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Furminator vs. the Shedding Blade

26152 Views 55 Replies 28 Participants Last post by  Denise Gatlin, 
N
Today is payday

Any opinions as to whether the furminator is dramatically better than a seratted shedding blade at removing undercoat?

Not as much an issue with my working line dogs - but the one who is half showlines -- yeeeesh!
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B
I think Connie has one.
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W
I have a Furminator. Come see my bald cat (the test subject who also has [had] an undercoat and is a heavy shedder). I highly recommend it. Use it outside...those pictures on the website are exaggerated, but it still raises complete hell on everything it's used around.

Still breaking Annie in on it. She gets really over-stimulated with brush strokes, and this definitely is more stimulating on skin than most brushes.

http://www.furminator.com/
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Kristen Cabe
I know of two or three people that say it's not worth buying. They say a shedding blade or rake works just as well.
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W
Kristen Cabe said:
I know of two or three people that say it's not worth buying. They say a shedding blade or rake works just as well.
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Have to disagree with them 100%, at least in my experience. I have all three and use all three (basically the Furminator is the big gun when I really need to get in there). It gets out undercoat faster and more effectively than either a shedding blade or a undercoat rake.

Easiest thing to do is try it out--the PetCoSmarts have them--and just return it if you don't like it. I have the medium blade. They are expensive...$50.
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Konnie Hein
I have used the furminator and loved it too. It works particularly well on my labs - much better than an undercoat rake or shedding blade. I would highly recommend it!
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N
Actually I can get it cheaper here

http://entirelypets.stores.yahoo.net/fume.html
Medium $33.99

I have ordered from these folks before and have had great service, and am ordering Glycoflex III today so will add it on - since some folks who have used BOTH tools have replied.

Thanks for the replies
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Mike Schoonbrood
I had a furminator in my hand today but decided to stick with my shedding blade n bought a new rake to replace the one that I mysteriously lost. I don't like the idea of the furminator.... but it might be OK...
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R
Guys,

Went on vacation...came back and this site has really picked up...Cool :)

Regarding the sheding blade. I have one. Pardon my ignorance but this is my first dog- gsd and his first summer. He has shed his undercoat but how can I be sure of this fact? No lumps of hair on the carpet seen.

Also, I was told to use the sheding blad in the reverse direct of the hair growth? Is that correct? I use the regular german groming rake that Leerburg.com sells- is that enought to take any of this left undercoat?

Thanks,

Rashmi
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N
You basically have three types of tools for removing undercoat

The rake, which you have

The shedding blade, which is found in horse departments and is basically a fancy hacksaw blade with handles and

The furminator, which is like a large clipper blade with a handle.

The blade and furminator are designed to be used in the direction of hair growth. I thought the rake was as well, but I could be wrong. The blade and furminator are more effective in removing a large quantity of undercoat in short time....moreso than the rake IMO. I am finding the furminator also removes loose topcoat.

I like it - can't say it is leagues above the blade but I seem to be able to use it in a more gentler fashion and the dogs seem to tolerate it better. Leerburg did decide to start selling the furminator as well. I bought mine from the link above as it is the cheapest I have found and they have consistently good customer service (I realize Leerburg does as well)
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W
Nancy Jocoy said:
You basically have three types of tools for removing undercoat

The rake, which you have

The shedding blade, which is found in horse departments and is basically a fancy hacksaw blade with handles and

The furminator, which is like a large clipper blade with a handle.

The blade and furminator are designed to be used in the direction of hair growth. I thought the rake was as well, but I could be wrong. The blade and furminator are more effective in removing a large quantity of undercoat in short time....moreso than the rake IMO. I am finding the furminator also removes loose topcoat.

I like it - can't say it is leagues above the blade but I seem to be able to use it in a more gentler fashion and the dogs seem to tolerate it better. Leerburg did decide to start selling the furminator as well. I bought mine from the link above as it is the cheapest I have found and they have consistently good customer service (I realize Leerburg does as well)
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Nancy, did you have issues with the Furminator "overstimulating" your dogs? That tool...and the rake...seem to work my dog up. She's still miserable at sitting still for grooming, but it seems like some things make her more excited than others (it still works well, btw, just takes longer ;-))
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N
No special issues with that tool vs. others.

Brushing of any kind is tolerated at best.

I would rather brush than trim nails and rather be independantly wealthy so I could hire someone else to do itl
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Connie Sutherland
Bob Scott said:
I think Connie has one.
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Yes, as a gift! Good thing, because the price
turned me off.

But it was sent to me, and I admit that I forgot
it for a while, then while I was away last week the
dogsitter tried it.

She raved about it, so I tried it. I love it too.

Use it outdoors, as Woody says. USE IT OUTDOORS. :lol:

I think it's way better than anything else I have tried. My
daughter with the Borders agrees, and they are a hand-stripping
dog.

In fact, I have to thank the donor, a tad late. :oops:
See less See more
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Al Curbow
Hi Nancy, i don't like doing nails either but i finally tried the way Will R say's to do it, with the dremel tool with the drum sander and it's definitely the way to go, my female was always a pain in the butt about it so her nails got a tad long but with the dremel she just lays there and now i got them nice and short, and there's no chance of quicking them, really simple
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B
Question on the furminator. Does it remove only dead hair or is it actually cutting/shaving out some of the live hair?
I've neve in my life had a dog that sheds as bad as Thunder. He's an outside dog and even in the middle of winter I can pet him and get hair.
Now that he's in the house during his heartworm treatment :eek: :eek: :eek:
Thank heavens for an understanding wife. She's about going crazy even with his being kept in his crate most of the day.
I'm getting pretty good with the vaccum cleaner. :lol:
Ditto on the Dremel tool on nails!
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B
ps. I Dremel the nails on my buddie's wife's three huge parrots. Now THAT'S exciting! :eek:
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Connie Sutherland
Bob Scott said:
Question on the furminator. Does it remove only dead hair or is it actually cutting/shaving out some of the live hair?
I've neve in my life had a dog that sheds as bad as Thunder. He's an outside dog and even in the middle of winter I can pet him and get hair.
Now that he's in the house during his heartworm treatment :eek: :eek: :eek:
Thank heavens for an understanding wife. She's about going crazy even with his being kept in his crate most of the day.
I'm getting pretty good with the vaccum cleaner. :lol:
Ditto on the Dremel tool on nails!
Click to expand...
It removes dead hair. As you know, what sheds is undercoat ("blown" a couple of times a year) and dead top hairs (constant shedding). It pulls out the loose undercoat and some dead topcoat hairs out without removing the glossy "overcoat."

At least that's my observation. 8)
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Connie Sutherland
It works great on Leo too, who is a fawn Pug. (Fawn Pugs are double-coated too and are as bad as GSDs.)
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B
Sounds like that's what I need then. I use a steel comb twice a week and don't really have a problem with undercoat. He should be bald ten times over with all the top coat he drops.
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Connie Sutherland
Bob Scott said:
ps. I Dremel the nails on my buddie's wife's three huge parrots. Now THAT'S exciting! :eek:
Click to expand...
Wow. I didn't know they needed that!
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