It's called the FURminator, and it's no $1.98 dog brush. It is a professional grooming tool, and pricey, but it is hands-down the BEST thing I have ever used for brushing out all that fluffy undercoat from my dogs and cats. The medium size shown here retails for 'round about $50, but it is SO worth that.
I have used any number of other grooming tools - shedding blades, slicker brushes, combs - and nothing de-sheds like this device.
The replaceable blades don't cut hair, they grab and remove the loose, dead shedding hair which accumulates on Labradors, Rottweilers and both long and short haired cats. It's not for Poodles, Bichons, or the harsh, wirey hair of terriers, and you wouldn't want it for a thin skinned, single coated dog like a Boston, a dachshund or a chihuahua, but for shepherds, Akitas, huskies, malamutes, collies - any of the double-coated breeds with a heavier undercoat - it can't be beat.
The web site says that you can use this on rabbits and horses, too. For horses, I think you would want the largest size. The smallest size is blue instead of yellow, and the blades on it are not replaceable, as they are on the medium and large.
Using short strokes, all that shedding undercoat, which otherwise would end up on the floor, in my bed and mixed into my food ends up instead in a big pile in the yard. This is not a chore I choose to do inside, at least not with the dogs.
Don't use this tool on the lower parts of the legs or belly where the hair is thin, as you can easily scratch or even cut your pet. It is not a mat-remover, and you must be careful to check for any skin bumps or sores before you start.
After FURminating my dogs the first time, I was so amazed by how bright their coats were, even without a bath. All that dead hair makes them look so dull. Just removing it puts the shine back in their hair.
This is not all of the hair I needed to remove, just what I got off in a 5 minute session of FURminating Holly.
The only way they could make this tool any better is if it jumped up and groomed the dog for you!
5 comments:
Oh, to have a tool that groomed the dog for you! Thank you for your comments/suggestions for use for this tool. I have several brushes and combs for my dogs. The other day I saw these advertized in a catalog and was interested, but didn't know if they would work any better than what I already had. One of my dogs is pretty patient with grooming, except when I get to the area around her back legs. The other dog isn't so thrilled about grooming, so I am forever behind on getting her coat up to par. Both have long, thick coats so I can get quite a pile of hair in no time.
Katdoc--I do believe Ohio State has one of those grooming tools, and used it to de-fur the Nittany Lions tonight. We were at the game, and left before the end, our heads bowed.
OK--so now Ohio State must go all the way and win the end of season national championship.
I checked the Web site, but couldn't find recommendations for sizes for various breeds. What size would be appropriate for a 65 pound Golden Retriever? I'm assuming the medium, but can't determine.
Donna:
The Nittany Lions were FURminated! (It was a great game, although I'm sure you would have preferred a different outcome.)
Anon:
The working edge of my medium FURminator is 2.5 inches wide. I don't have a large one, so am not sure how wide that blade is. I got mine to use both on my cats and on my 65 lb Lab mix and my 85 lb Rott, opted for the medium size. I think the larger one would work fine for the big sections of a large breed dog, but would be harder to use in the "nooks and crannies," so to speak.
~Kathi
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