Cleaning Bum Fur

[Fundog]

So... those of you with fluffy or long coated dogs, particularly female dogs: does urine and feces tend to get onto the bum fur? If so, how do you keep it clean?

Annie, having significant pain and discomfort toward her hind end anyway, has become very averse to being brushed anymore, so her "pants" tends to get matted and on top of being urine soaked (because she can no longer squat effectively), after a few days she starts to really reek. My current method of cleaning is to take a bucket of warm water with some baking soda and/or herbal tea, and hand wash her with a wash cloth, then dry her off with an old towel. I was just wondering if there is a better way. It is very difficult to get her in and out of the bath tub nowadays.

[Erica]

I know it's pretty common for groomers to give long-haired dogs a "sanitary" trim - trim or shave the bottom of the base of the tail and close to whatever bits the dog has. This means less cleaning is necessary, and less stuff builds up in the bum fur.

[Ari_RR]

We do this with our Himalayan cat-girl.... For what it's worth - it works, even though she may look funny to breed purists.

[Lisky]

As ludicrous as it may sound, I've found non-scented baby wipes are really useful for when such mishaps happen! It helps to freshen up the long hairs in the nether regions Having a trim can help too.