Brushes such as these claim to reduce shedding by a lot. Do they actually work?
The premise is that they reduce the dead undercoat fur thereby making the animal feel cooler which reduces the reaction(shedding).
My thought was that the dog or cat sheds seasonally and would continue to do so regardless of where the hair actually ends up (brush rather than carpet)…
Thoughts?
I can’t really tell from your link. But I like undercoat rakes like this one. I have a Sheltie and they really get the undercoat out.
I’m sure they do. But do they decrease the rate of shedding though? Meaning, will the dog go on shedding just as much right after (or very soon after) being brushed?
My girlfriend has a Border Collie with a very thick undercoat. She swears by them.
My girlfriend does too. Just trying to figure out if its a waste of time.
It will not reduce the rate of shedding. What it does is pick up all the hair that’s already been shed so you can deposit it in the garbage instead of all over your nice furniture.
Unless you’re my old mutt Sinny, in which case you’ll try to eat your own hair off the brush.
I got two Furminators a couple months ago, one large for the dogs and one small for the cat, and wow do they work! We have a golden retriever and a yellow lab, and even with other brushes I have never been able to clean their coats of loose fur so well. The amount of fur being deposited around our house is considerably less.
And the brush was recommended to me by my daughter, working in my SIL’s dog grooming shop, who also swears by it for her clients. Her recommendations definitely don’t fall on deaf ears; she works on dozens of dogs a week, and if she says it works, it works.
I have no idea if it reduces the rate of shedding. But it definitely has the effect of making one’s house less hair-coated, if used regularly.
The only important advice I have to offer is twofold: (1) You may have to use a bit of pressure to make it truly effective; and (2) it can be very irritating to a dog’s skin initially if brushed to excess. So we started off slower and have worked up now, especially with our golden retriever who is a total brushing whore, to a good 20-30 minute session once a week. He loves it – as does the cat, interestingly. I get a good handful of hair off her regularly, and she’s a tiny 6-1/2 lb. tortoiseshell (shorthair).
I’m intrigued by your Furminator and wish to receive your newsletter.
Seriously, we’ve got a retriever mix that is a fur factory. She’ll take off on an occasional manic romp through the house, and it’s just like a cartoon, seeing a dog-shaped cloud of fur settle to the floor where she was.
I just need to know what size to get - is 55 pounds considered “medium” or “large” for a Furminator? (I’m leaning toward the medium, for working around the legs and head.) And surprisingly enough, the thing is cheaper at Amazon than it is at Costco.
Another vote for the Furminator. I don’t know if it reduces shedding or not, but it definitely reduces the amount of hair left around the house. I have two pugs, and it’s amazing the amount of hair that I can get off them with the Furminator. I’ve tried a lot of different types of brushes, and this one is an order of magnitude better than any other.
An added plus is that the pugs seem to like it. They hated most of their other brushes, but the Furminator must feel good to them because they squirm a lot less.
Thanks for the responses everyone!
Using something like that shown in the OP and other brushes, we almost fill up a trash can with hair from our Golden. I assume that this hair would have been on the floor, but then she shakes and more hair comes flying off her. I brush her because she likes it and because I suppose it must help, but I think my faith is misplaced. Still, that is a good brush.
The animal has to have an undercoat to begin with. I have The Furminator, and for the cats with undercoats, it does a great job. In fact you have to be REALLY careful not to overbrush because you’ll either 1) pull out too much fur and your pet will be bald; or 2) you’ll irritate his skin.
I have a long-haired who has one of those non-undercoat coats. Not a thing comes out with the furminator. She actually never sheds anyway even though she’s got long hair. It’s just the type of fur she’s got.
I’ve found the best place to use The Furminator is in the tub. Plop kitty in; hold her firmly; and let the fur fly. And it does fly. This is why I don’t use that brush in the kitchen anymore. No likely furry foods.
Edit: Whoa, you can get the Furm. a LOT cheaper on Amazon. I paid less than $20 for mine.
The Furminator rocks! Solidly.
Two cats, one Furminator, no shedding. It really is worth it.