# Messy Faces!



## mom2bijou (Oct 19, 2006)

Am I the only one who feels like their malts are ALWAYS messy?:smilie_tischkante:

B&E are eating Grandma Lucy's Artisan. They love it! :wub: They literally scarf it down within seconds of me feeding them. Problem is once done it's all over their face and beard. They are forever having dirty faces. DRIVES ME NUTS! I have tried different bowls. Flat saucer plate, shallow bowls but still they wear the food. Don't get me wrong I clean their faces every evening but usually I feed them before I go to work and I don't have time to give them a face bath in the morning so they are left with dirty faces till I get home from work. 

Any suggestions for keeping their faces clean aside from banding them? Anyone feed Grandma Lucy's or pre mix food and have this problem? Do you have a suggestion for types of bowls to use? 

Help us fight dirty faces PLEASE!!!!:smpullhair:


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## mary-anderson (Jan 12, 2010)

NO you are not!!!:HistericalSmiley::HistericalSmiley: When I see all the picture post I always wonder "do they always look like that, if so what am I doing wrong":blush:
I tried Grandma Lucy's but after a couple days Libby turned her nose to it. So I went back to Dr. Harvey's. I just can't recall if their faces were worse on Grandma Lucy's As for scarfing food down:w00t: OMG Chloe eats so fast that it scares me. I recall a thread Pam started about bowls for that purpose, not sure it would help with the keeping their faces clean.


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## pammy4501 (Aug 8, 2007)

I am having the same problem. I am feeding a dehydrated food similar to G.ma Lucys'. This is my biggest objection to the food. Everything else is great, dogs LOVE it, and it is very healthy. But three dirty faces, and really messy, every day! I can't band them. Heck, Lola dosen't even have long enough hair to band. You would think the shorter coat wouldn't get as dirty, but alas, not the case. I wish they had "clean face" bowls!!

And, yes I started the thread about the slow eat bowl. I did find a ceramic bowl that is cute. She does eat slower, but somehow my little piggy still gets it all over her face!


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## Maglily (Feb 3, 2009)

I was online last nite looking at this very brand and wondering if I'd try it. Jodi's seems messy already and so hard to keep clean... so that's not an issue, well I don't think it would be.LOL.

So soft food is not an issue with tartar build up? ....or rather, lack of crunching hard kibble ?? chew toys may help with that.

Jodi eats kibble one piece at a time and if there's a mix of kibble, he picks out his favourite pieces first.


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

I home cook and Tyler face isn't too bad from that. I just take a damp washcloth and quickly wipe him down after every meal if I'm here. I have more of the tear stain problem than the food. :smpullhair:


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## mom2bijou (Oct 19, 2006)

mary-anderson said:


> NO you are not!!!:HistericalSmiley::HistericalSmiley: When I see all the picture post I always wonder "do they always look like that, if so what am I doing wrong":blush:
> I tried Grandma Lucy's but after a couple days Libby turned her nose to it. So I went back to Dr. Harvey's. I just can't recall if their faces were worse on Grandma Lucy's As for scarfing food down:w00t: OMG Chloe eats so fast that it scares me. I recall a thread Pam started about bowls for that purpose, not sure it would help with the keeping their faces clean.


 LOL I think most of us take pics right after bath day LOL! It's so frustrating. They love the food so I"m not gonna take them off it for the sake of them having clean faces but really....I miss looking at clean, white faces! Looks like many of us are in the same boat. 



pammy4501 said:


> I am having the same problem. I am feeding a dehydrated food similar to G.ma Lucys'. This is my biggest objection to the food. Everything else is great, dogs LOVE it, and it is very healthy. But three dirty faces, and really messy, every day! I can't band them. Heck, Lola dosen't even have long enough hair to band. You would think the shorter coat wouldn't get as dirty, but alas, not the case. I wish they had "clean face" bowls!!
> 
> And, yes I started the thread about the slow eat bowl. I did find a ceramic bowl that is cute. She does eat slower, but somehow my little piggy still gets it all over her face!


 The Bayou Bowl was the best invention for keeping water out of their beards. We need something similar for pre mix food! Benny doesn't get it on him as bad as Emma. UGH PAM! It's so annoying. I"m gonna look at the slow eat bowl too. 



Maglily said:


> I was online last nite looking at this very brand and wondering if I'd try it. Jodi's seems messy already and so hard to keep clean... so that's not an issue, well I don't think it would be.LOL.
> 
> So soft food is not an issue with tartar build up? ....or rather, lack of crunching hard kibble ?? chew toys may help with that.
> 
> Jodi eats kibble one piece at a time and if there's a mix of kibble, he picks out his favourite pieces first.


