To see optimum results, select one dog and commit this dog exclusively to "Coat Handler" products for at least two months. It is best to shampoo this dog at least four times, but preferably eight times during these two months. It takes about five or six shampoos to really get through the build up of other products on mature dogs that have had oils and other "sticky" products used on them. Remember that oily sprays are best used on dusty furniture to grab dirt and lint, and that the healthiest coats are always the cleanest coats. A clean coat will also grow faster as well. The use of an oily product on a coat or skin, necessitates the use of a harsh stripping agent to remove it. These harsh chemical detergents will also strip out all natural oils and begin to lift the top layers of molecules from the cuticle itself At the same time the color is lifted and pulled out of the hair shaft. A similar situation can be seen when a harsh dish detergent makes your fingers split and peel in layers, causing the nail to become weak and permanently damaged The best colors on dogs will be seen on puppy coats. This is because people have not had a chance to ruin the coat and strip the color yet. We are pleased that our shampoos are mild enough to use on all colors without turning black coats red and white coats dull gray.
Whitener type shampoos are very harsh and only give a temporary effect of a whiter coat, while they do permanent damage to the coat causing stains to set in much faster. Our concept is to keep the coat healthy and clean. If the hair shaft is smooth and shiny it is harder for stains to set in, and tangles are more easily combed out without damage to the hair.
Use of oils can also cause dandruff by holding dead skin on the surface rather than the normal sloughing when new skin is gener-ated. This dead skin combines with oil (many of these oils become rancid and break down with exposure to heat and oxygen) and then when bacteria and dirt join in, you have all the ingredients needed for dermatitis and infection.
I have heard reports of dogs having difficulty regulating their own body temperature when they are "in oil." Apparently they become chilled in the winter or cold conditions and they become over heated and cannot get cool in hot conditions. Apparently the oil holds in body heat at a higher rate than they can compensate by panting.
The "Coat Handler" products have been designed to avoid the things that do permanent damage to the coat and skin. Static is a major cause of permanent damage and can be virtually eliminated when you use Coat Handler Conditioner. Weepy eyes are sometimes a result of shampoo residue that irritates the eyes causing continuous tearing. The tearing then triggers a wet face, sores, discoloration, mildewing, and weakening of the hair shafts surrounding the eyes.
Chewing feet and ankles is an indication that the animal is possibly allergic or sensitive to residues left by other shampoos. With continued use of our Groomer's 15 for 1 Shampoo Concentrate, many dogs suffering from this condition are relieved and will gradually discontinue the chewing, then they should be treated with proper medical care, but remember that the cause is a sensitivity caused by the bathing. Many times dogs are treated with steroids to relieve symptoms rather than determining the cause and making changes in the environment to stop the chain reaction at the source. Use of steroids should be a last resort, since it interfaces with the animal's immune system and opens them up to infections and other complications. It takes at least three weeks for skin to "roll over' and show improvement once a new product is used. That is why people start to see positive or negative results about the third time they use a product.
Many dogs have ear problems that can be a combination of many conditions. For instance, a shampoo that is too high a pH (alkaline) will predispose the animal to getting a yeast infection You can tell that the ear might have a yeast problem if a dark substance (brownish) is present in the ear canal. This condition is very persistent and moisture makes it worse. Our Coat Handler Conditioner is very useful in reducing symptoms, as it will lower the pH in the ear canal. It also soothes irritated skin and slows down the regrowth of the yeast. If you swab the canals every day for about a month, the condition might improve or even disappear. If condition doesn't improve or disappear completely, you should seek veterinary advice and get a bacterial culture to determine what medication might achieve optimum results. If ear mites are determined to be present then appropriate insecti-cide treatment needs to be followed first, then Coat Handler Conditioner can be used for maintenance to help deter yeast infections from starting.
Clipper burns will heal quickly if treated with generous applications of Coat Handler Conditioner. The more quickly it is applied to the affected area the faster the irritation will disappear.
