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Q about the Furminator

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  • Jennie-Carra
    • Bronze

    Q about the Furminator

    Jennie-Carra

    Posted : 4/20/2006 12:28:35 PM

    I was using the Furminator on my cat today and my mom told me that the reason you get so much hair off the animal was because it is nothing but a blade that cuts the fur. She said she asked the groomer and they told her this. I am having a very hard time believing this. I even tried it on a small section of my own hair and it didnt cut it.
     
    What do you think about this?
  • rwbeagles
    • Gold Top Dog
    rwbeagles

    Posted : 4/20/2006 10:45:44 PM

    From what I understand it is a clipper blade. HOWEVER what you also need to know is that if you run a pair of clippers with the power OFF thru your dogs hair...you aren't going to be cutting the hair..lol! The motor drives the clipper itself...and somehow this is what "cuts" the hair....there are groomers on here that could explain the actual action of a pair of clippers far better than me...lol!
     
    My observation of the Furminator is, yes its a clipper blade with some adjustments to fit into your hand...set at a particular angle...hence the need to hold it a certain way when you use it. It "GRABS" hair...perhaps due to nothing more than the closeness of the teeth...and pulls it out. It's grabbing hair thats GOING to fall out...just not that day or maybe even that week.
     
    My Beagles are CERTAINLY biddable...but they are not going to stand there and let me wrench out fur with my fingers. I know some Terrier folks hand strip but my Beagles...well they are not so thick skinned...if only due to NOT having this done ever. In short the blade does not cause them discomfort..and in looking at the "tufts" that are removed...one can see the "ends" of the hairs just as if they'd fallen out. Looks much different than the tufts I get from trimming the brush! Even different than the bits that come off when using my trusty Taperfine thinners!
     
    So in my not so learned and humble opinion...it is NOT cutting the hair but rather plucking, dragging, or pulling it out...as no "marks' are left such as would be from using any other item that "cuts" hair in any fashion.
  • Lindsay- Bernie's Mom
    • Silver
    Lindsay- Bernie's Mom

    Posted : 4/21/2006 11:48:16 AM

    I have a Furminator and am very happy with it on my dog's coat. I do have to say that it doesn't work all that great unless your dog has a distinct difference in the texture between the harsher outer coat and the under coat. ZoomGroom's are way cheaper and will work just as well on shorter, stiffer coated breeds such as pits, rotties, dobes, chi's, some labs, etc...

    For me it was a great investment. My dog doesn't mind it at all. If I give him a bone to chew while I am grooming, he lets me groom and groom without any fuss. The results are great and noticeable cut down on shed hair. Before the Furminator I used a standard shedding blade on him and was never as happy with it, plus it was too large to use anywhere but the back.