Posts Tagged ‘Skin Care’

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Winter Paw Care: How To Protect Your Dog’s Feet

Monday, January 16th, 2012
Dog Paws Winter Care

"Give me five!" Make sure to keep those paws happy and healthy!

Results from a recently released study conducted by Japanese scientists at Tokyo’s Yamazaki Gakuen University suggest that dogs have special blood vessels in their feet that actually help protect them from the effects of snow and ice. The researchers propose a mechanism that they’ve termed a “counter-current heat exchange:” when a paw is cooled by contact with frozen ground, warmth from the arteries in the paw is transferred to the vessels in the paws which helps to keep the paw at a tolerable temperature. Of course, pads contain a lot of fatty tissue, which doesn’t freeze as easily as other kinds of tissue. In addition, the special blood vessels in the pads warm the blood before it flows back to the body – thus helping keep the dog’s body temperature from falling uncomfortably low.

Even though systems like this are seen in other animals, including penguins and foxes, many earthbath fans vehemently disagree with the thought that all dogs are cold-weather proof:

“Apparently, my pugs are lacking these vessels- one sniff of the cold air and they about face into the house. Then once outside they continually pick up alternate feet to avoid the frozen feet feeling.”

“Many short-haired dogs will not last more than 10 minutes in -35C before they start crying in pain and hopping about from foot to foot or leaving bits of skin frozen to the sidewalk.”

…and we too, have seen many dogs unhappily affected by the cold. Which brings us to our main point: take care of those little puppy paws in the winter months! We’ve got some easy tips for you to ensure that everyone is comfortable, even when the snow is blowing and the wind chill is dropping.

  • Trim the hair between the pads and around the feet to minimize the clinging of ice balls, salt crystals and de-icing chemicals that can dry on the skin.  Find a video on how to trim your dog’s paw hair at the bottom of this post.
  • After walks, use a basin of warm water and earthbath wipes to clean off stinging, irritated paws. After each walk, ensuring that your pet’s feet are washed and dried to remove ice, salt and chemicals will help make sure they stay comfortable and dry.
  • Check for cracks in paw pads or redness between the toes, and if you see signs of irritation or dryness, massage in a little SheaPet Aloe and Shea Butter Treatment Balm to soothe those toes. Just as with human skin, moisturizing after a walk through the ice and snow will always help prevent chapped paws. Best not to use petroleum jelly or other potentially toxic-when-ingested lubricating agents, as dogs like to lick their paws!
  • Booties help minimize contact with painful salt crystals, poisonous anti-freeze and chemical ice-melting agents. They can also help prevent sand and salt from getting lodged in between bare toes and pads, causing irritation.
  • Make sure to use pet-friendly ice melts whenever possible, even though you can’t control what your neighbors or your city uses on sidewalks and streets.
  • And remember, if the weather’s too cold for you, it’s probably too cold for your dog. Animal companions should remain indoors as much as possible during the winter months.

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Posted in Dogs, earthbath, Grooming, Pet News, Pet Owners, Pet Safety | No Comments »

Pet grooming: it’s not just a vanity thing

Monday, October 17th, 2011
dog grooming dog bath

A "spa day" for your dog is good for his health and yours!

ANOTHER trip to the salon – and how much for that wash, blow-dry, and style?  Sometimes it can feel like your dog gets more “spa” days than you do! But before you start to think the trips to the groomers are a frivolous extra that your dog could go without, think again. Brushing and shampooing your dogs isn’t just to beautify them (though of course that’s a major benefit) and decrease the offense to our human noses that can come with just a little too much “doggy” smell around the house. Nope, if your dog is looking a bit rough around the edges, chances are he’s feeling bad too.

That messy coat could be disguising hidden tangles and mats underneath, which, as they worsen, actually pull on the skin, stretching it into the mat and sometimes even causing sores and infections. Long-haired and double-coated dogs are particularly at-risk for painful and health-hazardous mats, as burrs, thorns, sharp grasses and even twigs can become lodged in their fur and burrow their way down closer to the skin.

Linebrushing is the key to successfully grooming a long-haired or double-coated dog. First, your dog should be settled comfortably lying down on the floor or on his grooming table. He should be used to being groomed, because this will take a bit of time – and if not, start slowly, use treats, and get him accustomed to laying still for longer and longer periods of time until you are done. Divide your dog into large sections (e.g., head, neck and chest, shoulders, each side, his rear end, his underbelly, and legs), and completely brush out each section before moving on. Within each section, using your brush, part the coat either horizontally across the dog or vertically down his spine. Use this part as the base for your linebrushing. As you brush, make sure you brush all the way to the skin and brush the hair up and away from the part. As you go, you can mist the coat with water or a conditioning spritz as you to help detangle and condition the coat.

