The small, prickly thorns found on sticker burrs love attaching themselves to fur, and getting them out of your dog's hair can be a somewhat tedious chore for both of you. Fortunately, there are ways to get stickers off of your dog without hurting him or your fingers.
Inspect your doggy's entire body for stickers when he comes in from the great outdoors. Gently pat along his sides, back, legs, tail and neck. Inspect small crevices where stickers often burrow, such as in the ears and armpits, between his toes and around the genitalia.
Use a metal dog comb to pull any loose stickers from your dog's fur. Gently comb the affected hair from above the sticker. The burr slides down the hair shaft where you can remove it a bit more easily.
Put on a pair of leather work gloves and carefully remove stubborn stickers by hand. Hold down the roots of your dog's hair with one hand and gently pull the sticker burrs out with the other.
Untangle sticker burrs deeply caught in your dog's fur. Gently pull the matted hair apart with your fingers, starting at the tips of his fur and working your way down to the roots. Once the fur is untangled, extract the sticker by hand.
Apply a little vegetable oil around severely tangled stickers. The oil helps loosen and lubricate the fur around the burr so you can slide it out with your fingers. Afterward, give your doggy a bath using warm water and dog shampoo to remove the vegetable oil.
Cut extremely stubborn stickers out of your dog's fur as a last resort. Use blunt-tipped scissors to prevent injuring his skin. Angle the scissor blades perpendicular to your dog's skin instead of parallel to it so any resulting bald spots aren't quite so noticeable.
Groom your dog with a slicker brush after removing all of the stickers. This helps smooth out his fur and ensures that you removed all of the burrs.
Tips
Gently pinch the matted fur around the sticker before cutting to make sure you're not about to snip skin. Reward your dog during the entire sticker removing process with praise and treats. If your dog's fur attracts stickers, trim down his coat so the burrs are easier for you to remove.
Warnings
Never leave stickers in your dog's fur or it can cause matting and skin irritation or infection. Always get sticker burrs out of your pooch's coat before he gets wet. Wet fur shrinks, and it will become even more difficult to remove the sticker.
Warnings
Never leave stickers in your dog's fur or it can cause matting and skin irritation or infection.
Always get sticker burrs out of your pooch's coat before he gets wet. Wet fur shrinks, and it will become even more difficult to remove the sticker.
Tips
Gently pinch the matted fur around the sticker before cutting to make sure you're not about to snip skin.
Reward your dog during the entire sticker removing process with praise and treats.
If your dog's fur attracts stickers, trim down his coat so the burrs are easier for you to remove.
Items You Will Need
- Metal dog comb
- Leather work gloves
- Vegetable oil
- Dog shampoo
- Blunt-tipped scissors
References
- The Doctor's Book of Home Remedies for Dogs and Cats: Over 1,000 Solutions to Your Pet's Problems-From Top Vets, Trainers, Breeders, and Other Animal Experts; Prevention Magazine Health Book Staff
- Pets, Part of the Family: The Total Care Guide for All the Pets in Your Life; Mark Bricklin
- ASPCA: Grooming FAQ
Resources
Tips
- Gently pinch the matted fur around the sticker before cutting to make sure you're not about to snip skin.
- Reward your dog during the entire sticker removing process with praise and treats.
- If your dog's fur attracts stickers, trim down his coat so the burrs are easier for you to remove.
Warnings
- Never leave stickers in your dog's fur or it can cause matting and skin irritation or infection.
- Always get sticker burrs out of your pooch's coat before he gets wet. Wet fur shrinks, and it will become even more difficult to remove the sticker.