Safety First

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Whether your retail customers are avid or novice at-home groomers, or your salon runs a bustling business, safety is paramount when it comes to dog grooming. A suite of products is available to keep grooming safe for both the groomer and for the dog.

Repetitive motions—like brushing a dog—can strain joints and muscles, causing long-lasting damage, including painful conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis. Numerous manufacturers recognize this and are creating products with ergonomic designs that mitigate potential injury.

Plus, pet safety is of the utmost importance to groomers. Tools that provide the groomer with both an ergonomic design and safety for the pets being groomed are in high demand.

“People want grooming tools that perform as promised and that you don’t necessarily have to be a professional to use,” said Eddy Cathaud, CEO of Swees America. “At the same time, they want to be assured that this product won’t accidentally harm or irritate the pet during grooming.”

The brand developed the Eazee grooming tool, a multi-functional tool designed to be safe for both the groomer and for the dog.

“The patented design and ergonomic handle of the Eazee grooming tool provides people with a safer, gentler, easier to use and more effective grooming option,” Cathaud said. “It’s made of a plastic composite material and has smooth, rounded teeth so there’s no risk of scratching people or pets. The accessories that do feature metal, like our recently launched stainless steel comb and flea and tick comb, have rounded edges and are great for gentle detangling.” In Case of Accident Despite all these precautions, accidents do happen. That’s where products like Green Goo by Sierra Sage come in to help ensure the health and safety of people and pets.

According to Jodi Scott, co-founder of Green Goo by Sierra Sage, the brand built its reputation keeping chicken flocks healthy with preventative and natural care.

“As a natural progression, offering natural body care products to our domesticated little guys has become important now that we know the damaging effects of chemicals on our own health,” Scott said. “Preventative medicine not only ensures a better quality of life, but also helps reduce the costs of expensive medical care over time.”

In the salon, Green Goo serves as a healthy first-aid option that is nontoxic to both the groomer and the pet.

“Groomers and grooming salons are dealing with all kinds of grooming care and skin conditions where Green Goo Animal First Aid comes in to the rescue,” Scott said.

Outside of a professional setting, Green Goo provides the at-home groomer with a safe first-aid product as well as a natural preventative.

“Our product is great for skin irritations, hot spots, wounds and areas where pets tend to itch and irritate more,” she said. “And the best [part] is you don’t need a cone around their head to prevent them from ingesting the product because you can eat it.”

Protection from Pests

Another safety concern with grooming dogs comes from the parasites the pets might be carrying. By all accounts, 2017 is going to be a record-setting year in terms of mosquitoes, fleas, ticks and the associated illnesses. In a salon setting, this is particularly dangerous because so many pets come through the space.

BioShield, manufacturer of all-natural insect repellent products, uses a pharmacist-created formula to achieve prescription strength results without DEET and the other harmful chemicals contained by many other insect repellents. BioShield released a limited line of all-natural insect repellent products including sprays, detergents and hair and body washes in 2015. Th at limited release has turned into a complete line of natural repellants that can be used on humans, pet, livestock, skin, clothes, beds and anywhere else potential insect bites or infestations can be found. Th at includes towels and linens used at home or in the salon for bathing dogs. BioShield repels and kills mosquitoes, ticks, bed bugs and fleas with all-natural ingredients.

“BioShield works great on pets,” said Steve Burklow, company president and CEO. “With trace amounts of silver and copper in the formulation, it also kills both pet and human odor. The 16-ounce trigger spray is perfect to prevent ticks and fleas and also helps keep gnats and flies off pets. We also use BioShield Laundry Detergent to wash our dogs. Mixed with water, and because the laundry detergent is more concentrated, it works better on pets (especially with thick fur), and doesn’t take as much product. And, being all-natural, it’s perfectly safe.”

Ultimately, safety means many different things in the context of grooming. In addition to ergonomic tools that are safe for the groomer, products to treat any wounds on the pet, and those products that keep the salon and animal clean and free from disease, safety products can encompass a range of other items like muzzles and gentle-on-the-back tables and lifts. Choose a product mix that appeals to the specific needs of your customer base.