The biggest problem professional groomers see is when dogs are brought in because their undercoats are so terribly matted yet their owners will be confused because they say they brush them daily. The reason for all of the mats is because they only get brushed on the surface, and never penetrate to the skin. Linebrushing solves this problem.

Double-coated breeds typically blow their coat twice a year, and if you have one of these dogs with a thick undercoat, chances are you’re going through a heavy shed period right now. It’s even more important to facilitate the coat-blowing process by constant brushing and grooming. Shampooing will loosen all of the dead hair, and being vigilant about daily brushing will ensure that mats are minimized, which can also inhibit the coat-blowing process.  For more specifics on managing coat-blowing, check out our blog post on shedding.

If you’re looking to save money on groomers’ fees, it’s not that hard to bathe your dog at home by yourself, provided you have all of your materials prepped and ready to go. Make sure to read our easy-to-follow 4-step DIY guide to dog bathing for more!

Know that every time you spend time with your dog brushing, bathing, or drying him off with a big hug, you’re not just making him look pretty: you’re doing good things for his health too, not to mention bonding with him!

Happy grooming!

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Posted in Dogs, earthbath, Grooming, Helpful Pet Hints, Shedding | No Comments »

A DIY How-To Guide on Doggy Bathtime

Monday, March 28th, 2011

A dog groomer may just be your (and your clean bathroom’s) best friend, but if you’re more inclined to suds-up yourself, either to save money, to bond with your dog, or because entrusting your furbaby to a stranger simply seems to be more stress than you (or he) can bear, we’ll walk you through the steps guaranteed to ensure the experience is as painless (and maybe even fun!) as possible! Personally, we’ve never been to a professional groomer, and our two 50 pound dogs would be horrified at the very thought!  They have learned to deal with the at-home bathtub experience, low-tech as it may be!

1) Gather Your Gear: First, get all of your bath supplies together in the bathroom before you get your dog.

You’ll need:

Make sure you are prepared with a high-quality shampoo made specifically for dogs. Dogs’ skin is a different pH than humans’ so it’s never a good idea to use human shampoo on a dog because human shampoo will dry out a dog’s skin very fast and cause a lot of undue problems. All of earthbath’s shampoos are made with all-natural ingredients including natural essential oils and other good stuff from nature. They never contain parabens, harsh soaps, artificial dyes or fragrances, phosphates, or toxins, so you don’t have to worry about what might be left behind on your pet or the environment.

2) Prep: (Brush) Before you wash your dog, brush him. Removing all the loose hair and mats makes the bath easier on everyone. You’re less likely to have matting and tangling if the dog has been thoroughly brushed out first. Water tends to exacerbate existing problems, turning small tangles into mats and small mats into big mats, all of which are very painful to remove. If your dog has twigs, straw, dirt clumps, or other detritus tangled up in his fur, remove it or clip it out if it doesn’t come out easily with a brush.

Once you have your dog in the bathroom, don’t make the mistake I made the first time I tried to wash my dog and leave the door open! Close the door so he doesn’t take the opportunity to leap out of the shower, sopping wet, spraying dog bathwater all over the house!!

3) Wash Cycle: Begin by thoroughly wetting down his fur. Generally it’s easiest to work in the shampoo if you water it down with some water in your hand first.  Make sure you are extra careful not to get soapy water in his ears, eyes, or nose. It’s actually better to do these areas with wipes that have pure, hypo-allergenic ingredients for these extra-sensitive areas. earthbath makes wipes specifically for the ears and eyes. The ear wipes contain witch hazel, a natural cleanser and astringent, to clean out wax and discharge which can cause infections and odor, and the eye wipes are hypo-allergenic and fragrance-free for the extra-sensitive eye area, containing only purified water, aloe vera, and sensitive cleansers boric acid and polysorbate to to keep the area around your pet’s eyes clean and free of tear stains, dirt, secretions and other general discharge with no irritation.

4) Rinse Cycle: When you are done soaping up, it’s time to rinse! Rinsing is extremely important and generally takes at least twice as long as the washing up part (which is why a hand sprayer is very helpful). You want to make sure that absolutely no soap residue is left because it can irritate your dog’s skin.  You can use a doggy conditioner to ensure extra moisturizing for both his coat and his skin. earthbath even offers a wonderful conditioner and creme rinse with colloidal oatmeal that detangles, enriches, and revives the appearance of your pet’s coat and is extra soothing on the skin.