 Bren....I did so much research on what food I wanted to feed B&E. This is only my opinion but I think canned food or pre-mix is much for nutritious for them. They still get treats, natural chews etc to chew on in the evening and I brush their teeth at least every other night. If you are scared to switch from hard food then maybe rotate and do kibble in the morning and pre mix at night. See how Jodi does. 



Snowbody said:


> I home cook and Tyler face isn't too bad from that. I just take a damp washcloth and quickly wipe him down after every meal if I'm here. I have more of the tear stain problem than the food. :smpullhair:


 If it's not one grooming issue with these dogs it's another! Dirty faces, dirty eyes, dirty paws. We should get an award LOL!


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## Maltbabe (Oct 10, 2010)

*faces*

I really do not know what to do anymore. I wipe each evening and on alternate days I wash with the Johnson and Johnson baby bath wipes. All I know is that when their faces are pearly white, I am shocked :HistericalSmiley:


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## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

Oh I so agree!! If she hasn't just had a bath Lola looks like she has been run through a hedge backwards. She seems to have a coat that just looks stringy and messy all the time, and yes her face gets very messy from the food. She gets yogurt with different protein etc. every morning and she wears it well  I think she is a bit better with the evening homecooked, depending what I give her, she sometimes has Dr. Harvey's and gets pretty messy off that. Yes we need a better bowl.


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## Canada (Jun 4, 2009)

silverhaven said:


> Oh I so agree!! If she hasn't just had a bath Lola looks like she has been run through a hedge backwards. She seems to have a coat that just looks stringy and messy all the time, and yes her face gets very messy from the food. She gets yogurt with different protein etc. every morning and she wears it well  I think she is a bit better with the evening homecooked, depending what I give her, she sometimes has Dr. Harvey's and gets pretty messy off that. Yes we need a better bowl.


I agree, yogurt is the messiest! :w00t:
I like to let them lick yogurt off a plastic baby spoon,
as it kepts it off their faces (mostly!) 
Then they lick each others chins, so cute!

Tammy, any pics of B & E wearing their breakfast?


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## mom2bijou (Oct 19, 2006)

Jill....you actually want me to reveal how messy they get?!:shy: 
The B&E you see in pics is not what they really look like LOL! :HistericalSmiley:
I'll have to dig out some pics. I'll show you mine if you show me yours LOL!!! :HistericalSmiley:


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## Bailey&Me (Mar 8, 2010)

Tammy, I have the same problem! I always felt like a bad Mommy because I felt like everyone on SM had such perfect, spotless pups all the time and mine looked so scruffy and messy...haha! 

Regarding bowls...I just got this one for Bailey: Amazon.com: Brake-Fast Dog Food Bowls - Small Red: Home & Garden 
It got it because he gobbles down his food and I was hoping this would slow him down. I haven't tried it yet as I've been hand feeding him sloooooowly ever since he got sick. But I would think the design of this bowl may help maaaybe keep their faces clean(er) when they eat?


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## mom2bijou (Oct 19, 2006)

Nida....let me know how it works. I"m very curious if it helps w/messy face syndrome. What are you feeding Bailey? Kibble, canned or premix? I"m wondering if this bowl is better for kibble? Can't wait to hear your review of the bowl. However, I have a feeling Bailey will get used to you hand feeding him. AWW such love!


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## pammy4501 (Aug 8, 2007)

Tammy, this the slow feed bowl that I got. I didn't want plastic, and this was the only ceramic one I could find. It comes small and large. It does slow them down, but at least Lola still gets food on her face. But I think she may be part pot bellied piggy!
Dog Bowls: Ceramic Slow Down Bowl at DrsFosterSmith.com


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## mysugarbears (Aug 13, 2007)

pammy4501 said:


> Tammy, this the slow feed bowl that I got. I didn't want plastic, and this was the only ceramic one I could find. It comes small and large. It does slow them down, but at least Lola still gets food on her face. *But I think she may be part pot bellied piggy!*
> Dog Bowls: Ceramic Slow Down Bowl at DrsFosterSmith.com


 
Pam how did you like the bowl for your kids? Did it at least help keep Frank and Truffles faces cleaner? I might have to order the bowl if it'll help keep faces cleaner. I too feed dehydrated raw food and while i love the food for the fluffs i hate the messy faces and stained beards. 

Poor Lola!!!!! :HistericalSmiley::HistericalSmiley: :HistericalSmiley:


Pam, i was just reading about the bowls, are the small sizes big enough? I feed mine 1/4c of dehydrated raw each meal and just want to make sure all of their food would fit into it.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Make the food into meatballs and hand feed them one at a time....or just take a wet washcloth and do a decent job in the morning and call it good. My dogs look pristine for about 5 seconds when they get off the grooming table after a bath.


