I recommend everyone have a grooming tote. Whether your dog has a short or long coat, or goes to a groomer regularly. A grooming tote can come in very hand for touch ups between grooming sessions, when your dog gets messy outside (or inside), if your dog has a bath or gets wet, and so on! I also keep a few of my most used first aid items in my tote. I always keep my supplies in a shower caddy I got at the Dollar Tree (for a dollar). Mine is plastic with square holes in it, a nice handle, it has little separated sections in it, and it is a very sturdy plastic that has last me years. Everyone’s grooming tote will without a doubt differ. Here is mine, mine is for a short coat dog that sheds a lot, some of the things in mine were originally bought for my previous dog, a very fluffy husky. Before we start, I would like to note that some of these items you should consult with your vet before use, better safe than sorry!
Let’s jump into it, here is what’s in my tote:
“Ear Cleansing Pads” by Nutri-Vet
My dog ears tend to bother him often, so these come in very handy. These also make ear cleaning so much easier than regular ear cleaning solutions because they come as presoaked single use pads. I have had these for a couple years and they have held up great. They also seem to work great and don’t bother my dog as much as others. Usually, my dog will hold his ear sideways and shake his head when his ear is bothering him so I will use the pad to clean the inside of his ear, I believe it works right away but it will usually take around an hour for his ear to go back to normal.
“Bitter Yuck!” by NaturVet
This is a no chew spray for both dogs and cats. To be completely honest I haven’t had a need to use it yet. But I have heard wonderful things about it, and it is nice to have just in-case.
“Carprofen Caplets” by Putney
These are a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug also known as a NSAID. These are the canine equivalent of Ibuprofen, now before using these always check with your vet to make sure it is okay to use on your dog and what the proper dosage is. Personally, I think these work great, my dog cracked his pelvic bone when he was a around 6 months old and it sometimes still bothers him, so I use these for that and other injuries. Like recently somehow, he bent one of his toenails completely sideways and split it. He tends to tell me when he is in pain, if you pay attention, you will see signs in your dog when they are in pain. One odd thing he does when he is in pain is he will take his food bowl and hit it against the wall really hard several times in a row, it’s like he is taking his anger/pain out on it!
“T8 Keto Flush” by Bayer
This is actually for dogs, cats, and horses. It is for gentle flushing and cleansing of the skin and ears. It is used as an antibacterial and antifungal solution. I have used this only a few times, but it does seem to work well. I would also like to note that it does have Ketoconazole in it, hence the name.
“Wound and Skin Care” by Vetericyn
I should seriously work for Vetericyn because I am a big advocate for them and swear by their products. It seriously works miracles. I have used it on many wounds on all of my animals. The most impressive was when my horse caught just above her eye on something sharp and had a very deep long wound. We were on the fence of whether or not she should get stitches, as the only difference was a scar. At the time I didn’t have much money and she is older and not showing so I was okay with a scar. I used Vetericyn wound and skin care on it at least once a day, preferably twice. After just a few weeks it healed up nicely and there was no scar! Now you can’t even tell she ever was injured. That is just one of the amazing stories I alone have of Vetericyn.
“Hot Spot Antimicrobial Gel” by Vetericyn
I have been very lucky as my dog has never gotten a hot spot, however between my three sister’s and many dogs they tend to have hot spots quite often. So, I keep it in my kit mostly to let them borrow it. I hope I will never need it on my dog though.
“Leaks No More” by HomeoPet
I haven’t used this before, but I keep it anyways as I feel I will need it. This relieves urinary incontinence due to old age, spaying, neutering, and more. HomeoPet uses all-natural homeopath remedies and is safe for all kinds of animals.
“Travel Anxiety” by HomeoPet
I haven’t used this before either, but I keep it anyways as I feel I will need it. I feel explains itself, but it is relief from motion sickness and travel fear. HomeoPet uses all-natural homeopath remedies and is safe for all kinds of animals.
“Relieving Ear Rinse” by Burt’s Bees
This is a gentle formula to soothe irritated ears. This traditional method of cleaning the ears seems to work great! As I said before my dog has lots of ear issues, so it’s great to keep on hand.
“Paw & Nose Relieving Lotion” by Burt’s Bees
I have never tried this on the nose, but I use this all the time on my dog’s paws. Being a service dog, my dog walks on all kinds of different terrain. While he wears booties on hot surfaces, he still gets plenty of cracks on his paw pads. I love using this lotion on his paws. His paws used to be very rough and since we started using this lotion, they have not been rough or cracked.
