This post is to share the exact products that I'm always recommending since so many of my awesome clients have asked very specifically where they can get some of the items that I use or recommend because they are cheaper. Most of which are from Amazon, though I have access to purchase direct from distributers - so that tells you something. Amazon can buy in bulk and I cannot as a small business. (Though I do get all of my medications and medicated products direct for quality purposes, as I have a liability)
FOR GROOMING:
For Medium sized Dogs:
These are sharp and I prefer these over the other few that I have. The clicking noise is mildly less loud and the safety is mildly less annoying - and sometimes useful, so I don't take too much off. I know some people rip the safety piece off. They are probably best for dogs that are under 75lbs, but I use them for larger dogs, I just whittle from side to side rather than sticking the whole body of the nail in them - whittling the nail is more comfortable for dogs in my opinion as long as the nails aren't too overgrown.
These are best for cats and don't have a "scary" click to them. I will use them in dogs too, if the sound of the actually click scares them. For the record I completely understand why animals would be scared of being approached with a dangerous weapon that could severe a nerve (pets nails have a blood vessel and a nerve running thru the nails). These are great for whittling larger dogs nails as well - it just takes more time to carve them into a thing of beauty. Great if you need to get comfortable understanding the nail one little chip away at a time.
Don't forget to have a tub of this on hand, so if you cut the nail too far, you can stop the bleeding. And remember, if your pet's blood pressure is thru the roof the bleeding will be much worse, so let them calm down and the bleeding will slow, so that this can work. I've had to put dogs outside to calm down for a minute after applying and then the bleeding stopped because they weren't being pinned down anymore.
I just started using this nail grinder on dogs that are better for nail grinders than they are for trims or for dogs with black nails, when I'm trying to be extra cautious not to traumatize them by hitting the nerve in the nail. It works really well for dogs that don't have an aversion to the noise. I could barely get an adult German Shepherd nail in (But I did get it in) so you may want to consider that if you have an extra large breed dog - the holes are not that big. And this doesn't hold the charge I would love, but it does work for my two dogs at home - WELL. So I like it. There are other options on Amazon, so look around and read the reviews.
I used to buy expensive clippers, and I have a Wahl, but I never reach for it, I tend to reach for these for all my clipping needs. Maybe that's because I'm not a professional groomer, but if I've trimmed up something on your pet and you liked the clippers that I used - these clippers are by the same maker. This set of clippers has been cheap and long lasting - the Wahl pooped out and started clipping poorly, but these are still more functional, though not perfect 2 years later. They aren't a huge investment if a replacement is needed.
This is the cat bag that I use for cat nail trims, when needed, and I think so many mobile vets are using these so the price keeps inching up. Jorvet used to make them, now Kruuse does. I have both, and Kruuse made improvements, though these seem like a higher fit. The description says for cats up to 12lbs on the green bag, but I highly disagree. The old bags may have fit a 12lb cat, but the biggest I have managed to get into this is a 10lb cat so purchase accordingly. The BLUE large bag is bigger and most of you will need that bag. The green back is snug and I have better control with 10lb cats in it but it would be quite the struggle to get a 12lb cat in it. Most of you will never need the smaller NAVY and RED bags - unless you have a rabbit.
GOT A MILD EAR INFECTION AND WANT TO START MEDS BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH A VET?
Try This OTC remedy to help before the help arrives:
Best overall ear cleanser for maintenance or mild yeasty irritations. Flush once daily with active inflammation and flush 2-4 times per month for maintenance of mild ear issues. Cheap and effective and honestly I love the Zymox brand because it seams to work well even with extremely sensitive dogs.
If there is any persistent inflammation and it seems you are flushing out dark brown debris daily, try using these drops 30 minutes after flushing (so you don't dilute the meds with ear flush and give the flush time to dry or get shook out). Use it up to twice daily and 10 days past resolve so you don't leave anything behind to develop resistance. Sometimes my clients do this and there's nothing to treat by the time I get there because the infection was so mild - great thing to have on hand if your dog has chronic ear infections. For interim use, while waiting for the vet appointment. No one wants to go to the emergency room for an ear infection, so this may provide some relief.
If I have told you to go online and get a big bottle of flush with an anti-fungal in it, this is what I meant. This bottle would like be over 30 bucks at the vets office, but Amazon can do better since they can warehouse the products and buy in bulk. This is a great medicated flush, and there are less expensive products available as well if you want to try it. Personally, I love and trust the Dechra brand for skin products.
This one is a little cheaper and also has ketoconazole in it for yeasty ears, so you can try it as well. It has good reviews, though I can't say that I have every tried it.
GOT A MILD SKIN INFECTION AND WANT TO START MEDS BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH A VET?
Skin infections from allergies are also not an emergency, since they have such a slow onset - just like acne. At the first sign of skin irritation start using this shampoo EVERY DAY - like you would for an acne outbreak and you may not even need a vet. Use it for 10 days past resolve as well - and if the irritation comes back, call your vet so you can get down the the bottom of the issue. Environmental allergies (seasonal) versus Food Allergies are what we will be discussing and you may need anti-inflammatories or antibiotics for deep infections that cause a significant amount of itching. Make sure you use it as directed because this shampoo is too expensive to waste.
This is a great, effective yet cheap shampoo you can try as well. Or just use it for your regular maintenance baths. I like it because it's natural and I've been able to prescribe it to the most sensitive dogs that break out from other shampoos. I use this to bathe my dogs once a week and it's lovely. They smell fresh, not like dog under watermelon or some other fancy smelling shampoo and the freshness lasts for my too wire-y dogs.
