finding ticks in all that fur? also foxtails?

[Bug]

i live in an area with many ticks. my good friends dog got lyme disease while using one of the topical once a month tick products and my veterinarian says he doesn't think any of the topical products work very good and he doesn't recommend them.

 

so 1) what are the best ways of searching through all that hair for ticks? and 2) what ways do people here use to prevent ticks?

 

and then we are also entering foxtail season. my veterinarian said there is a foxtail cut i could ask a groomer to do. he said it looks a little funny but makes finding the foxtails much easier. i can't find any images online of anything called a foxtail cut.  as much as i love all the fluffy fuzzyness i am pondering a very short cut for the summer just to make life easier and also safer.

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

I'm glad you asked. I can't stress enough. The high speed blower is almost the number one tool for using to care for your doodles coat. You can blow dust and dirt out of the coat before combing, blow water out of the coat after bathing or swimming and help straighten the coat for grooming. You can also separate the hairs to see ALL of the skin to look for skin problems. Low speed is best for this last function. For those of you that are grooming your own doodles, their skin health becomes your responsibilty. This is what groomers normally do.

My absolute must have tools to groom a doodle

comb

scissors

blower

nail clippers

 

Everything else is gravy to make the job easier.

[Jen, Lachlan, and Declan]

I'll second, third, and fourth that high speed blower! Can not imagine living without one and having a dog with this much hair!  On mister Cotton Candy Coat here it lets me see every bit of his skin when I'm grooming him.

 

Around here it's goat heads (puncture vine) as well as cheat grass (very similar to those foxtails, seed heads that burrow under the skin). While I like Lachlan's shaggy look, I'll definitely be poodling his feet soon and eventually I'll probably try something like a modified Springer clip (basically naked all over with enough feathering on the backs of his legs and hanging off the lower part of his torso so he doesn't look like a hippo on stilts).

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

y own hair dryer is a very powerful one will that be enough?

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

nope! These blowers do not have heat...only a very high volume of air.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

My drier has high speed cold air?

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

It is unlikely to have enough volume. Here is an example of the stats. You can compare it to your model.

Motor: 4 HP - 2 Speed

- Air Volume: 65-1300 CFM

- Air Speed: Low 65/14,000, High 130/28,000 FPM

- Amps: 11.25

- Watts: 1350

- Weight: 8 lbs

- Cord: 3 conductor grounded

- Hose: 6' black hose with air control

- Air Flow: Warm air (no heating element

[Jen, Lachlan, and Declan]

Mine has similar stats ... here's a link to it (I hope Amazon links are okay here): Bear Power Dryer II. It really is powerful enough to literally blow the water out of the coat.

[Lynda Kamrath]

It's funny that you mention this.  My husband uses his air compressor to clean up the dogs after a walk at the park or beach.  It dries them quickly and blows off anything that has taken up residence in their hair.  However, my puppy was leaping through  the tall grass with a friend last week and he got foxtails in his ears.  I got two out but he was still shaking his head so I took him to the vet and she found a huge foxtail way down in his ear.  I couldn't see anything but the head shaking was my clue that something was in his ear.  Ticks - we have those too.  I do use Frontline monthly during tick season.  However, the ticks are taken care of on the dogs, but since we do not use that insecticide, we sometimes get the ticks on us.  I think they jump from the dogs.  However, we can feel them crawling on us and we get them.  I guess we have gotten used to having crawling creatures on us, but it is not for the faint of heart.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

A good blower is my next major purchase ...... what one do you have or recommend?

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

I have 2 Dri-Eaz blowers. I just got an extra one for the main floor. I have one in my grooming shop downstairs. I got them because they are supposed to be quieter and I hope long lasting because of the price. One of mine is 5 years old.

There are less expensive ones out there. You need 4hp and better to have 2 speeds. High speed for blowing the back and legs to remove dust or water and low speed for the head and tail area. You can also use the low speed for checking all the skin to make sure there are no ticks or hot spots.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Thanks Barb.  I'm going to check them out.

[Tina, Clover, Plus 5 More]

I use Frontline Plus and get if from my vet.  It may or may not prevent Lyme Disease, but it does work for killing them.  I've never heard of a foxtail cut either.  It does help if they have shorter hair to see where the foxtails are.