Help for the FRIZZIES? Nothing a good grooming can't fix!!!

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

I am letting Murphy's hair grow longer for the winter and it's about 2 1/2 inches now. I have always thought the back half of his hair was a dry, frizzy texture, but now it's really gotten frizzy. Like all splitends.   I use the Les Pooches brush and he almost matt free most of the time, so it's not that I'm tearing or pulling matts out. I use cowboy magic when he does get matts and a bodyshine spray that is supposed to help with the dry feel, but it doesn't that I can see.

Anyone have any conditioners or products they use to help with this?  I use good dog shampoo and conditioner when I give him a bath too. It's only on the back half of his body, rest is silky soft curls/waves.

 

Monday. Well I finally got around to grooming Mr. Frizzy, and his coat is looking MUCH better.  Lots of whispy frayed hair came off. I scissor cut his whole body as I like to keep him about 2 inches.  Used some Cowboy Magic after and he looks 100% better. I will get a picture up later, He's sleeping now...exhausted from standing and sitting up on the table for 3 hours. But he got lots of treats and lots of mommy kisses.

 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

We don't bathe Ned ourselves between grooms unless we have to. It just seems to dry out his skin and coat. I do know that many others have no trouble with frequent baths. Perhaps Murphy has a different coat on his back. Ned's is.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

It's always been a different texture, just never had so much of it as now. The freq. baths aren't a problem, if anything it helps by adding more moisture to his coat by conditioning it. Just wondering if there is something out there to use I guess.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Sophie has this exact same thing going on. The rump area is very much a different texture than the rest of her. I've tried everything I can find to try and add moisture to it or make it softer, but nothing has really helped. She just had her 1st real haircut and that area is now shorter and I don't notice it like when it was longer so I think I'll be keeping it a little shorter going forward. I've also just ordered the EPO that everyone is talking about and I'm hoping that will help her coat as well. We are on day 2 now and they said I should notice a different around a week in. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

I thought about the EPO, so I'll be interested in your update on it in a week. Keep us posted? I think a trim is in order here too. May get out the scissors tomorrow. Nothing helps the frizzies like a good haircut, I used to say, back when I was a hair stylist....And I don't think I've heard of Mink Sheen Shampoo. Where do you get it?

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I use EPO and noticed a huge difference in my Springer's fur almost immediately. Springers have shaved areas with longer fur as feathers and on the ears. He is liver and white and his coat, especially after surgery in August, was strawish and his skin was scaly. His fur is now deep liver again - like when he was a puppy and instead of being dry and straight, it is wavy and we have let it get longer. I am not saying his fur changed from straight to curly, just that it was in such poor condition, that it didn't show his natural wave. This change has been so dramatic that I assume he must have had a true deficiency. Our lab mix has a flat unshiny coat, but his looks heathier. Ned has been finishing up the coat change and so I can't tell what, if anything has improved with EPO. He doesn't mat as much but again it is probably the coat change rather than the EPO.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

What is EPO?

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Evening Primrose Oil. See recent discussion on the subject. Love it for the dry winter coat. I think the most informative was in the Food Group.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Evening Primrose Oil. Lots of info in the Food Group.

[Marcia Stevens]

Sue.....Try Mink Sheen shampoo...leaves the coat very soft.....My kodie has a different type of coat on her back....more "wiry" looking....and, yes...it does look more frizzy than the rest of her.....

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

He probably has some coarser hair called kemp on his back. That's quite common. If it is kemp, I find it straighter than the rest of the coat, so if it is growing out it looks more prominent. I trim off just the very top, so you can see the underneath coat too. This is not to be confused with undercoat...that is something completely different. Let's call this 'back whiskers'.

If kemp is no the issue, it is best to feed the coat from the inside out. I use salmon oil daily for a period of time. Also, if you have conquered the matts for now, try just combing instead of brushing all the time. The comb is a bit easier on the coat. I rarely brush or comb my dogs between baths as they all have the dreadlock style of coat. I encourage the dreadlocks after a bath and I find this keeps them from matting. Of couse this does not work during coat change!!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Hi Barb,
I have been trying for a week to think of the word KEMP. Thank you :)
I have one more question about this frizzy Kemp on the back rump. Does it die down after the coat change? Is it always there or just when puppies and young adults.
My foster doodle has a very prominent area of Kemp. The rest of her coat is stunning but this area is unsightly. So again, does this die down? We are treating her coat with EPO and it is responding very well.

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

Kemp is usually and adult coat feature. If it is a small area, it can be hand stripped out if there is enough of the silky coat there. Another grooming technique. If it is everywhere, that is too much work.