Fish oils help with skin inflammations as well, just like it's good for people to take every day. This is my "go-to" brand as they have put the research into it to make sure it's bioavailable in dogs and this is what I've seen holistic vet's recommend. Make sure you get the RIGHT SIZE for your dog or cat and know that it comes in a pump form as well. I have one client that uses fish oils and was able to get her pup off of steroids that she had to use every summer for environmental allergies. It's good stuff, just get the right size. And don't use if your dog is allergic to fish.
IF you would rather buy human fish oils to save money AND have a comparable product then I would recommend comparing the dose of the Bayer Free Form for the weight of your dog and trying to find the most comparable ratio of human fish oil capsules for that weight. For example ONE capsule of Bayer M/L fish oils have 515mg of EPA (Omega 3) and and 338mg of DHA (Omega 6). A 30-59lb dog would get 1 capsule a day. This human product Ultra Omega 3 by NOW Foods has 500mg of EPA and 250mg of DHA. That's pretty close so if you have a dog that weighs 30-59lbs you could give one capsule of this daily and save on expenses. This is helpful if your pet is on multiple supplements for health. This product is almost the same price as the Bayer, but you get THREE times the amount of fish oil capsules (180 vs 60).
Also for itchy skin, you can try antihistamines that are over the counter, but I recommend that you get the dose from your vet. I know you can find dosages online, but I still recommend that you get the dose from your regular vet just to be absolutely certain as many times people tell me they had no effect, and that's because they are getting doses from online and under dosing many times. You don't want to over dose either, so I fine with that, I just tell them the proper dose.
For more tips on skin allergies go here: https://www.vet2door.com/post/secrets-of-medicated-shampoo
TO PREVENT EATING UNDESIRABLE THINGS OR AGGRESSION
If I've told you to get a basket muzzle, this is what I meant:
I tell people to get this for dogs that are mildly anxious for ear cleanings or exams so that if they try to bite, which they have every reason to if something is hurting them, they can't do as much damage with one of these. I also tell clients to get these if their dogs is eating stuff that we don't want them to eat, either in the yard or in the house. Just to break the cycle. It can be used with inter-pet aggression as well. Hopefully no one has to use one forever, but it may help break whatever cycle you are trying to break and is certainly helpful for owners afraid to trim their own dogs nails for fear of being bitten (out of the dogs fear).
Read my other blog on how to calm dogs down for the holidays for natural anxiety relief tips.
Natural anxiety relief for cats: https://www.vet2door.com/post/the-many-reasons-your-cat-is-licking-itself-to-oblivion-aka-over-grooming
TO PREVENT YOUR DOG FROM LICKING OR CHEWING THEMSELVES:
When I tell you to get a bubble cone so your dog can't chew at their butt, back legs or belly, this is what I mean. SIZE APPROPRIATELY and know this will not work if the dog or cat can manage a reach around because they are really nimble. So make sure you buy a back-up cone just in case. You can return it if you don't use it, but you don't want to be at a loss because your dog is willing to suffer the struggle of reaching a spot that is bothering them - and why wouldn't they? Know one likes to have mittens on so they can't itch. That's why as children we hated the chicken pox. This is a nicer alternative to a hug e-collar.
When I tell you to get a durable e-collar because your pet is chewing their front feet or is very nimble - this is what I mean. Just make sure you SIZE appropriately and if in doubt - get the bigger size because you can always cut the edges and tape them (so you don't have sharp edges) to make it fit.
If I said to get a soft cone, this is what I meant. These work well in small dogs and cats, but remember to size appropriately! It's easy to return things to Amazon, so if you're unsure on a soft cone, get two sizes and return the one that doesn't fit or take your pet to the pet store and fit them for one. If you're using this on a cat, make sure they can't jump or squeeze into any place and get stuck or hung. You make have to isolate them in a special "safe room" which is okay - it's just temporary.
DENTAL CLEANING TIPS:
These are by far my favorite dental wipes, because they are cheap, thus increasing compliance and they are large, thus allowing for more use when wiping the teeth down. Use them every day at night after your pet's last meal. They have an anti-septic infused to help kill the bacteria that causes tartar as well.
When I tell you to get gauze and place stacks all around the house so that you can wipe your pet's teeth no matter where you are, this is what I mean. Use these in the interim, when you can't find the dental wipes or aren't sitting right next to them. I say to do this because it increases compliance and I have a problem with compliance myself - it's enough of a chore to brush my own teeth.
A holistic vet recommended this product for a client of mine and I "think" it helps. I trust the vet, so if anything is going to help for dogs that have calculus but can't get a dental cleaning due to other medical conditions. It's supposed to help break down the calculus and introduces an interesting concept. I have a bottle myself for my 13.5 year old dog with cancer, but if I'm being honest, I haven't used it - this goes back to compliance.
Compliance = Willingness to follow the advice or instructions that you paid for. If you're good at it, you're golden.
TIPS AND SUPPLEMENTS RECOMMENDED FOR ARTHRITIS:
Just go here, I already wrote about it: https://www.vet2door.com/post/help-my-dog-has-arthritis-and-can-t-get-up
TIPS FOR DEMENTIA, SENILITY OR COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT:
Just go here, I already wrote about it: https://www.vet2door.com/post/doggy-dementia-aging-is-part-of-existence
TIPS ON DIET, GRAIN FREE OR NOT AND WHY:
Just go here, I already wrote about - This is they WHY?: https://www.vet2door.com/post/to-grain-or-not-to-grain-dr-j-s-diet-opinion
And this is the HOW?: https://www.vet2door.com/post/the-cost-of-proper-nutrition-down-to-the-penny
Okay! That's all I got for Amazon right now, if you have any other recommendations that have helped you, please be sure to say so in the comments so we can all benefit from your trials!
Written with Love,
Dr. J