Animal hair is everywhere this time of year, just ask pet groomer Dana Miller. "When the season's change from cold to warm dogs with this type of coat shed excessively," says Miller.
Unless you're a professional we've all had this nightmare. You try to groom your dog it pulls and hurts and he doesn't want to stay so he runs away. And when you clean the brush it hurts you too. The Shed Pal promises to change that. It's a hand held vacuum powered grooming system that pulls in shedding hair without the pain of wire bristles.
Before you turn the Shed pal on, use long gentle strokes on the animal then turn it on and gather those clumps of hair at the end of each stroke.
Dana was anxious to try it out on this German Shepherd named Freddie, who she says has a double coat. "He's shedding his winter coat. They have a thick undercoat and a thinner top layer, so what we're seeing is the undercoat. That's what we're pulling out," says Miller.
So far so good, instead of fur flying everywhere, Freddie's white fluff fills the clear canister on the Shed Pal. And, he seems to like it. The commercial says that the secret is the massaging nubs on the 'U' shaped brush that gently gather the hair. Then, the recessed rotating motor sucks it into the canister.
Dana says besides nuisance fur in your home, products like the Shed Pal, regular brushing and grooming are highly important for your pet's health. "They can get rashes if the hair is not brushed on a regular basis. It can form mats and underneath the mats you can get hot spots, and dry skin," says Miller.
Dana wanted to compare the Shed Pal, with a slicker grooming brush, and also a furminator tool. She uses to reach deep beneath the dog's topcoat to safely remove the undercoat and loose fur. "This is the amount of hair we got out of our slicker brush, and this is the amount of hair out of the furminator, and this is the amount of hair out of the Shed Pal," says Miller.
The furminator and the slicker brush trumped the Shed Pal with that test.
Is it pet preferred? Yes, Freddie enjoyed the massage and the product didn't pull or snag. But, for suctioning out shedding fur, Dana says don't throw away your grooming brush just yet.
In your opinion is this a deal or dud? "A dud," says Miller.
The Shed Pal will leave your pet's coat clean and shiny but our expert says it takes in all loose fur. It costs about $20 dollars. We made several attempts to contact the company and have not heard back yet.
