# Grooming questions



## milomyguy (Oct 2, 2009)

How often can you bathe your dog? Silly but someone told me I would strip the oils if I bathed him more then once a month or so but then I read on here someone bathes their dog once a week? Milo could def use a bath that often but should I? Also, how can you tell how long your dog's hair is going to be. Milo has been in a puppy cut prettty much this whole and I am trying to grow it out. HIs ears and tail are quite long....is their length a good marker for the rest of him? How long do you suppose it will take to get his full coat?


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## milomyguy (Oct 2, 2009)

Also, he seems to be losing hair on his front legs....any ideas as to why. He does have fleas....I can't seem to get rid of them but I do not notice excessive itching on the front legs to cause such hair loss....and I know I need to get rid of the fleas...they just won't cooperate!


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

I usually bathe Abby every two weeks. As for the fleas - I use Comfortis that is a pill you give once a month. We haven't seen a flea all summer and that is a miracle in South Georgia!


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## milomyguy (Oct 2, 2009)

How much does something like that cost?


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

Is he on flea prevention of any kind? The hair could be falling out from a reaction to flea bites. Be very careful of any flea control products you can buy at stores like Wal-Mart because they contain a high concentration of a chemical that can kill dogs. I wish I could remember which brands but I know Hartz was one of them. I hope someone else on here will remember and post it.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I bathe Kodi every week to ten days, more or less. He's mostly white and gets pretty dingy if I don't. We do lots of walks in the woods, and so he does get dirty. If possible, I try to just wash his feet and belly if he's just gotten muddy on a walk and it hasn't been at least a week since his his last bath day. 

But, for instance, this morning he came home covered with pine sap. The only way I could get the pine sap out was with vegetable oil, and the only way I could get the oil out was to give him a bath. I had to soap his feet & belly twice to get the oil & residual sap out, so I made sure that I used lots of conditioner and left it on him for a while before rinsing it out. So far I haven't seen any signs of it drying his coat out.

OTOH, dogs that are mostly house dogs, or just in the house and a grassy back yard might not get dirty enough to need baths that often.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

I think the Comfortis was around eighty odd dollars for a six-month supply. Well worth it!


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## dbeech (Jun 16, 2009)

Riley gets a bath every 7 to 10 days. I wish I did not have to bathe him that often, but he either gets dirty or smelly.


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## milomyguy (Oct 2, 2009)

He was on frontline....? I think. But it did not work....at all! I think dawn soap is the most effective but I have to use it often and I am concerned with his skin and general coat. I don't want to hurt him in order to get rid of the fleas but i have to do something!


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## cloe's_mom (Aug 21, 2009)

Chlöe gets a bath every Friday. Mostly just to get her used the process and that she smells so yummy afterwards :angel:


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## MopTop Havanese (Sep 25, 2006)

I bathe my dogs every 7-10 days, with face washes and butt baths as needed in between-


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## lexigirl (Aug 9, 2009)

I also give Lexi a bath every 7-10 days. She too is has a light colored coat and seems to need a bath regularly.


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## hav-one (Feb 18, 2009)

Milomyguy, Dawn dish soap is drying and not so good for havanese coats, it is great for cats and oily dogs like beagles. Frontline top spot isn't very good, but usually frontline plus does a good job, you can get a pill on line or at your vet called capstar (it's only about $5 a dose and you can repeat it), it starts working emediately and works for I think up to 48 hours, when the flee bites it will die-you will need to spray your furniture and dog bedding. I like bug stop you can get at walmart, and it's ok for your dog after it is dry. Also I like seven granules for the lawn sprinkle it on the lawn before a rain so it gets down in the soil and kills flees and ticks-but you don't want your dog out on the lawn till the granules dissolve. My havanese are litter box trained so they don't go out side but my pet miniture schnauzer does go out, and this has worked well for us. Also if you have cats out side they should be treated to because your dog will keep getting them if you don't treat every one...I bath my havanese once a week and you can use a conditioner to help keeping the hair from drying out, you can also give a fish oil capsule once a day for his coat. As fas as length, that depends on the lines Milo came from.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Every week! Hav hair is not like other dogs hair. Use quality shampoo and conditioner. Mist hair when brushing and combing. 

Get rid of those fleas! I use Frontline TopSpot, it is a topical application on the skin each month. I have not seen ONE flea on Dexter all year.

Do you have carpet?


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

Mine are bathed often and I use good shampoo and conditioner on them to keep them clean and soft. We use Vectra D for flea and tick control and we've NEVER had one of either. I wouldn't use dish soap as it seems like it would be very drying to their skin and hair.


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## milomyguy (Oct 2, 2009)

I have hardwood and let me tell you the flea battle has been intense! We have used frontline, Advantage, home remedies, dawn soap, flea powder, we gave pills for awhile but my husband bought them and I do not know the brand. We tried DE food grade. anyway, i want to try the Comfortis...80 bucks for 6 months worth sounds awesome!


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

I try to shampoo Cicero every 7 to 10 days and I float his coat in conditioner each time. I also use the Comfortis pill once a month and I'm very happy with it.


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## milomyguy (Oct 2, 2009)

float his coat?


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

Yes...I fill the sink with water and add the conditioner and let his hair/fur float in it for a while. You can either rinse or if you use a leave in conditioner you can towel dry before blow drying.


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## milomyguy (Oct 2, 2009)

ah...float his coat...i see.

Well, I broke down and bathed him the other day but I had to use the dawn as I can't get to the store without hubby....need a new car....anyway, I followed up with a good conditioner and let me tell you! My boy can't get rid of me! I just want to pet him all the time. He is so soft and silky! Also, he smells delicious! I keep sniffing him and my daughter as they both use the same conditioner now! Thank you all for the advice. I am glad I used conditioner. For some reason it never occured to me. Probably bc I usually just take him to the groomer if he needs it! But no more...I am DIYer!


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

I bathe my guys about every 10 days or so. I have a book called Tricks Of The Trade that claims you can bathe a dog every day of his life without damaging the coat as long as you are bathing the coat only and not the skin. You also want to be using a shampoo and conditioner made for dogs and not people because of the difference in PH. I wouldn't use dishsoap. I has to be very drying. 

No idea how long it will take the coat to grow--some faster and some grow slower and the length depends on genetics. You want to get rid of the fleas ASAP. Lots of small dogs are allergic to fleas. The hairloss could be related to flea problems. You need to treat your house, your yard and the dog. Cats tend to wander outdoors and can bring home the little buggers. Ask your vet what flea meds are working best in your area. Hmmm I can't remember the name of the one that was poisening dogs, so BE CAREFUL! I thought it was called "top spot"? Something like that anyways. I'm in CA and use the Frontline Plus on my guys.


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## Subie14 (Jun 4, 2009)

We also bathe or shower Havannah every 7 days-or at least try to. Otherwise all that hair gets dirty very quickly! We purchased a good set of shampoo and conditioner that has oatmeal in it to keep her from getting to dried out and frizzy. As a side also we have been giving her salmon oil once a day and this has really helped her coat be really silky, soft and shiney.


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