# Maintaining a clean beard after wet meals



## LilGusDog (Jan 29, 2013)

So i've just recently started mixing in a half patty of Stella and Chewy's freeze dried food (aka dog crack) to Gus' Fromm at mealtimes. Most of you S&C users recommended reconstituting it with water and I've been doing that. I'm finding that Gus' face gets so dirty after mealtimes and i'm not sure how to deal with it. Particularly with breakfast. Often, after I give him his breakfast I've had to leave the house for one reason or another and didn't have enough time to rinse his face before I had to go. I don't like leaving his face dirty  So this last week, I resorted to just crumbling the S&C on top of his kibble. He loves it both ways. Gus also drinks a fair amount of water so I haven't been too concerned but i'd really prefer to rehydrate his food. Crumbling is so much neater thougn. :blush:

So my question is, how do you S&C or wet food users handle the face mess? Do you wash after each meal or just wait til the end of the day? Also, I have Spa Lavish but i'm finding it difficult to just wash his face without getting his whole body wet. He pretty much gets a mini-bath every time. :/ Please, any advice would be greatly appreciated!


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## IzzysBellasMom (Jan 16, 2013)

If you use the biogroom waterless spray, you don't have to rinse after. Or if you do rinse, I have used both a baby bib or a large towel and wrap it around his body. Both seem to work really well. Sometimes I just use a damp wash cloth after the biogroom, or spray the biogroom directly on the wet wash cloth. It just depends on how dirty his face is.


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## Grace'sMom (Feb 22, 2012)

I spoon feed LOL

I know I'm not alone in this!

Sometimes I wash her face, but usually I'm too tired to do it. So she gets hand/spoon fed.


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## Bailey&Me (Mar 8, 2010)

I feel your pain! I also feed my two their breakfast right before I leave for work in the mornings and don't have any time to wash faces. This is one of the reasons I tend to feed Emma a more "dry" meal in the mornings. Most of the time she eats Addiction dehydrated raw - I try to make it with a bit less water in the mornings or let it sit for a bit longer so that it fluffs up more so it makes less of a mess. Or I will give her some kibble occasionally. 

I'd recommend just adding the S&C patty to his dinner - but make sure you are adjusting the amount of kibble accordingly. Or maybe a morning meal of kibble and dinner of a rehydrated S&C patty?

As far as washing faces - I also find it hard to wash Emma's without getting her all wet but putting a baby bib on her helps, as does using an applicator bottle that I got from Sally's. Most of the time though, I use the Biogroom waterless shampoo to clean her face as that is the easiest!


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## cherrycola (Nov 23, 2013)

I always feed kibble for breakfast as I either feed Io and Alfie right as I leave for work, or if the dogs are coming to work with me, then I'll wait until we get there to feed them and kibble is eating to feed in the office.

I give canned food or fresh raw tripe for the evening meal, and I use babywipes to clean around Io's mouth. Although I keep her hair quite short so she doesn't get too messy. I do the same after she's eaten a chew.


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## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

Lola is my messy eater, what I do for her is I start to put on a stretchy sweater on her but stop when it is just over her eyes. The fabric keeps all the hair back, including the ears. It makes a huge difference for us. She is totally fine with wearing it. You can also buy snoods which would do the same job. She is a fast eater and doesn't remove it until she is finished, but I can't imagine it working for a nibbler or slow eater. Wouldn't even try it for Penny.


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## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

I really recommend not feeding the S&C's in the morning if you don't have time to wash his face. (He's adorable btw!) I cringe when people don't rehydrate freeze dried or dehydrated foods. And like with dry kibble, I am constantly hearing people say, they drink lots of water. But the truth is they physically cannot drink enough water to make up for the lack of moisture in dry kibble or the freeze dried/dehydrated foods. And lack of moisture in dry foods is the leading cause of kidney issues, UTI's, crystals, stones, etc... And once you rehydrate S&C's, you need to handle it the way you would raw meat. So face washing is really needed if you have one that gets it all in their muzzle hair. Snoods are great. I have one that won't eat with one one. She really tried but I think she thought it would hit the food dish or something because she would always stop when she got her head close to the dish.

I think once you do enough face washes, you'll get good at it and not be giving a mini bath.  I set mine on the side of the laundry tub and wash their face without getting them wet. If you don't have a faucet that has a hose attachment, try getting one of the hair color mixing bottles from Sally's Beauty Supply and filling it with warm water to rinse. I like using a no rinse shampoo like the others, but no matter how great the shampoo is, if you are using it daily or twice a day, it will start to build up. So I still rinse it out but don't worry about getting every bit out since it's a no rinse. You'll have to experiment with brands. I've found I prefer PurePaws No Rinse. I found SpaLavish Blueberry Facial as well as BioGRoom's too drying. But I know others felt that about the PurePaws. 

As for babywipes, I don't recommend those either since the ingredients to moisten those aren't really meant to be ingested and they do a lot of licking. Most baby wipes contain at least one of these ingredients, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Propylene Glycol, and 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol from my understanding. I've not researched at length since I won't use them to wash my fluffs faces or paws. But if someone does use them regularly, you may want to check into it a bit further. Whether the one source I looked at is credible I'm not sure, but one of those ingredients may possibly even release formaldehyde over time.


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## cherrycola (Nov 23, 2013)

Crystal&Zoe said:


> As for babywipes, I don't recommend those either since the ingredients to moisten those aren't really meant to be ingested and they do a lot of licking. Most baby wipes contain at least one of these ingredients, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Propylene Glycol, and 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol from my understanding. I've not researched at length since I won't use them to wash my fluffs faces or paws. But if someone does use them regularly, you may want to check into it a bit further. Whether the one source I looked at is credible I'm not sure, but one of those ingredients may possibly even release formaldehyde over time.


