Burrs are not only sticky suckers, but they can also be painful and irritating. Besides pain in fur, burrs can also result in mats and skin irritation. Therefore many dog owners want to know how to keep burrs off dogs? In today’s article we’ll explain what burrs are and how to keep burrs off dogs.
How to Keep Burrs off Dogs?
You can keep burrs off dogs by using vegetable oil, tangle remover, keeping your dog on a leash, and putting a protective vest on your dog.
The best way to prevent your dog from getting burrs is to put vegetable oil on their skin. Hunters frequently use vegetable oil-based cooking sprays to prevent burrs in dogs. More importantly, it makes the removal process easier. Vegetable oil is better than baby and body oils for many reasons. The main reason being that it is safe for dogs to ingest.
If you want a better, long lasting way to keep burrs off your dog, you should use a tangle remover.
Other tips for preventing burrs in dogs are given below:
- When you take your dogs for a walk, keep them on a leash. It will prevent them from getting into weed patches.
- If it’s impossible to protect your dog from going into areas with high grasses and weeds, ensure that you get protective vests for dogs. You can get them from any pet or hunting store. These vests will ensure that burrs don’t latch on to your dog’s body. I definitely recommend one of these vests if you have a hunting dog.
A commercial weed killer can help you control burrs, but it’s not recommended for many reasons. As you know, weed killers are poisonous to pets and pollinators. Moreover, these chemicals can easily go away into water and food sources. Therefore, you shouldn’t use weed killers to prevent burrs.
What Are Burrs?
Burrs are seeds with teeth on them. Unfortunately, these teeth can easily latch onto your dog’s fur. They come in different shapes and sizes. If the burrs make their way into your dog’s skin, it can result in infections and pain. Therefore, it’s essential to keep burrs off dogs.
Where to Look for Burrs on Dogs?
Burrs can latch on almost anywhere on your dog’s body. So whenever your dog passes through grassy, weedy, and wooded areas, ensure that you carefully examine ear flaps, eyes, armpits, nose, under the tail, and between each toe and toe pad to spot burrs in your dog’s fur.
How to Remove Burrs off Dogs – Step By Step Guide
Removing burrs from dog fur is time-consuming but not impossible. They mostly get attached to dogs with long hair. Moreover, they cause the fur to knot. It can be the most challenging and painful process when you have to untangle the coat. When tangles get nasty, you’ll have to cut them.
Follow the below-given steps to remove burrs from the dog’s body.
Get All the Required Tools
Before you start removing burrs off dogs, ensure that you have a metal comb, protective gloves, dog detangler, cooking spray, slicker brush, wide teeth comb, sharp scissors, and regular hairbrush. Once you have all these tools, move to the next step.
Use Fingers to Remove Visible Burrs
It’s perhaps the easiest way. Use your fingers to remove loose burrs from the dog’s fur. Dogs don’t like their furs to be pulled; therefore, you need to be very gentle. Detangle the fur to remove burrs. Before using your fingers for removing burrs, ensure that you put on protective gloves. Otherwise, harder and spike-like burrs can injure your fingers.
Comb the Dog
A wide-toothed metal comb can be a great option to comb your dog. First, use a comb to pull out any visible burrs. This step can work best on single or loosely adhering burrs. Sometimes, the burrs can be severely tangled, so in this case, you need to start from the edge of the tangle and slowly make your way in.
Break Burrs into Pieces
Sometimes burrs get tough, and they’re impossible to remove by comb and fingers. In this case, you need to use pliers to crush the head of a burr. Moreover, break it into smaller pieces so that it can be removed easily. Be careful when using this tactic because you might end up pinching your fingers or your dog’s skin. Once the burr is crushed, you should be able to easily comb it out.
Cut Down Stubborn Burrs
For long-haired dogs with undercoats, burrs can deeply get tangled. In this case, you’ll need to cut off or shave the burrs. You need to do this with sharp scissors or hot clipper heads; therefore, you need to be careful.
Ensure that you work the comb under the tangle so that you can easily cut above the comb. It will help you protect your dog’s skin from injury. If you feel that you can’t cut or remove the burrs from the dog’s coat, take your dog to a professional groomer. They’re skilled and know how to remove burrs safely by cutting a dog’s hair.
Some FAQs about Burrs in Dogs
To learn more about Burrs in dogs, check out the frequently asked question below.
Can Burrs Make Dog Sick?
Yes, they can make your dog sick. When dogs swallow them, they can cause breathing and digestion issues. Moreover, they can lead to infections as well.
Do Burrs Hurt Dogs?
Yes, they do. When burrs stick to your dog’s fur, they can be painful. When you don’t remove them quickly, they can become embedded in the skin and lead to infections.
Can You Wash Burrs Out of Dog’s Fur?
Yes, you can wash burrs out of Dog’s Fur:
- Spray cooking spray on the affected fur
- Use your fingers to separate the tangles
- Use a wide-toothed comb to loosen the burr
- Use gentle motions and keep repeating until the burrs are out.
Final Words
Burrs in dogs’ fur aren’t only painful for dogs, but also for their owners. Therefore, people want to know how to keep burrs off dogs. We have answered this question in detail. Moreover, we have shared tips for preventing burrs in dogs. So, you can follow this guide and protect your dogs from burrs.
