Blue Fox 001

Thanks very much for that. I think I will get one and give it a go, if I don't like it I can just take it off. I appreciate everyone's comments, I can then make an informed decision but I suppose like everything it will be a matter of using things and seeing what works for me.

Hi it's me again! I seem to have so many questions these days so my apologies. I have been talking to a retired groomer here and she recommended I get a grooming frame for the table I have bought. She said almost all of her little dogs use to sit or lay down on the table and it made things so much easier with the frame and body noose. Once again I have done a search of the posts here but can't find too much about frames. I read the awful article about the dog which jumped off a table with one attached, or course I will not leave any dog unsupervised on the table but I am wondering if it is worth the risk, it seems this dog wasn't unattended just chose to take a flying leap. Anyway as always I am looking for your guidance and would appreciate the groomers perspective. Thanks as always Blue Fox

I suppose everyone will have a different opinion pomquest but I am a fan of the Dr Billinghurst raw diet and I would say raw for everything. I suggest you also feed raw chicken wings, even if only the tips to your pom. They have notoriously bad teeth and this will help keep them clean, prevent gingivitis etc...

I am wondering of anyone has any experience of the Lazer RX dryers. After reading all the posts I would love to buy an Airmax, Liberty or Oldfield but with what I have allocated for the hydrobath and supplies the bank balance is looking a little low. I have read on DOL lots of good reports about Clipperworld and this dryer sounds very cheap, and I was wondering if it would do the job for a small establishment like ours while I save for the best of the best. I suppose I will also have to buy a grooming arm to make it hands free also. I am looking at the twin motor variable speed model (starting at $230 on ebay). Any comments would be much appreciated.

Thanks so much - I think I will go with the single tank Aussie Hydrobath, doors both ends, on wheels. I am sure this will be perfectly fine for the limited amount of dogs I expect I will have. Thanks again

We always had oodles of problems keeping weight on our male GSD, and have tried everything (special homemade diets, supplements, expensive dry food) - found Bonnie Working Dog Formula and he has never looked better. It is for working kelpies and the like who run all day, since starting he has put on weight and also keeps in on - no more fluctuations. Truly is fantastic stuff. They also have a puppy formula so you might try that.

Thanks for that - I have a distributor in Adelaide so don't think I will be buying product from Qld, although the Petway stuff looks good and they have sample packs so I could try before I buy. Freight to us is a bit of a killer so I need to stay as local as possible. Thanks for filling me in about the coloured shampoos and powders I will steer clear of them and just use something mild. I have read about Sard Soap in a few other posts so I suppose if I have some white I could always use that to bring them up nice. Thanks again - I'm sure I shall think of something else shortly to ask.

You guys have been such a great help with the hydrobath question I thought I would pose another! From reading the posts it sounds like the whitening shampoo works - does anyone use the others eg. black & bronze? And are they just as good. I need to buy my first stocks of shampoo and was wondering if I should buy this type of shampoo or just stick to a Fido's Hydrobath type shampoo. Also does the chalk or whitening powder really bring up the white? I was wondering about using it when I send home the white dogs from the boarding kennels after hydrobathing them just to give that extra edge and make them look really smart? As always your help is appreciated.

Just thought I'd let you all know I have decided against the op for my cat - silly talking about a cat in here really. So I will stop! But the ramifications for both dogs and cats doesn't seem worth the risk - I will put up with the smell until I can take her to a specialist. Thank you all for your comments and concern.

I am having my cats anal glands (both) removed this Monday. The vet has indicated this is a fairly straight forward operation (although does take some time as they are a bit fiddly) and very unlikely to have any side effects. My understanding is that the anal glands do not actually do anything except give the animal it's distinctive smell. Which is unfortunately the problem with my cat (she really stinks!) Anyone who has smelt anal gland excretion will know what I mean - my cat smells like this 24/7. I expect dogs are the same. Can let you know how it goes BasTyra if you like. I have just read some other older posts about anal gland removal in dogs - by the sounds of it IT IS A NO GO for dogs at least. You should have a look. I am now wondering about my cat - the vet made it sound like a walk in the park but now I am not so sure! As this is not for medical reasons perhaps I should leave well a lone and just put up with the smell. Will get a second opinion today from another vet I think.

Thanks for that everyone - I thought the point with a single one and warm water available was that you can rinse immediately and have the rinse water be expelled through a drain pipe so your always rinsing with fresh clean warm water! The ones I have been looking at have brakes on the front wheels so I suppose they won't move. I think I will go with the dual doors (think it's an extra $110) I suppose if I don't use the second door no hassle, but it'll be there when I need it. Once again thanks all for your input. I will go on reading all the wonderful posts for more info.

Does anyone know about this dual filter bypass thingy? It sounds like the way to go but I am not sure if it is just a gadget or something which will actually be beneficial? Just as a sideline goes anyone use the shampoos for different coloured dogs eg. black, bronze and do they really make a difference to the finished product?

Thanks Poodlemum - I am looking at theirs. Did you go with the biggest, top of the line one with the rinse facility? I am looking at putting a door each end and on wheels so I can move it away from the wall to let the big dogs in and out - or do you think they will just back out the way they came? My apologies if this comes up twice still getting the hang of how to post!

I am setting up a small boarding kennel and can have the bath plumbed in. It has been suggested I can go for a single tank, as I can have a hot water tap available, but when I look at the accessories list I am starting to get confused. I can have fibreglass or plastic, on wheels or not, two doors or just one, dual filter bypass rinsing, different sizes etc... As I imagine I won't be buying another one for sometime I would like to get the best I can afford. Could people who have a brand they are happy with (or what I should steer clear off) let me know. And if it's not too much bother could you please advise what are just gadgets and what actually makes your life easier. I will need to be bathing quite big dogs eg. shepherds and some of the sizes seem a bit small eg. 1m inside length. One of the choices had the pump exposed - seems good for maintenance but does this make it noisier for the dogs? Sorry for the epic tale - I appreciate your input as it is hard to tell what is sales speel and what is actually true!