Thanks. I've just checked the packet and the brand we use does not contain any of those ingredients. Do you still think they should be avoided anyway?


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## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

cherrycola said:


> Thanks. I've just checked the packet and the brand we use does not contain any of those ingredients. Do you still think they should be avoided anyway?


I would look at each ingredient and see what they are. They may be a form of the ones I mentioned but listed differently. I wouldn't myself because I think it also builds up and leaves a residue on the hair.


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## cherrycola (Nov 23, 2013)

Crystal&Zoe said:


> I would look at each ingredient and see what they are. They may be a form of the ones I mentioned but listed differently. I wouldn't myself because I think it also builds up and leaves a residue on the hair.


Thank you for your help. I'll look into things further. I don't want to risk anything that may harm Io.


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## mysugarbears (Aug 13, 2007)

silverhaven said:


> Lola is my messy eater, what I do for her is I start to put on a stretchy sweater on her but stop when it is just over her eyes. The fabric keeps all the hair back, including the ears. It makes a huge difference for us. She is totally fine with wearing it. You can also buy snoods which would do the same job. She is a fast eater and doesn't remove it until she is finished, but I can't imagine it working for a nibbler or slow eater. Wouldn't even try it for Penny.


I cut the foot off of some old socks to use as snoods they wouldn't eat, they acted like their mouths couldn't move!  :huh::HistericalSmiley:



Crystal&Zoe said:


> I think once you do enough face washes, you'll get good at it and not be giving a mini bath.  I set mine on the side of the laundry tub and wash their face without getting them wet. If you don't have a faucet that has a hose attachment, try getting one of the hair color mixing bottles from Sally's Beauty Supply and filling it with warm water to rinse. I like using a no rinse shampoo like the others, but no matter how great the shampoo is, if you are using it daily or twice a day, it will start to build up. So I still rinse it out but don't worry about getting every bit out since it's a no rinse. You'll have to experiment with brands. *I've found I prefer PurePaws No Rinse. I found SpaLavish Blueberry Facial as well as BioGRoom's too drying. But I know others felt that about the PurePaws.*



I was one of the ones that found the PP No Rinse too drying, but i love the way it cleans, so we are going back to using the PP No Rinse and i'll just add a little conditioner and the PP smells sooo good! I like that the Biogroom doesn't dry the hair, but i don't feel like it cleans as well as the PP and the SpaLavish Blueberry cleans ok, but i like what Crystal had suggested to me in the past using i think equal parts PP No Rinse and the PP Brightening Shampoo, it really does help with the staining.


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## starcham (Jan 29, 2011)

I am on day 4 of working religiously on Kai's tear stains, so I'm washing his face daily (just switched to evenings.

I place a drop of Spa Lavish or Blueberry Facial in a shallow dish and dilute it. I wet a washcloth with warm water, a little less than soaking wet. Then I wet a second washcloth and ring it out. I have 2 dry cloths. I take everything to where I am going to wash his face. Dry my hands. Keep one hand dry at all times. Holding his face I dip a toothbrush in the diluted wash and go to town, gently. When I am done, I use the wet, wet washcloth to 'rinse', then the wet washcloth just to make sure no soap is left behind.

Because I am working on his tear stains, I dry his face. Apply the Eye Envy liquid. Then I use a very small makeup brush to apply the Eye Envy powder. I wasn't using the product correctly, so I'm going to try very hard to stick to the regiment this time to see if his face improves.


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## LilGusDog (Jan 29, 2013)

Thank you all for your input! I will try the bib and hair color mixing bottle! If those don't work, I'll try the other ideas....the snood intrigues me  I'm sure Gus will appreciate not having a mini bath everyday! :w00t:


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## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

mysugarbears said:


> I cut the foot off of some old socks to use as snoods they wouldn't eat, they acted like their mouths couldn't move!  :huh::HistericalSmiley:


I don't think an old sock would work for Lola either. Just too tight, and the wrong shape. The sweater I use has a ribbed neck then the rest is rather loose so she isn't really confined. The neck isn't overly tight either, just enough to hold in place. She is just fine with that. These only work for instant eaters though  little piggies like Lola :HistericalSmiley:


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## mysugarbears (Aug 13, 2007)

silverhaven said:


> I don't think an old sock would work for Lola either. Just too tight, and the wrong shape. The sweater I use has a ribbed neck then the rest is rather loose so she isn't really confined. The neck isn't overly tight either, just enough to hold in place. She is just fine with that. These only work for instant eaters though  little piggies like Lola :HistericalSmiley:



Maureen i finally found the snoods that i had ordered long ago and they still wouldn't eat with them on, they kept trying to take them off...i might have try sweaters, maybe that will work! All 5 of mine are quite the little piggies...their food is gone in a matter of seconds...now you see it now you don't!!! :HistericalSmiley:

Oh, to answer the original question, i too use the coloring mixing bottles from Sally's it seems to help with not getting them soaking wet.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Roo eats canned cuts/gravy style food. I just take a wet cloth with a spritz of waterless shampoo and then blot him dry with a dry cloth. Only takes a minute.


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

I schedule my mornings so that I feed the fluffs and then wash their faces and brush their teeth. Then I put on my clothes and leave for work. I'm all ready to leave (makeup, hair, etc.) but don't put on my clothes until after I do their faces/teeth as too often, I've gotten something on my outfit and had to change anyway. I do what Jackie does and spritz with waterless shampoo and use a damp washcloth.


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