slicker brush troubles...help?

[Mayasmydobe]

Ok I am going to sound incredibly stupid here, but how do you use a slicker brush? I tired brushing Fancy's ears out with one today and I was very gently, but I still somehow, made her bleed twice(once on each ear). Both times the bleeding stopped right away and she is just fine now, but I was sooo gentle, I dont see how I made her bleed. Im thinking maybe she had a scab there or something, but I dont think so... I feel really bad, and dont want to make the same mistake again, so what was I doing wrong?
What I did was gently held the top part of her ear so that the ear rested in the palm of my hand, and gently rand the slicker brush down towards the table.

After she started bleeding I went and got a damp washcloth and held it on the area where she was bleeding applying gently pressure to it, but being that her hair is white, she now has two red spots on her poofy hair... I want to give her a bath to get rid of them, but I know you need to use the slicker brush to fluff the hair up again so that it isnt just tight curls.

Any advice?

 

[Herschel]

For dogs with sensitive skin, you could try using it backwards (push it instead of pulling it). Alternatively, you could use a "soft slicker": http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754497

 

[Giny]

I get that same problem with lots of my light coated poodles and other breeds like Maltese and Bichons. Kassie's ears are very sensitive also and bleeds very easy. Normally for her ears I use a metal comb and comb them more often then the other two.

 

[LB2007]

For dogs with sensitive skin, you could try using it backwards (push it instead of pulling it). Alternatively, you could use a "soft slicker": http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754497

I use a slicker on my baby pom and I comb quite rough in the opposite direction he never seems to complain he falls asleep when I am tugging an pulling at him LOL

 

[MysticRealm]

Your dog must have real sensitive skin or something. I use slicker brushes on like every dog that comes into my shop. Always am careful to check the skin as I go but it only gets irritated if you stay in one place too long and doesn't ever bleed. hmm. I also have a light colored poodle that I always use the slicker on and he is also just fine.

 

[Shawnifer]

You might not be holding it correctly. I was taught to not flick my wrist when brushing, and to use the middle bristles instead of the top row. Using just the top row makes it easier to dig into the skin and cause brush burn. Try practicing on the inside of your arm to see if it would scrape you, if so try holding it a different way until it doesn't scrape anymore. Hope that helps

 

[PoodleMommy]

The best way I found to use a slicker brush was to throw it in the garbage.

With both of my poodles and my Yorkie I just use a metal comb to brush them out... it works much better and I eliminate the risk of hurting them.

Good Luck.

Elissa

 

[bubbatd]

Each dog's coats are different ..... on my goldens I used the slicker brushes as the last of their grooming . With Ollie , they are useless .

 

[Giny]

If you want a poodles coat to fluff up while you dry him/her and if you want to be able to remove the dead hair then you need a slicker bush.

Using a metal comb after brushing out the coat if very important also, it gets all the little mats your slicker brush might have missed.

MysticRealm, you're fortunate if you have yet to groom a dog with sensitive skin. Not all lighted colored dogs have that problem but in my experience most dogs that did HAD light colored coats and it doesn't take that much brushing before the skin gets irritated. Kassie's ear leather will bleed after just a few brushes so a comb for her ears is a bit more gentle. I use a slicker brush for the rest of her body.