Question
Roxy std. poodle
I want to strenthen my competition poodles coat. Is there food or vitamins or supplements that you would suggest. Will additional exercise help. At what duration should I be brushing, washing, and scissoring (I am a groomer) the coat in order to keep the hair in its best condition?
AnswerHello Nancy,
Its nice to finally meet another Groomer here. I sometimes answer questions from people who have attempted to groom their own dogs (but are far from being a "Groomer") and need advice, but its nice to actually talk to another Professional Groomer.
I love to talk Poodles, so if you ever want to chat about your dog(s), b_tch about clients, or have other Poodle questions feel free to write me at my e-mail: MsTopkdog@yahoo.com
Sorry I didn't get right back to you. I was doing a little research.
One thing that will help your dogs coat is to feed her Knox Unflavored Gelatin that you should be able to buy from your grocery store. You can sprinkle 1/2 tsp on her food every week to help her coat and skin. It contains Keratin, which is what their hair and nails are made of. It helps strengthen the hair to keep it from breaking.
A good dog food with Fish Oil or feeding your dog a couple of Sardines (in Olive Oil is best) every couple of days, will give her Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids which will also help her skin and coat. Exercise won't help your dogs coat or skin much, but will help tone and shape her body. You can also let her swim (if she likes the water, and perferably before a bath) or find a leash-free Dog park in your area to let her run around in as often as you can.
I take my boys to our local Dog Park and they love the socialization and I enjoy letting them run off some pent-up energy.
With the brushing, you can brush her 2-3 x a week as long as you use a spray-on conditioner to help keep the coat from breaking. You can use a Slicker brush once a week, but don't overdo the slicker as it can break the hair. Instead, use a Pin brush between using the slicker and follow with a comb. I'm sure you know how to brush your dog, but you will want to hold a section of the hair down and brush a little at a time, making sure you brush down to the skin. Using a Pin brush with the rubber tips on the ends of the bristles will help keep the skin from turning red when you brush.
With washing, you don't want to wash her more than 2-3 times a month because you can strip the oils out of the hair and skin, which can lead to hair breakage. When you do wash her, use a high quality gentle shampoo. (a few of my favorites are Bark 2 Basics, Bio-Groom, Coat Handler and Natures Specialties Plum Silky). You should also use a Cream Conditioner to help moisturize the coat after the bath. Scissoring won't damage the hair, so feel free to snip away whenever those guard hairs start peeking through the undercoat to keep your gals coat looking its best.
Your dog looks great and thanks for your questions. If you have other questions for me about Grooming, or just Poodle questions in general, please feel free to ask.
Thanks for using AllEperts.com,
Kim
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