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Cavalier Beauty Tips

2/16/2015

3 Comments

 
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Something I get asked about a lot is grooming tips for cavaliers.

I may not be the best person to ask, as I’m one of those people that shaves their cavaliers. I know, right? The horror! I personally like the look of a shaved cavalier, but prefer mine to have their ears and tails grown out long. I used to have full flowing coats on them, but found the maintenance to be a bear, so we started getting them shaved twice a year. You will often hear that shaving a cavalier “ruins” the coat permanently, but that’s really not the case. Some cavaliers have nice silky coats and some don’t. Those that grow the “Cottony” fluffy coats will always grow a cottony fluffy coat, regardless of shaving or not shaving. Those with silky coats will have silky coats. One thing that is common, though, is for spaying or neutering to change the dogs coat. The change in hormones can trigger a change in the coat. After spaying many silky coated dogs grow in a fluffy coat, and it seems to be more common in females than males.

So, you have a cavalier with a long flowing coat…what’s the best way to keep that coat beautiful?

Mainly and most importantly: Regular brushing! I cannot state this enough. If you want a cavalier with a long flowing coat, you will have to brush at least several times a week, if not every day, especially in summer when there are lots of sticky plants and weeds out! You will have to check in between the dogs’ toes whenever they run in an area with a lot of weeds, especially if there are foxtails around! More on that in a minute.

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What is the best kind of brush for a cavalier? I prefer a double sided brush that has wire pins on one side and bristles on the other. The wire pins work great to work out light tangles and the bristles help smooth the coat. A “Furminator” type brush works great to thin out a thick, unruly coat. Be sure to brush with a regular brush BEFORE using a Furminator as they tend to pull tangles and that hurts!

Always brush your cavalier thoroughly before bathing! Bathing will make any tangles tighten up and even harder to get out! If your dog does get a mat, you can use scissors to cut through the mat, then use baby powder and a comb to take the mat out. Always be careful when cutting mats so you don’t accidentally get skin!

It is a good idea to keep the hair around the underside of the ears trimmed. This will help keep moisture from staying inside the ear, which causes yeast infections. If your cavalier is prone to excess ear wax, use an ear cleaner a couple of times a month. I use Epi-Otic every time I bathe my dogs. You simply pour it into the ear, rub the ear and use a cotton ball to gently wipe the inside of the ear.

How often to bathe your cavalier? To keep your dog from having dry skin, it is good practice to bathe no more than a couple of times a month, and always use a good moisturizing shampoo. Conditioner works great to keep the hair tangle free (I personally use Mane-n-Tail, which is used on horses and I have always had great luck with it!). As for shampoo, there are many kinds to choose from. I prefer an oatmeal shampoo because it is less irritating, but it’s really a personal preference.

Lastly, keep the bottoms of your cavaliers feet trimmed. The hair in between a cavaliers toes tends to grow quickly and cover the pads of their feet, which can cause your dog to slip on slick surfaces. Keeping the hair between the toes trimmed will prevent that! You can still keep the hair on the top of the feet long to keep the “Grinch Feet”.  Trimming between the toes also helps to prevent foxtails from sticking and burrowing in between your dog’s toes. See below for an infographic on foxtails and what they look like.


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I hope that this has helped! If your dog is not used to being groomed, be sure to take things slow and use lots of praise and treats help him get used to being brushed. Many rescue dogs have been badly neglected and some have never even seen a brush, so grooming time can be very stressful. Go slow and never push your dog. Keep your grooming "training" sessions short and positive to help your dog get used to it!
3 Comments
essay service link
10/25/2019 08:01:06 pm

These beauty tips that you shared are just awesome. It is amazing that you were able to think about it as greatly as you did. I know that you are going to have to think about what you do, but I am not really interested in all of that. In my opinion, as long as we are able to be as simple as we can, then that is fine. These beauty tips really made me realize just how good looking I can be.

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Pam
7/24/2020 02:00:45 am

Thank yo so much - my cav has had a very fluffy cotton wool-like coat on his bum and back legs and up his sides for a good while now, and it does seem to be since we had him neutered - i had no idea! Thank you! :)

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Johnson link
4/21/2022 01:58:37 am

I am a pet lover and I have a pet . It is interesting activity. I like to have a pet. I like to walk with my pet. It is too good .

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Interested in learning more about our foster to adopt program?

While primarily we do this with puppies, there are occasions where we do this with adult dogs as well.

Once you have an approved adoption application and have submitted photos/videos of your yard we will match you up with a dog who you will meet and if you feel it’s a good fit, you sign a foster to adopt agreement and pay half of the adoption fee up front. Once the dog has had its vetting we finalize the adoption, the remainder of the fee is paid and we then transfer ownership of the dog, vet records and transfer the microchip to the adopter. If at any time in the foster to adopt period it is clear the dog is not a good fit, we will work with you to find a new foster to adopt home for the dog and refund the adoption fee.

This is different from a spay/neuter contract in that we schedule the spay/neuter and the ownership of the dog isn’t transferred until after the surgery. We do this to ensure the dog gets spayed/neutered when it needs to be done.

Foster to adopt homes must be in Utah, from Ogden to Provo, and must be willing to come to Murray or Tooele for surgeries. Exceptions may be made for outside that area but adopter must come to Murray or Tooele for vetting.
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