Fido’s Fluff-Buster® Shampoo

Wash your pet the professional way (like groomers do) by following the directions below.

1. First, assemble your tools! You will need a brush &/or comb, a plastic jug or clean/empty PET bottle, warm water and treats to reward your pooch for a job well done! Put a strainer over the bath drain, as so much dead hair can be removed in the bath that it can block the drain.

2. BRUSH YOUR PET to get all the knots out of the coat. Use a detangling spray if needed. Bathing a pet with knots tends to make the knots shrink and much harder to remove. If you want to try the professional way, blow the dry coat with a hair dryer (around 20cm from the coat) to open the follicles and remove the loose dead undercoat before the bath.

3. WET YOUR PET with warm water, including the underarms, groin and bottom area. Hold the ears closed, and head pointed down while you wet the head and face. DO NOT get water up the nostrils!

4. Put a good squirt of Fido’s Fluff-Buster Shampoo in a plastic jug or clean PET bottle and fill it with warm water, swirl to mix and pour all over the coat. That helps wet the coat. Feet, ear tips and tail can be dipped into the jug to help wet those areas. Wet the face carefully with the jug mix to ensure no product gets into the eyes.

5.  AAAHHHH! MASSAGE. Using your fingers, massage the mix into the coat, ensuring your nails don’t hurt the skin. Don’t forget the belly, bottom and armpits, the ear flaps and face, especially the hair around the lips. You can add some extra concentrated Fido’s Fluff-Buster Shampoo directly onto the coat for those greasy areas around the groin and lips. It’s really common to have heaps of dead hair come off into the bath and onto your fingers.

6. RINSE THE BUBBLES AWAY”. Rinse the whole dog with clean running water until the bubbles are gone, and then…..

7. DO IT AGAIN! The first wash gets rid of surface grime and opens follicles and hair scales; the second wash gets deep into the hair cortex and follicles for a lasting clean. Apply Fido’s Fluff-Buster Shampoo directly to the coat or into the mixing jug and MASSAGE into the coat, paying extra attention to feet, bottom and ear flaps. Your dog will really enjoy the massage.

8. RINSE RINSE RINSE until you can’t feel “shampoo” hair anywhere. “Shampoo hair” feels a little slimy, whereas clean rinsed hair will feel slippery without feeling slimy. Pay extra attention to ear flaps, belly, groin, armpits, breastbone, chest and tail area.

9. APPLY CONDITIONER ONLY IF NEEDED to replace the natural oils removed by bathing. Many double coated dogs have a natural sheen to the coat that doesn’t need conditioner after Fido’s Fluff-Buster Shampoo. If you wish to use conditioner, we recommend Fido’s Crème Conditioner for a silky finish.

10. DRY. Let the pet shake to remove around 70% of the total water, then press all over with a towel to remove more. WE STRONGLY SUGGEST PPE OF A FACE MASK AND EYEGLASSES BEFORE USING A DRYER. Keep your dryer at least 20cm from the skin unless you are using a specialised force (high velocity) dryer. Use your hands to “ruffle” short coats to get the warm air to the skin, or a brush to gently lift the coat. You may be surprised how much dead hair comes out! Brush the dry coat thoroughly to remove more dead hair.

Expect your pet to continue to drop dead hair for at least a week after first use. Regular use should result in most dead hair coming out in the bath.

11. REWARD THE EFFORT! Now your soft, shiny, clean and gorgeous pet deserves a treat; maybe you do too for being such a good pet parent!

Pic (c) Dr Joanne Sillince, used with permission