Furminator

polkaroo · 02-18-2008, 08:50 AM

I saw this (http://www.furminator.com) nifty lil tool and thought it was the neatest thing. And then...... I saw the price tag. About $50 for the medium sized comb. I have a pug that sheds A LOT and I'm willing to pay that much, if its worth it. Anyone else have this? What are your thoughts? Worth $50?

Thanks!

harrise · 02-18-2008, 10:01 AM

I've yet to buy one, but evryone from the vet to random strangers ask if I use it on my dogs. I'm home all day so they look clean and clump free. Still would love to get one if I ever remember to actually buy it.

britishbandit · 02-18-2008, 11:55 AM

I don't personally own one but quite a few friends of mine do, and they swear by it. They say it was worth every cent.

Lovemytessapoo · 02-18-2008, 01:14 PM

There is a review of it in product review forum on here that says it is great, just don't over do it, meaning don't do it daily after the first couple of days, or it can irritate their skin.

FilleBelle · 02-18-2008, 01:40 PM

Yep, that's my review you'll find if you do a search for "Furminator" on this website.

I adore mine. It is designed to remove the loose undercoat from a double-coated dog and it does so beautifully. Perhaps my favorite part about it is that it holds onto the removed hair very tightly until I pull it out of the teeth myself, meaning no stray hairs go flying through the air (and the house) while I'm brushing.

I have no doubt that someone here will tell you that it breaks the dog's topcoat, but I have not yet seen evidence of this. I have been using mine on Alvin for going on a year now and have a decent handful of friends who also use it on their dogs, thanks to my recommendation. No one has reported a broken topcoat to me.

You can get a Furminator on eBay for significantly less than in the stores. You can also wait until they go on sale (which they seem to frequently do at my pet store) or until you get a coupon for your local pet supply shop. Or you can just buy one. It's not like you have to buy replacements all the time.

Having said all of this, I think the Furminator is really just a glorified shedding blade, so you may wish to try that, first.

Purplex15 · 02-18-2008, 02:18 PM

im a groomer, and i will tell you honestly that the furminator, is a huge scam. all it is is a 40 blade (a blade that goes on clippers) that has a handle. you can only brush little by little b/c the sharp blade will cause irritation, especially when used by a dog owner with no experiqnce with how to brush a dog. this is one of those tools that i personally believe should not be available to the public b/c of how bad the putcome can be when used incorrectly (i feel the same way about many matt breakers as well).

so if you are really sold on the whole idea, then i suggest you go to petco and buy a 40 blade for 30 bnucks. youll save some money and get the same exact thing.

the best tool for pugs are zoom grooms. they cost 5 bucks at petsmart. they are a rubber curry, that dogs love, and you would not believe the hair that it gets out.

furminators are a waste of money

sn0fl8k3 · 02-18-2008, 02:46 PM

They are onsale on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/FURminator-DeS...367617&sr=1-10, I have one. We have a Corgi and I got the one with the blue handle i think its the medium one. I think it works great! Something about the angle and of course the blade. I can see that it does look like a clipping blade but i think it works really well. in the instructions it says not to put pressure and tells you how to use it. My Puppy loves it i use it about once a week, i think everyday may be too much. but I think its well worth the money. Other brushes and shedding tools just didn't work for me. Some pet stores have one you can actually try, maybe you should try that out first.

acanoffleas · 02-18-2008, 03:19 PM

I agree and disagree with Purplex on this one. As a bather and groomer, I have used the Furminator, and I believe that it works wonderfully. However, one should be educated on its use because it is, in fact, part of a cutting blade, and excessive use can lead to skin irritation. The blade doesn't actually cut, but it pulls out the hair (the dead undercoat).

I personally use Furminators on longer double coated breeds like Goldens, Huskies and shepherds. However, the Furminator works wonders on labs, too, which have a similar coat to pugs. I typically say that if you are already in the habit of brushing your dog and if your dog has the kind of coat that will benefit from a Furminator, than it will be worth the investment. However, if you're looking for more of a brush-when-it-gets-bad brush, The Zoom Groom (or any rubber brush) is fabulous and under $10. The Zoom Groom doubles as a great scrubber brush during the bath, too! Some grooming tool suppliers are making knock-off brands, too. I personally haven't tried them, but they're a heck of a lot cheaper and might be worth the experiment: Master Grooming Tools Shed Patrol DeShedding Tool

justagirl21 · 02-20-2008, 04:41 AM

I agree with Purplex. The FURminator is just a carding tool/blunt #40 blade on a handle and you can pick up a carding knife for $15 off the net! If used incorrectly it can cause serious irritation on the skin and it certainly isnt worth the $50 they're asking. Nothing works better than regular brushing to remove loose and dead hair from your dogs coat and a shedding blade or slicker/comb should be right to use and alot cheaper. FURminators should only be sold via a groomer or qualified person so that the owner can be educated on the tools use and safety. As a groomer I see bad examples of "brushing" everyday and if owners just knew what and how to do it tools like Matbreakers and FURminators wouldn't be needed but its a "quick fix" thing and people pay TONNES for this stuff. I've never likes these tools and I would advise not to get one and use a rubber curry or shedding blade instead or if you really want to take the dive, buy a #40 blade or cardking knife.

MarleyBoy · 02-21-2008, 05:23 PM

We agonized over paying that much for a grooming tool and bought several different much cheaper brushes/rakes first. But after seeing huge clumps of hair rolling around our house finally bought the large Furminator. I have to say, I LOVE THIS THING! worth every penny. Marley will sit still for about 2 minutes with the regular brushes. He will lay himself down on the floor with the Furminator. And you really only need a very gentle touch - the stuff pulls out all the loose undercoat immediately. We had enough to stuff at least two throw pillows. It was CRAZY! Definitely worth the money.

kobedog · 02-21-2008, 08:33 PM

i LOVE the furminator!. yes it's expensive to buy but our salon charges $20 for us to use it for 45 minutes on a dog and people do pay. when you compare the price to own one vs the price to pay to have someone else use it on your dog....i would say buying one doesn't sound so bad afterall.

Lonewolfblue · 02-21-2008, 11:55 PM

I have one, best tool I've ever got for Betty. I got the $50.00 one myself. Definitely worth the money...

WicketLeia · 02-22-2008, 03:43 PM

I bought one last night actually to help both of my dog's shedding.. I only did it for about 5 - 10 minutes and oh my word.. I couldn't believe the amount of hair that came out! I will do a good brushing this weekend and we'll see what happens. I love it! I'm tired of all the hair everywhere!

Rough_Collies2008 · 02-26-2008, 11:50 PM

A groomer used something similar on Aspen, and not only removed large quantities of her undercoat(you could see her skin clearly through her fur...that is not normal for a collie), but she had scabs from irritation. I can only imagine how painful that was for her.

The idea is great, but I do believe it removes too much of their undercoat.

kobedog · 02-27-2008, 02:17 AM

as with any tool, it needs to be used properly and with caution. i've seen something similar happen when it was used too long in the same area. irritation or injury can be caused if it is used in the same spot for too long when the hair is too short or too thin.
the brush itself isn't to blame.

aud0806 · 02-27-2008, 08:40 AM

This is a great post. I wasn't sure if we were using it right and my dog started really scratching a lot. After I read this I stopped using it (we were doing it once a week) and no more itching.

So now I have this $50 tool that I'm afraid is bothering her. There's also still a massive amount of fur in the house so I'm not even sure it's working.

I went online and they show videos so I'll give that a try The breed I have is one they have online on the Furminator website so I know that's not an issue either.