Often hot spots are caused by shampoo residues (chemicals left by shampoos that don't rinse thoroughly). The chemicals cause an irritation to the skin and soon bacteria have an open door to cause a sore. Once the dog feels an itch or sting they will begin to chew or scratch and the problem will escalate quickly. Hot spots can be avoided by using our Groomer's 15 for 1 Shampoo Concentrate regularly. Hot spots that are already started respond well to generous applications of Coat Handler Conditioner, this should be applied two or three times a day until healed. Coat Handler Conditioner is a non-toxic product and can be used safely on nursing mothers, pregnant animals, young kittens and puppies, too. It soothes irritations and promotes healing. Many Schnauzer breeders use it on cropped ears to promote healing while the stitches are still in. They also use it after they strip the coats to stop irritation and soothe the skin. Many groomers use it to reverse the irritation caused by the use of insecticides on the skin. These insecticides are very irritating and stripping to the skin and coat.
All of the "Coat Handler" products are deliberately as mild as possible and still get the job done. The shampoos do not get thick again when diluted, and for good reason. This thickening process that other shampoos use can cause those products to bind up in the coat in clumps or mats This makes them much harder to rinse out and can therefore cause hot spots. They cause a build up of residue in pipes and septic systems, setting the stage for poor drainage and plumbing problems. They get thick in the hoses of shampoo diluting machines causing problems with compressor breakdowns, and clogged hoses. They make mats harder to work out due to residue and leave film on the dogs skin which can slow down hair growth if it builds up on the skin I suspect that "leather skin" is a result of this situation. Many dogs with this condition have improved greatly with the continued use of our Groomers 15 for 1 Shampoo Concentrate and Conditioner.
Since our shampoos rinse faster and better, many groomers save money on their hot water bill. We still insist that you take special care to rinse thoroughly and then rinse again. Sometimes people get spoiled by the fast rinse and start to cut corners. Don't use the conditioner to counteract the shampoo, as some groomers have tried. There is no substitute for "squeaky clean", and then the conditioner can do it's job too.
These special instructions will help to keep hard coats "hard" and harden soft coats. Take the Premium 5 to 1 Concentrate and instead of diluting it five to one, dilute it 15 to 1 like the Groomers Concentrate. The terrier breeders have found that this weak-ened dilution of our milder shampoo allows them to bathe the hard coat on the back of the terriers without any softening of the coat.
A cleaner coat is stronger and shinier as a result. Afghan breeders use this same recipe and get great results also. You don't get lots of suds, but most people know that lots of suds don't necessarily mean cleaner. Heavy suds might indicate that color might be stripped, and the hair softened.
Our Groomer's 15 for 1 can be diluted much further than 15 for 1 if the water is at all soft. Many groomers are able to dilute it 20 for 1 and are very happy with it. Remember that shampooing twice is the key to a really clean animal. A single shampoo will not really get the skin thoroughly clean. It only starts to lift the surface dirt and dead skin.
Many groomers make their own shop insecticide shampoo by diluting a Pyrethrin Concentrate with our Groomer's Shampoo Concentrate. I recommend that you have one combination of Groomer's 15 for 1 diluted and mixed with the diluted Pyrethrin Concentrate and then do the second shampoo with plain diluted 15 for 1 without insecticide. This will get rid of chemical residue to stop irritations and set the coat up for using the Coat Handler Conditioner to its best advantage.
Mobile Groomers love our concentrates because they all rinse well and easily without excessive use of their water supply. Since the Conditioner needs no rinse at all, it can be poured on or sprayed on and again conserves the water supply. Show enthusiasts and professional handlers, who stay in motorhomes at dog shows, also have the water shortage problem, so they appreciate the conservation of their limited water supply.
If a dog has an accident and soils his furnishing with either urine or feces, it is easy to clean up and get back that luster by using the "show day spray", diluted Coat Handler Conditioner, with a towel or wet rag.