5) Dry Cycle: Now be prepared for some shaking.  (You’ll likely want to resign yourself to the shower to come!) Now it’s time to dry Fido off with all of those towels you’ve collected (the more the better, particularly if he’s medium to large and/or very hairy!), If you’ve trained him from an early age to stand still and accept the noise of a blow dryer, you can also blow out his coat with a brush (curling irons and styling optional!). Keep Fido out of drafts until he’s completely dry, and then curl up with your new daisy-fresh dog!

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Posted in Canine Health, Dogs, earthbath, Fun Stuff, Grooming, Helpful Pet Hints, Pet Owners, Shedding, Skin Care | No Comments »

Grooming Puppies and earthbath Wipes

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010

As a new puppy (actually, puppies) owner (yes, those are my lil’ furbabies), the following items are indispensable to me:

1) Tons of tiny training treats in a variety of flavors and textures (puppies want to learn, are food-motivated, and get bored easily)
2) lots and lots of old rags and towels
3) white vinegar (to go with the old rags and towels…)
4) patience
and…
5) earthbath puppy wipes

Puppies get messy and dirty in a very, um, indiscriminate way, and I found these wipes imperative to keep both the puppies, and my house, clean. This was made clear to me this week when I ran out, didn’t have any in reserve, and figured, oh well, I can probably make do with a wet cloth till I can get some more…

Not so fast. A warm wet cloth is great for some things, like un-sticking gummy, glue-y goo from sensitive puppy eyes, but for wet, muddy paws, and the dreaded poopy bottom (not to get too scatological on you’re here, but chances are, if you have a dog, cat, or any little creature that’s dependent on you for its well-being, you’re all too familiar with such things). You might mean well by training your puppy to stand perfectly still for a full grooming session and/or bath, but it’s neither feasible nor desired, from either your or your puppy’s point of view, to give your puppy daily baths and full grooming sessions. It IS, however, perfectly reasonable to get your puppy used to being handled, particularly around his sensitive paw pads and nails, by giving a quick swipe-down after every outing, particularly after a romp in the rain or through muddy grass. –> 

Perhaps surprisingly, many owners (wrongly) think that it’s a mistake to bathe or brush dogs under six months of age. They worry that bathing will dry out the coat or that brushing may be too rough on a puppy’s sensitive skin at this age. The opposite is actually true. This is the best time, as with all training, to get your puppy used to a routine which will stay with him throughout his whole life. It’s going to be much easier on both of you in the long run, if you start getting him used to grooming sessions as early as possible.

The same goes for brushing: if you have a full-coated dog, regular brushing is an absolutely necessary part of your canine maintenance routine, as crucial to keeping your dog healthy and comfortable, as it is to feed him well and give him enough exercise. Brushing daily gives you time to examine your dog’s coat and skin and identify and remove anything like pests (e.g., fleas or ticks), burrs, thorns, disgusting-who-knows-what, tangles and mats immediately before they become larger problems. It also feels great to puppies, and especially to older dogs. Remember having your hair brushed by your mom? If you were like me, you used to beg her to brush your hair each night because it felt so good (unless she was yanking out tangles). Brushing is just as important for dogs as it is for humans, in that it cleans the coat, removes loose hair, and stimulates natural oil production to help keep the coat lush and conditioned. At this young age, just as with all training, keep the sessions short but consistent. Then the puppy will think of brushing as just another form of petting. If you start early enough, and pair the brushing with rewards, both you and he will come to look forward to this sweet time together as a relaxing part of the day.

When it’s bath time, make sure to use a shampoo specifically formulated for sensitive skin and/or for puppies, and have lots of treats on hand. The average puppy probably needs a bath at least weekly, if not more frequently, depending on what he gets into. This not only helps keep your puppy smelling more like a daisy and less like “dirty dog,” but it also helps to prevent skin infections that are caused by unhygienic conditions. I’ve been told that most puppies, especially those that are very young, enjoy the bathing process. Not mine. That’s why wipes come in so handy for me! They help prolong the time I can go between baths!

I’ve got to run… gotta go brush some puppies and pick up some more earthbath wipes. It’s been a rainy day and it’s not letting up all week! Prediction: Chance of muddy paws: 100%.

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Posted in Canine Health, Dogs, earthbath, Grooming, Helpful Pet Hints, Living Green, Natural Remedies, Pet Owners, Skin Care | No Comments »

What are “hot spots” and what are the best ways to treat them?

