It's foxtail season and we are definitely seeing it at Besties! Many dogs coming in have foxtails embedded in their coats. Mostly in the paws, but also in the rear, underside and ears. We always remind our dog owners how important it is to pay attention to foxtails around their dogs. Why, you ask? Because foxtails are very problematic for dogs. The very structure of foxtails encourages them to work their way into a dog's coat and move towards their skin. The backward-facing quills in a foxtail cause it to easily move forward, but not backwards. The tip of a foxtail is quite pointy and can penetrate your pup's skin. Once in a thick coat, a foxtail will naturally work its way towards the skin. And yes, it can penetrate the skin. Especially between the toes. They can also be sniffed into the nose, inhaled into the throat or enter the ear canal. Once in your dog, foxtails become very problematic. Dogs can't absorb foxtails, so they will cause severe issues once they are inside your pup. Once in, they are extremely difficult to remove. This is, again, because of the backward-pointing quills. If you see a foxtail embedded in the skin between your pup's toes, and pull it, most likely it will simply break and leave part inside the skin. They are also very difficult to remove from the nose, ears, and throat. If one actually gets in your pup, you can be pretty sure you're heading to the vet and an expensive bill! I promise I'm not trying to scare you, just make you aware. Foxtails aren't a reason to avoid the outdoors with your pup. Just be aware of the surroundings. If there is an area with a lot of foxtails, maybe try to avoid it. I know, they're everywhere in San Diego! If you notice your dog has been exposed to foxtails during an outing, give their coat a good check for foxtails. Feel between their toes, around the belly, and around the ears. Make sure you completely remove any of the foxtails you find on your pup. If your pup is regularly around foxtails, then keep a look out for problematic behaviors. If your pup has a sore paw, then check for swelling between the toes that might indicate a foxtail is embedded. If your pup has excessive and continual sneezing, then there is a chance they sniffed a foxtail up their nose. In general, if your pup is regularly exposed to foxtails, you should consider the possibility a foxtail is involved when any problem occurs with their paws, nose, ears, throat or underside. At Besties, we groom dogs. We know quite a bit about them, but we definitely aren't vets! If your pup is regularly exposed to foxtails, and you would like to better understand the danger, prevention and treatment of foxtails in relation to dogs, then the links below provide good information from very reputable dog sources. https://healthtopics.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/health-topics/foxtails https://www.petmd.com/dog/care/how-protect-your-dog-foxtails https://www.rover.com/blog/foxtails-in-dogs/

At Besties we bathe and groom hundreds of dogs every month. The vast majority of our customers (humans and dogs) are happy with their visit. Every once in a while we have an owner that is unhappy. Since we strive to achieve 100% satisfaction, we always debrief with our staff after a customer complains about their pups visit. In every case it is due to a failure to communicate! Our staff are constantly working to clearly communicate with customers to make sure we understand exactly what the customer would like their put to look like after their Besties visit. We know it is our fault when we fail to understand a customers vision, but as a pet owner you can definitely help us be successful! When a pup is checked in at Besties we have the groomer that will work with the dog talk with the owner. The purpose of this conversation is to make sure we know any physical or personality issues the pup has that will impact their visit and to make sure we know how the owner wants their pup to look. If you have strong feelings about how you want your pup to be groomed then we encourage you to do a little work before you bring your pup to Besties for the first time. The absolute easiest way to make sure your pup leaves Besties looking exactly the way you want is to bring a picture of your dog with the cut you want. If you don't have one of your pup then you can also bring a picture of a similar looking dog that has the cut you want. You can even log into the Besties customer portal and upload a picture, so we always have it on file! It is ok if you don't have a picture, but it might then be helpful to jot down some notes. The easiest way to make sure you convey the look you want is to describe how you want four distinct parts of your dog to look - the legs, tail, body and face. Focus primarily on the hair length you would like for each part of your pup. It is easy to show us, on your pup, how much length you would like removed from each area of their body. Dog grooming terminology is the biggest reason owners don't get the cut they want. We know what puppy cut, teddy bear face, and standard breed cut mean, but sometimes what we think they mean isn't the same as what you think they mean! So please don't get frustrated with us when we ask you to clarify exactly what you're thinking when you use grooming terminology. Usually were on the same page, but when we're not things can get really awkward when you pick up your dog! We absolutely want every customer to be thrilled with their pup's look after a Besties visit. If for any reason you're not satisfied with you pup's appearance then please let us know! Whether it's when you pick your dog up, or even after you've had them home a few days, let us know about any concerns you have with their appearance. If we can fix it, we will. We will also put notes in our system to make sure it doesn't happen on the next visit.