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## mom2bijou (Oct 19, 2006)

pammy4501 said:


> Tammy, this the slow feed bowl that I got. I didn't want plastic, and this was the only ceramic one I could find. It comes small and large. It does slow them down, but at least Lola still gets food on her face. But I think she may be part pot bellied piggy!
> Dog Bowls: Ceramic Slow Down Bowl at DrsFosterSmith.com


 LOL pot belly pig!!! That's like Emma. She races to finish. Then she burps! :w00t:

Thanks for the link Pam. I'll check this one out. 



jmm said:


> Make the food into meatballs and hand feed them one at a time....or just take a wet washcloth and do a decent job in the morning and call it good. My dogs look pristine for about 5 seconds when they get off the grooming table after a bath.


 Meatballs is a good idea. At least I'm not the only one w/messy face dogs.:blush:


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## lovesophie (Jan 28, 2008)

When I was feeding Sophie home-cooked, wet raw food, or any other potentially messy type of food, I'd fork-feed it to her. This completely eliminated the messy face problem for me. 

If I didn't feed her this way, she would not only have a messy face, but she would inhale her food, which always made me nervous, as it would sound like she was choking. :w00t: 

She's on a dehydrated raw right now, so there's no need for me to fork-feed her, but when she gets her scrambled eggs, I definitely use the fork.

Good luck! 



silverhaven said:


> Oh I so agree!! If she hasn't just had a bath Lola looks like she has been run through a hedge backwards. She seems to have a coat that just looks stringy and messy all the time, and yes her face gets very messy from the food. She gets yogurt with different protein etc. every morning and she wears it well  I think she is a bit better with the evening homecooked, depending what I give her, she sometimes has Dr. Harvey's and gets pretty messy off that. Yes we need a better bowl.


Yogurt was a nightmare for me! I couldn't fork-feed her yogurt, and she'd refuse to eat out of a spoon because she's deathly afraid of her reflection, LOL. :w00t: Thank goodness I replaced the yogurt with powdered probiotics!


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## mysugarbears (Aug 13, 2007)

lovesophie said:


> When I was feeding Sophie home-cooked, wet raw food, or any other potentially messy type of food, I'd fork-feed it to her. This completely eliminated the messy face problem for me.
> 
> If I didn't feed her this way, she would not only have a messy face, but she would inhale her food, which always made me nervous, as it would sound like she was choking. :w00t:
> 
> ...


 

She doesn't get a messy face from eating dehydrated raw? What am i doing wrong, mine are on "Addiction Dehydrated Raw" and they get the messy faces, i think with that food i have the option of feeding it to them dry instead of hydrating it, but i like the idea of them getting more water in their food.


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## Bailey&Me (Mar 8, 2010)

mom2bijou said:


> Nida....let me know how it works. I"m very curious if it helps w/messy face syndrome. What are you feeding Bailey? Kibble, canned or premix? I"m wondering if this bowl is better for kibble? Can't wait to hear your review of the bowl. However, I have a feeling Bailey will get used to you hand feeding him. AWW such love!


Bailey is on canned right now. I mix it up with some water until it becomes soupy and then I spoon feed him. It takes about 5-10 minutes whereas if he were to eat it himself, it would take all of 2.5 seconds! You're right, all these slow-down-eating type bowls seem like they might be meant more for kibble, but hopefully it'll help a bit. 



pammy4501 said:


> Tammy, this the slow feed bowl that I got. I didn't want plastic, and this was the only ceramic one I could find. It comes small and large. It does slow them down, but at least Lola still gets food on her face. But I think she may be part pot bellied piggy!
> Dog Bowls: Ceramic Slow Down Bowl at DrsFosterSmith.com


Oh whoops, I didnt see this bowl when I was looking for one of these...but I really like it...I think I'll order one for Bailey. Which size do you have?


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## maltemom09 (Jan 27, 2010)

mom2bijou said:


> Am I the only one who feels like their malts are ALWAYS messy?:smilie_tischkante:
> 
> B&E are eating Grandma Lucy's Artisan. They love it! :wub: They literally scarf it down within seconds of me feeding them. Problem is once done it's all over their face and beard. They are forever having dirty faces. DRIVES ME NUTS! I have tried different bowls. Flat saucer plate, shallow bowls but still they wear the food. Don't get me wrong I clean their faces every evening but usually I feed them before I go to work and I don't have time to give them a face bath in the morning so they are left with dirty faces till I get home from work.
> 
> ...


Pearl and Bailey get the Grandma Lucys Artsian and when they are done it looks as if they have more on their faces than in their bellies :smilie_tischkante: I tried a food called "FORCE" .... the food is green so then we not only had messy faces but green faces:HistericalSmiley:I always thought they were saving it for a snack later :w00t:


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## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

maltemom09 said:


> Pearl and Bailey get the Grandma Lucys Artsian and when they are done it looks as if they have more on their faces than in their bellies :smilie_tischkante: I tried a food called "FORCE" .... the food is green so then we not only had messy faces but green faces:HistericalSmiley:I always thought they were saving it for a snack later :w00t:


Talking of "green" my vet also wants Lola to have tumeric. Can you imagine????