“Nose & Paw” by Kin + Kind
I am in love with this product. It is a moisturizer for dogs and cats with shea butter, aloe, beeswax, and Jojoba Oil. It also is USDA Certified Organic, cruelty-free, GMO-free, and vet tested. The best part is it comes in a tube like a stick of deodorant, so you don’t get your hands all sticky when using it, plus it makes it easier to apply. Not to mention it works great. I have tried it on my dogs’ nose as well as the feet, but he really didn’t need it so I can’t say if it helped but he didn’t seem to mind it. But I can attest to it working great on cracked and rough paw pads.
Baby Wipes
I always keep these in basically all of my dog bags and totes. They have so many uses I can’t even begin to name them all. But they are definitely a must have.
“Tick Remover Tool” by Sentry
In our area we have a ton of ticks. This is a great product, because you don’t have to touch the tick with your bare hands. Once you remove it be sure you kill it properly, I recommend rubbing alcohol or burning it in a candle. Be aware of tickborne illnesses such as Lyme disease as these can be serious conditions. Although there is a vaccine for Lyme disease there is no cure for it, so I would recommend vaccinating.
“Gentle & Tearless Puppy Shampoo” by Top Paw
I have this in little travel sized 2 oz. bottles. These are really convenient and a lot easier to use then the regular big bottles. They work and smell great. I usually keep these in my “Puppy Bag”, but I had a few extra and stuck them in my tote.
“Salon Exclusive Ultra Shine Shampoo” by Top Paw
I have this in “color enhancing” in a 16 oz. bottle. This shampoo works wonders! Plus, I like the smell of it. It works great when my dog likes to get down and dirty. It also contains Jojoba oil and Vitamins A, D, and E.
“Kwik-Stop” by ARC
This works great and is used to stop bleeding on dogs, cats, and birds. It’s great to have on hand for when you are cutting your dog’s toenails and cut them just a little too short.
“Waterless Dog Shampoo” by Tropiclean
I love using this product when my dog smells bad but isn’t really dirty. I also like to use it when I let my dog out in the middle of the night and he gets into something stinky, but I am too tired to give him a full-blown bath. Usually, I will either squirt some onto a rag, my hands, or onto a brush. If I use the rag or my hands, I will spread it all over him really good, I usually brush him after too. Or I just skip the middleman and squirt it directly on the brush and brush him all over, I usually have to squirt more on 2 or 3 times, but he is a big dog. This stuff is amazing and does a great job.
Muzzle
Before use, be sure your muzzle is properly fitted. I have never had to use it and I hope I will never have to, but it is something I like to keep on hand.
Slip Lead
I feel it is something that could come in handy. But the real reason is simply I had an extra and it felt like a good place to keep it.
Scissors
I like to keep a really nice pair of scissors in my tote. These have countless uses, for example, opening a bag or product, cutting some hair on your dog (please be careful), cutting something off your dog, like a matt or burr, and many, many more uses.
Double-Sided Pin and Bristle Combo Brush
This is my favorite and most used brush. Mine specifically is by the Ellen DeGeneres line and has a wooden handle. I love the look and use of it along with the functionality.
Double-Sided Flex Slicker Brush
I have had this a long time. I really don’t use this brush much anymore because it is more for long coated dogs. But I did use this on my husky and really liked it.
“Flea Comb” by Oster
I like this comb a lot for brushing out small tangles and debris. I also like to use it to clean out some of my other brushes.
Medium to Long Hair Comb & a De-Shedding Rake
I am grouping these two together because they are virtually the same brush. The difference is one is comb shaped while the other is rake shaped. This brush is my second most used brush, it does an amazing job. I also really like this one to clean other brushes, even over the flea comb as the flea comb can be too small sometimes. I tend to go back and forth on which one I prefer but must often I prefer the rake.
Furminator
The Furminator is a tool I originally got for my husky but quickly learned that I love this brush for most coat lengths. It is very good at getting the second coat and it is very easy to clean.
Plier Clippers
My favorite and most used pair of clippers. As you may have guessed these basically look like a pair of pliers crossed with a pair of scissors.
Guillotine Clippers
I am not a fan of these kind of clippers because they very easily pinch the dog’s nails.
Nail Grinder
While I do really like the grinders, you have to be really careful as they take off a lot more nail than it seems. They also can easily burn the dog both from friction and from the grinder’s motor heating up.
I hope you enjoyed my article. Let me know in the comments what is in your grooming tote and if this helped you or just taught you something new. Be sure to subscribe, to receive our monthly newsletter and be notified when my next article comes out. If you have any questions, or need training advice, leave a comment, or send me an email and I will get back with you as soon as possible!
Jaynie Kiel
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