go?

This stuff is weird. It's a standalone product, Madra Mor only recommends you shampoo your dog beforehand if they are super filthy, or afterward if they are super hairy and about to get a haircut.

It doesn't lather either. You just massage it on and then rinse it off. The massage is supposed to be important, but I had a hard time getting Brisbane to relax because baths are pure torture. He likes a massage when he is relaxed and flopped out on the bed, not when he is all tense and grumbly.

Surprisingly, the mud got Brisbane clean. It also soothed the raw red patches on his skin, and left his hair feeling very soft and silky. It took absolutely forever to rinse off, but it smells really nice.

Final verdict?

I like the mud a lot. It's quirky and different and fun to use. It soothed Brisbane's skin like it said it would. However, one treatment used about half the $20 bag so this obviously won't be a regular event.

Product Review: Conair Pet-It Curry Comb

The Conair Pet-It Curry Comb is part of Conair's line of brushes designed to be held in the palm of your hand. This one has flexible rubber fingers for massaging the skin and coat. It is smaller than most similar grooming tools, and suitable even for tiny dogs. It comes in yellow from a variety of retailers, and pink exclusively from PetSmart.

Photo by Erin Koski

When Brisbane had his dramatic shavedown, the vet recommended I wash him every few days in an anti-fungal shampoo. She instructed me to scrub his skin really well with a rubber curry comb to help work in the medicine.

I couldn't find either of my old rubber curry combs, so I grabbed this one while we were at PetSmart. It fits nicely with my pink and purple grooming stuff, and I like my pink  Conair nail clippers a lot.

The size of this rubber curry is really nice, it's actually smaller than Ru. I wouldn't feel ridiculous scrubbing a maltese with it.

Pros: It's pink! Palm design makes it easy to hold securely even when wet and soapy. Small dog friendly.

Cons: Clear plastic is tough to keep clear, it tends to collect soap scum and looks gunky unless I devote some time to actually scrubbing the brush itself.

Bottom Line: I found my Kong Zoom Groom brush yesterday, but I think I'll keep this one in the grooming bag anyway. It works better for Brisbane and his sensitive skin.

The Furminator Commandments

The Furminator is a de-shedding tool for grooming dogs, cats, and other furry animals.  It is among the most expensive grooming tools found in the average pet store, at around $60. There are numerous iterations of this tool, including five sizes each for long and short coated dogs, four different ones for cats, special tools for horses and small animals, and a vacuum cleaner attachment. The current Furminators have self-cleaning buttons that push collected fur off the brush. With 16 different options, you can find a Furminator for nearly anything with fur.

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Except that you shouldn't actually Furminate everything with fur. Nor should you Furminate every furry part of your pet. A Furminator is basically a blade from a set of electric clippers, plus a handle. It's a powerful grooming tool, and needs to be used with care. I've met a number of people who use them, even professionally, that have not idea what kind of harm can result from running a blade through an animal's coat all willy nilly. I've developed a basic set of slightly-scary guidelines for using one of these babies.

The Furminator Commandments

1. Thou Shalt Not Furminate a Non-Shedding Coat

Breeds like poodles have coats that grow continuously. They don't have any undercoat to brush out. A Furminator can pull those curly hairs out by the roots. Not that you should be using a super-ultra-mega-deshedding brush on your non-shedding breed. Your mileage may vary for poodle mixes, every doodle I've ever brushed has had plenty of shedding undercoat to brush out.

2. Thou Shalt Not Furminate Fluffy Bellies

Don't forget, that brush is actually a blade. It can rip off nipples. I'm not kidding. Don't do it.

3. Thou Shalt Not Burn Thy Pet

Part of the point of the Furminator is that it reaches all the way down through the coat to the skin. Over-enthusiastic Furminating can cause friction burns on the skin, so go slow and watch for irritation.

4. Thou Shalt Not Furminate Thy Pet Bald, No Matter How Much They Enjoy It

You can't keep Furminating the same spot over and over, because you will likely just keep getting hair off your pet until there's no hair left. The Furminator does not take only the detached hair. My cats really, really love being Furminated though, so it's tempting to brush all their hair off. 

5. Thou Shalt Know What Is Under the Fur

Not only can you rip of nipples with the Furminator, you can also rip off warts and scabs and pretty much anything. You can also knick the skin over bony areas. The Furminator works best on nice fleshy areas, and it's important to check for lumps and bumps before using it.