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## Johita (Jul 10, 2009)

Aolani is also big on the latest fashion trend and loves to wear his Grandma Lucy on his beard too LOL. In the mornings I feed him Fromm's kibble so that helps and in the afternoon we do a mix of GL and Fromms.


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## mom2bijou (Oct 19, 2006)

maltemom09 said:


> Pearl and Bailey get the Grandma Lucys Artsian and when they are done it looks as if they have more on their faces than in their bellies :smilie_tischkante: I tried a food called "FORCE" .... the food is green so then we not only had messy faces but green faces:HistericalSmiley:I always thought they were saving it for a snack later :w00t:


 GREEN?! :w00t: Oh boy! 
PS...just emailed you back Vicki! :thumbsup:


Johita said:


> Aolani is also big on the latest fashion trend and loves to wear his Grandma Lucy on his beard too LOL. In the mornings I feed him Fromm's kibble so that helps and in the afternoon we do a mix of GL and Fromms.


 Edith we got the Grandma Lucy's that same week you sent me the Stella and Chewy's so I haven't tried it yet. Do you heat up the Stella's? I wonder if it being raw will bother B&E since they never had raw before. How did Aolani do with it?


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## mom2bijou (Oct 19, 2006)

And yes in the past I would give them yogurt and it was MESSY! Now I use the AE probiotic powder. I just mix it in their food. Still though everything is always all over their face!


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## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

You can try by not adding quite as much water to the mix as it calls for so it's a thicker consistency in both the GL's and the Addicition Dehydrated Raw. That seems to help with the messy faces here. Mine get their faces washed every morning before we leave the house with PP's No Rinse, even though I rinse it out. But after dinner they don't get their faces washed. They do go outside right after they eat and their faces are full of snow when they come in so maybe they're washing their faces themselves. lol

I need to look for matching dishes for all 3 of mine. Zoe & Jett's are a really flat square dish and for some reason that seems to help. Callie's is just as flat but it's round and her face does seem a bit messier. But then again maybe it has nothing to do with the dish and everything to do with the girl. :blush:

There's a pic of the dishes I use in post #10 of this thread. Gosh what a hoot to look back at threads from 3 years ago. What a difference a different haircut and great products make! I had just bathed and blown dry both Z&J and thought they looked great. I need to do a before and after pic from 3 years ago to today. lol

http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/68-...-us-our-pups/81968-happy-4th-birthay-zoe.html


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## sophie (Jul 9, 2006)

Mine, too! 90% of the time they look like rag-a-muffins.  Sophie worse than Annie. Sophie looks like the whole portion is smooshed into her beard and mustache. The K-9 Cuisine dehydrated raw was the worse even when I cut down on how much water I added. Dr. Harvey's and Sojo's pre-mix was pretty bad, too. I just switched them both to the Nature's Variety raw frozen medallions and so far so good. They really like it and not much gets on their faces.


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## lovesophie (Jan 28, 2008)

Debbie, I don't add water to Sophie's food. She's on ZiwiPeak and her face stays clean after eating. I'm not familiar with Addiction Dehydrated Raw, but if you're adding water, maybe you can start feeding yours with a fork? I'm not sure how efficient this would be with FOUR dogs, LOL, but this has saved me the trouble of washing Sophie's face after every meal. It has worked wonders for us in the past, and it continues to work like a charm for when I feed scrambled eggs to my messy little piggy, haha. 



mysugarbears said:


> She doesn't get a messy face from eating dehydrated raw? What am i doing wrong, mine are on "Addiction Dehydrated Raw" and they get the messy faces, i think with that food i have the option of feeding it to them dry instead of hydrating it, but i like the idea of them getting more water in their food.


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

Of course you can always have them cut like The A Team.....


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## Canada (Jun 4, 2009)

mom2bijou said:


> Jill....you actually want me to reveal how messy they get?!:shy:
> The B&E you see in pics is not what they really look like LOL! :HistericalSmiley:
> I'll have to dig out some pics. I'll show you mine if you show me yours LOL!!! :HistericalSmiley:


 
:rofl:
I don't think I snapped pics of messy faces, but I have some of them covered in leaves! :w00t:


I wipe their face with baby wash cloths after some foods.
Paris doesn't mind the face bath, she wants to look pretty at all times.
Coco _hates_ having her face cleaned!
I say to her: 
_"No one has ever been killed by having their face washed!"_

And Tucker just tries to eat the face cloth.:blush:
We store his wet food in a container. When it's almost empty,
hubby finds it _oh so amusing_ to let Tucker have the entire container and he sticks his entire head in it! This is very messy...he ends up with wet food hair gel... :w00t:


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