Chickadee Says: All-Natural Bathtime for Tinkerbelle

Saturday, January 12, 2013

All-Natural Bathtime for Tinkerbelle

Hello darlings!

Tinkerbelle hasn’t had a bath in ages. I really just haven’t seen the point; she is constantly tromping around in the snow with Kiwi (our Golden Retriever) and playing in puddles consisting of a mixture of melted snow and mud. However, one of the great things about Sammys as a breed is that they are incredibly clean. Their double coat of fur allows for dried dirt and debris to be easily brushed out, and it also doesn’t produce dander, making them both odor-free and hypoallergenic!

Nevertheless, baths help to keep their coat bright and shiny. If you read my post about our trip to Green Dog Market you might remember that I picked up Earthbath Shampoo products. The one I used today is their Light Color Coat Brightener. The shampoo smells of lavender, and helps to brighten Tink’s coat using Earthbath’s “special selection of natural minerals known as optical brighteners.” The all-natural shampoo is 100 percent biodegradable and animal cruelty free (yay environment!).

Also, Tinkerbelle approves. Normally Tink is a pain to bathe. She wiggles her way out of the tub, shakes water all over everything, and moos (yes like a cow- it is incredibly amusing). I don’t blame her; she is, after all, wearing an incredibly long and thick fur coat sitting in a warm bathtub. But during today’s bath she was rather perfect. She sat when she was told, stood there to let me wash her, and lastly kept sniffing the shampoo. I am wondering if the lavender scent is as calming to dogs as it is to humans!

As I rinsed the shampoo out of her coat I could see the difference immediately, she seemed to shine even in the dusk-like light of the bathroom. Also, normally because her fur is so incredibly long, she comes out of the bath covered in tangles; but with the Earthbath shampoo this wasn’t the case. Fabulous development.

After towel-drying, blow drying, and brushing Tink for what seemed like forever, she was finally dry. This is incredibly necessary for Samoyeds as they are prone to hot spots when their undercoat is left wet, not a pleasant experience. After all of this I used the Furminator, which, despite is rather ridiculous name, is a lifesaver.

I am constantly covered in dog fur. With two large dogs in the house who shed constantly we buy the Costco-size packs of lint rollers. I actually even keep one in my pocketbook. The Furminator drastically reduces shedding. When I saw it featured on sale on Fab.com claiming that it could reduce shedding by up to ninety percent, I was skeptical, but desperate. My gamble paid off. The tines of the comb seemingly bypass the Tink’s long overcoat and reach down into her undercoat where all the loose fur is located, each swipe more and more fur comes up without a peep from Tinkerbelle, who is usually very vocal. I absolutely recommend this product to anyone with either a cat or a dog, as they come in a number of sizes and have separate versions for coat length!

To complete Tink’s bit of a beauty overhaul she got her teeth brushed with Petrodex Natural Toothpaste that tastes like peanut butter, but looks like slime. The peanut butter flavor and non-foaming formula made the process a breeze.