I've found that the Furminator is very effective on short coats, and a bit less on longer hair. It's amazing on my shorthair cats, it's amazing on all the Australian cattledogs I've brushed, it works wonders on labrador coats. For longer coats, I really prefer the Mars Coat King. It's basically a row of hooked blades you drag edge-first through the fur, and it grabs undercoat like no other tool. 

Product Review: Conair Pet Nail Clipper

The Conair Pet Nail Clipper is a scissors-style clipper available at PetSmart. It features a no-slip grip and is available in two sizes. It's also pink. That's basically why I bought it. Nearly all my grooming stuff is pink of purple. This is a decent clipper, though.

Photo by Erin Koski

As a dog nerd, I find myself geeking out about weird stuff on a regular basis. Dog toenails are one of my geek specialties. I mean, most people can manage to hack a dog's nails shorter, just like most people can make a lasagna or paint a recognizable picture of a hippopotamus.

To trim nails really well though, it helps to know a bit about the anatomy of the toenail and the quick inside. If you're really nerdy though, you end up wanting to know everything you possibly can about managing dog toenails. You end up learning about trimming angles, how to shorten a quick, how to cut black toenails. dremeling and filing, how long toenails affect the dog's posture and joint health, what dewclaws are actually for...

I work at a doggy daycare facility that offers assorted grooming services including nail trims. This means I get to practice cutting a lot of different toenails on a lot of different dogs. It also means I get to find out what makes a good and bad nail trimmer. Sharpness is really the most important thing, more so than having a big trimmer for a big dog or a small trimmer for a small dog. A sharp trimmer allows me to take small slices off the nail, which is much more comfortable for the dog. You can tell a nail trimmer is dull when it takes a lot of force to chop through the nail. This is because it is breaking the nail rather than cutting it. Not comfortable for the dog, not good for precision trimming either.

Pros: Nice grippy handle even when wet. Sharp enough to cut small slices off both large and tiny toenails. It's pink.

Cons: I'm not sure how long it will stay sharp.

Bottom Line: I need to figure out how to sharpen nail clippers.

Product Review: Pet Zoom Self-Cleaning Brush

The Pet Zoom Self-Cleaning Brush is a wire slicker brush with a special feature. Push the button in the handle and the base of the brush lifts and pushes the collected fur off the bristles. Each bristle has a soft tip for gentle brushing on sensitive skin. This is an As Seen On TV product, my husband bought a whole set on Woot.com

Photo by Erin Koski

As someone who brushes dogs as part of my day job, I can say that I use slicker brushes more often than anything else. They work on pretty much every coat, and are amazing for getting out mats. That said, I don't use them on dogs with thin single-coats because they are too scratchy on the skin.

I do use them on low-shedding poodley doodley coats, but I am also aware that slickers really only brush the top of the hair. To find the hidden tangles, I need to run a fine-toothed comb through the coat, part the hair until I find the mat, and then attack that with the slicker brush. A slicker brush can make a matted and tangley long coat look beautiful on the outside while hiding all the nastiness underneath, which isn't terribly useful to anyone.

Brisbane is not crazy about slicker brushes, but he's mostly ok with this one because of the plastic tips on the wire bristles. I use this brush on my cats more than anything else. When I had pet finches, I used to use the Pet Zoom brush to harvest kitty fur to give to the birds to make nests. It did a reasonable job, but I eventually started using a Furminator brush because it was so terribly effective. I could brush bald spots on my cats with that thing and they would still be begging for more. The Pet Zoom is far less efficient at removing hair, but it is also much more versatile. The Pet Zoom is easier on the skin than the Furminator, and safer to use with no chance of ripping off a scab, mole, or nipple (yikes!).

Pros: Easy to collect fur off the brush. Plastic tips on bristles make it more gentle on skin than a standard slicker. Can be used on low-shedding coats.

Cons: Not a terribly efficient de-shedding tool for every coat. Plastic tips fall off bristles after a while. Self-cleaning option only works until one bristle is bent, then it will never function properly again.

Bottom Line: The self-cleaning part makes this brush prone to failure, so I tend to prefer sturdier products with a longer lifespan. If you are gentle with your grooming products, this one should work just fine. If you, say, turn the brush over to a classroom of kids so they can take turns brushing the class bunny, it might not survive. Good thing we bought two...

