[Squishy]

Hello all!

I just made an appointment with the dog groomer. This is the first time, as we just adopted the dog about a month ago. (I am not an experienced dog owner.)

The way I understand this, they give him a bath, trim him, and trim his toenails. That all makes sense.

Then... they said something about purging his "anal glands". What the heck are they?!!! When I was young, our family had a dog and nobody ever did anything with anal glands. (If this is something that needs to be done.... who purges the anal glands of wolves in the wild?)

I think I'll go Google this one and see what I can find.

The groomer charges $75. That seemed a little high for a bath and a haircut, until I heard the part about the anal glands! Ha Ha!

Oh yeah.. one final question. He is a labradoodle with long hair with soft curls. The soft curls are kind of turning into a big frizzy ball. Any products I can/should use? Some kind of conditioner? Anything I can use between baths?

Thanks all!!
-Mike-

 

[3neighs]

Anal glands are usually naturally expressed when the dog defecates, but sometimes they get blocked and need to be expressed manually. If you're nearby when it happens, you'll know it! It's a stink like no other! We had a beagle mix years ago that had a problem with them and needed to have them expressed once in a while, but I've never had another dog before or after him that needed to have it done. I would deny that procedure unless your vet states otherwise.

As for grooming costs, I can't help you as I do my own bathing and clipping. For your dog's size, I'd say that sounds reasonable. Have you contacted several groomers to compare prices?

As for products, I'm not familiar with lab/poodle hair (mine are shih tzu/poodle), but I brush mine every day and bathe them once every one to two weeks. I prefer oatmeal shampoo because it's moisturizing since I bathe so often.

 

[Squishy]

Thanks!
It's the only groomer in town, but I could check some in surrounding towns. I'll ask the vet about the glands to see if I should get that done.

I just gave him a bath tonight and he doesn't seem to mind at all. He stands very still while I bathe him. I'll look into the oatmeal shampoo.

Thanks again!
-Mike-

 

[aprcarls]

the price seems a little steep, but every area is different. Small town shops may price higher as compare to Petsmart. My dog is 62 lbs and it costs me roughly 60 for her to get groomed. I can't bathe her well enough due to her size and she really hates baths.(as you can see in the picture) lol Plus it gives her the experience to be touched by other people, also. Not sure about the coat, my dog has more of the Aussie coat. sorry I cant help you on that.

 

[GeorgieGirl]

Hi Mike! I sounds as if his coat is leaning more toward the poodle half of his heritage. I'd speak with a groomer if you decide to get him groomed. He may need a little more maintenance as far as hair cuts go. Im not well versed in poodle coats. I know we have a poodle breeder/shower on the board, she might be a good source to talk to.
I also agree with 3neighs on the anal glands. Unless they get impacted and need to be expressed, I would not express them. The dogs usually can do so on their own.
On the grooming cost, I bathe all of mine! I'd go bankrupt sending seven dogs to the groomers!!!

 

[Squishy]

Thanks everyone!
It was pretty warm this morning when I took him for his walk and the streets were all wet. When we got home, his underbelly and legs were completely covered in mud. Apparently he really kicks it up the mud when it is wet outside. I tried a wet washcloth, but he was just too dirty, so I put him in the shower and rinsed off his undercarriage with the hand shower. I know we're not supposed to wash them too often, but he definitely needed a rinse today. He likes the bath, so I am pretty comfortable washing him. I think I will just use the groomer when he needs a hair cut.

On an unrelated note... I was really happy today because when I was taking him on his evening walk, I wondered what would happen if I let go of the leash so I tried it. He stayed right with me, so I wrapped it loosely around his neck so I could leave it attached and it would not drag. I figured I could grab it quickly if I had to. We walked for about three miles with lots of turns and he stayed right by my side the entire time. It was the greatest feeling! This was the first time I tried to let him "off-leash".

-Mike-

 

[groomeronthego]

Mike: as a professional grooming business owner, I can tell you we do not express the anal glands. We leave this to a vet, as it can lead to infection and other problems. It does not need to be a regular part of grooming, as most dogs take care of this automatically. My golden is 10 years old and he has never had this done. If your groomer automatically does this as part of the groom, you could be causing more problems. I'd discuss with your vet to get more information.

 

[crstev]

The $70 price tag is what I paid (in CT) last week for a mobile dog groomer - took 1.5 hrs for a 15-lb mixed Bichon Cockapoo with straight hair.

The frizz might be eliminated with the grooming.

The anal gland issue sounds like it should be handled by a vet, not a groomer.