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Sorry, we’re not
talking about Ibiza. ————->

“Hot Spots,”  also known as moist eczema, are often associated with dampness of the undercoat in heavy-coated breeds, as well as general inflamed skin irritations caused by a myriad of things. Hot spots are red, weeping rashes that can occur anywhere on the body. If your dog has long hair, the spot may be seen as an oily matting of the surface hair. However, the exact cause of hot spots isn’t completely determined. This is probably because many things can contribute to their origination. Soap residue left in the coat and on the skin after a bath is one main culprit, along with flea infestations, wounds, food or seasonal allergies, and hormone disorders. Other highly suspect causes are food-related; many people believe corn or grain in the diet (often found in lesser-quality foods) can cause many skin irritations to dogs, chief among them, the dreaded hot spots.  Minor skin irritations like insect bites and burrs can turn into hot spots, particularly if the dog has sensitive skin.  Allergies in dogs usually appear after puppyhood, and tend to flare up more in the hot summer months. Hormone disorders like thyroid deficiencies also tend to show up after puppyhood, and are year-round conditions that must be treated by your vet.

Hot spots can appear overnight, growing from a tiny spot to a huge, angry, oozing and hot sore. Dogs then become their worst enemy when it comes to hot spots – the sores hurt and itch, so they try to relieve the pain by chewing at at, which only aggravates the hot spot further.

If the dog breaks out shortly after a bath, then the most likely cause is that he wasn’t rinsed out enough. The best rule of thumb in bathing (and most importantly, rinsing) a dog, is to suds up, rinse until the water runs clear, and then rinse again. And for good measure, dry off with a towel (or let him shake it [shake it like a polaroid picture...!]) and then rinse again.  Rinsing well becomes more critical than ever when using a low-quality shampoo “made for dogs” or even humans. The harsh soap and surfactant chemicals in these low-quality shampoos is the number one cause of dry, itchy skin, dandruff, and the development of skin allergies and worse. To avoid all of these problems, simply use a high-quality, all-natural and gentle shampoo. This is the main reason that we never use any harsh ingredients or man-made chemicals in any of our products. All earthbath shampoos contain totally natural essential oils and the most exceptionally mild and renewable coconut-based cleansers along with other skin-soothing ingredients like aloe vera. They never contain parabens, harsh soaps, phosphates, or artificial dyes or fragrances.

If you’re facing hot-spot trouble, the key to controlling and clearing it up is to first, prevent the dog from scratching and chewing at it, which only serves to further irritate it, and second, relieve the itching and discomfort (which will obviously help solve the first problem). If your dog simply won’t let the spot alone, you may need to outfit him with a special “collar cone” that he wears around his neck, so he can’t reach the spot. Although there are several prescription ointments that your veterinarian can prescribe, many all-natural essential oils solve the problem just as well, and without the harsh chemicals. We asked our Facebook fans what their favorite hot-spot solutions are and we got a lot of great answers including the use of Coconut Oil or Neem Oil Salve to help clear up the hot spots easily and quickly, as well as emphasis on a premium, often raw-food diet with a lot of high-quality proteins like bison and venison, with the inclusion of vegetables and cod liver oil to balance the diet out.

If your dog has hot-spot trouble, or general itchy, sensitive or irritated skin, try using our all-natural Tea Tree Oil and Aloe Shampoo and Spritz. Our Tea Tree Oil spritz is the simple solution: it’s blended with soothing melaleuca oil, nature’s finest hot spot ointment. Tea Tree Oil has long been recognized as an effective and beneficial antibacterial and soothing agent for all skin irritations, ranging from acne to insect bites (if you don’t believe us, try it yourself the next time you have a minor breakout or are a meal for mosquitoes yourself!).   In addition, Aloe Vera is widely known as one of nature’s finest soothing emollients. The combination of Tea Tree Oil and Aloe Vera soothe and relieve hot spots and itchy, dried or chafed skin caused by flea bites, dandruff or other dermatitis. Both the shampoo and Hot Spot & Itch Relief spritz re-moisturizes the skin and coat while delivering a healthy shine and supple softness, without leaving oily residue. The spritz has premium conditioners, colloidal oatmeal (oatmeal is also very soothing to the skin), and vitamin E help to condition, soothe & rehydrate skin while creating show-quality shines between baths.

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Posted in Canine Health, Diet, Dogs, earthbath, Fleas and Ticks, Grooming, Helpful Pet Hints, Natural Remedies, Pet Owners, Skin Care | No Comments »

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