* Disclaimer - this article is being provided by a dog grooming salon, not a veterinarian. We primarily learned about this de-skunking solution from articles on the internet. An example is located on the Humane Society website. Please check with your veterinarian if you have any questions. If you live in any of the densely populated areas of San Diego, then you know we have skunks. They really seem to like Mission Hills and Hillcrest! If you also own an active dog, then you know there is always a risk of your pup getting skunked! Sadly, it mostly seems to happen at night when dog groomers and many stores are closed. So if you are concerned your dog is at risk for a skunking, then it is a good idea to prepare for it ahead of time. At Besties DogSpa, we regularly bathe dogs that have an unplanned play date with a skunk. We use the cleaning solution described below. We find it to be the most effective solution we have tried. If we are open when your dog is skunked, and you don't want to deal with it, then contact us as soon as possible and we will do our best to help you. Many of the skunked dogs we bathe are brought in the day after the skunking. The process described here still helps the next day, but it is best to clean your dog as soon as possible. What to do before your dog gets skunked Time is of the essence when your pup gets skunked, so be prepared. Purchase and keep the following ingredients in a handy place: • 1 quart (32oz) of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (if you have a larger dog you may need 2-3 bottles to sufficiently wash your dog) • baking soda • Dawn dishwashing detergent • rubber gloves • a printout of the mixing and application instructions below What to do if your dog gets skunked We do not claim to understand the science of skunk spray, but many articles state that skunk spray causes a chemical reaction with your dog's skin and/or fur that literally bonds the smell to your dog. This process starts immediately, so it is important to clean your dog as quickly as possible. Here are the steps we would take if our dog was skunked: Step 1: If possible, keep your dog outside after being skunked and while you are cleaning them. Skunk spray will easily transfer from your dog to anything they rub against. Step 2: Check your dog's eyes for irritation. If skunk spray gets in your dog's eye it can cause a lot of irritation. If the eyes are red and irritated, then quickly rinse them with fresh water (put the rubber gloves on!). Only rinse their eyes, not their whole body. Not totally sure about this, but some online documentation suggests that getting the skunk spray wet before cleaning reduces the effectiveness of the cleaning process. Step 3: Mix together 32oz of Hydrogen Peroxide, 1/4 cup of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of Dawn dish detergent. Only mix this solution right before using it. When mixed, the Hydrogen Peroxide may foam up. Pre-mixing might limit the effectiveness of the solution and may also burst if sealed in a container. Step 4: Put on the rubber gloves! Immediately after mixing the solution, thoroughly rub it into your dog's fur. Often dogs are skunked in the face and it is important to get the solution on the skunk spray. While cleaning your pup's face, try not to let the solution get in their eyes. I know, it's difficult to clean their face well and not get it in their eyes. Make sure you have fresh water handy to rinse their eyes if needed. Once you have completely worked the solution into your dog's fur you can rinse it out with clean water. Leaving the solution on for a few minutes before rinsing is helpful for removing the skunk smell, but you run the risk of bleaching your dog's fur with prolonged exposure to Hydrogen Peroxide. At Besties, we bathe a skunked dog twice with the Hydrogen Peroxide solution. This is not necessary, but we think it helps. If you have a larger dog with a lot of fur you will probably need to mix the Hydrogen Peroxide solution twice. Step 6: Wash your dog thoroughly with whatever soap/shampoo you typically use. Will my dog still smell? Yep. This solution does not completely remove the skunk smell, but it will make it much better! Many customers tell us they don't smell skunk after a few days. We don't have the heart to tell them they just got used to it :). You may get a hint of the skunk smell for up to a week or more, especially if you weren't able to bathe your dog within an hour or two of the skunking. Make sure you also do a good job of cleaning the towels you used and the clothes you were wearing while cleaning your pup. Adding a 1/4 to a 1/2 a cup of baking soda to the wash will help remove the skunk odor from clothes and towels. For your convenience, Besties DogSpa sells kits that include the needed ingredients, rubber gloves and instructions.