Have you used a slicker brush on your pets?

Product Review: Oster Equine Care Series Mane and Tail Brush

The Oster Equine Care Series Mane and Tail Brush is a pin brush designed to remove tangles without breaking hair. It features ball-tipped pins and an ergonomic grip, and comes in blue and pink.

Photo by Erin Koski

Yes, this is a horse brush. In fact, I originally bought it for my horse. Let me tell you, horse hair is very tough. Prior to purchasing this Oster mane and tail brush, I went through an incredible number of pin brushes that were supposedly intended for horses. They all fell apart in the same way, first they started losing pins and then the whole soft bit the pins were embedded in ripped off.

I had the same issue with my dog brushes. Brisbane prefers to be brushed with a pin brush, but the ones I had just didn't last very long. Briz doesn't even need that much brushing, the brushes were just flimsy.

Since this brush held up so magnificently to my horse's tail hair, I brought it home to use on my dog. Sure enough, it does the trick. Keep in mind, the pins are widely spaced so it's more for detangling long hair than removing shed fur. There's no padding either, so it needs to be used very gently.

Pros: Basically indestructible. The only thing that will damage it is years of thick, heavy horse hair. Ridiculously comfortable to hold. Round shape means it can be used in any directions.

Cons: No padding means a lot of care must be taken to keep grooming comfortable. Widely spaced teeth mean it doesn't do a great job of pulling out dead undercoat, so it's not the only brush you'll need.

Bottom Line: I mostly use this for Brisbane's magnificent spaniel tail.

Chihuahua Fashion Moment: Planet Petco Bamboo Bathrobe

Planet Petco products are intended to be environmentally friendly. The product line largely consists of natural wood litters and accessories for small animals, recyclable cardboard cat scratchers, and stuff made from bamboo. This bathrobe is made from 55% rayon from bamboo, 20% organic cotton, and 25% polyester.

Photo by Erin Koski

I'm as environmentally conscious as the next coastal California native, but I don't think slapping the word "natural" or "organic" on a label is really going to make a difference. These words do sell a lot of products to people who do truly care for the environment, but not everyone is willing to look at the drawbacks of organic farming practices. So-called "sustainable" materials processing is often far more energy-intensive and wasteful than using new materials. I'm not saying every effort to save the planet is bad, just that mass-produced "sustainable organic" products from big box stores may not be as big a step in the right direction as they advertise.

That said, this tiny bathrobe is super cute! Washing a chihuahua is an act of abject cruelty and wanton malice. I rarely give Ru a bath because I cannot handle the pathos of a wet chihuahua. Being able to wrap him in a wearable absorbent terry cloth robe makes me feel slightly less guilty about exposing him to evaporative cooling. Like most of his clothes, this garments is long enough but a bit wide around the middle. The tie belt helps keep it on, but I need to add a second velcro closure to keep it closed in front of his chest.

How to Keep a Dog from Slipping on Hardwood

Josie has a lot of trouble keeping her balance, she has severe spinal degeneration affecting all four of her legs at this point. She drags her feet, stumbles, and trips very easily. We have hardwood floors, and through routine grooming I have been able to prevent her from slipping as she stumbles around the house.

Hairy toes are slippery toes.

1. Cut those nails!
Long toenails can change the way a dog carries their weight. The more surface area they have contacting the floor, the more traction they have. Paw pads have much better grip on slick surfaces than toenails, but if the nails touch the ground they take some of the weight off the pad.

If the nails are touching the floor when the dog is standing, they are too long. When I hear Josie's nails clicking on the hardwood, I know it's time for a trim. Josie is extremely cooperative for nail trims, but Brisbane is not. I often must enlist the help of a professional groomer, or even my veterinarian, to get his nails cut.


2. Trim that toefur!

Less toe fur, more grip!

The top picture shows one of Josie's feet before trimming. There is a lot of fur growing out from between her toes. Ideally this would provide her some protection for the delicate skin between her toes, but at her age it's mostly just getting in the way.

Every week or two, I take a very sharp pair of hair scissors and carefully trim as much fur as I can from between Josie's toes. This helps keep her grippy paw pads in contact with the floor. The toe floof is cute, but she slips on it.

These measures have been enough to keep Josie cruising comfortably on my hardwood floors. If I felt she needed any more grip, I might try getting the waterproof socks to stay on better, or I might get Josie some dog boots that actually fit.