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Review: Bamboo’s FurBuster De-Sheds All Skepticism
Several dog posts ago, Dave reviewed the phallic-looking FURminator, which introduced me to the wonderful world of branded de-shedding tools. Seriously, how do you come up with the FURminator? To be honest, I was always skeptical of them, having seen looped video footage in a few pet stores of all these other de-shedding brushes, combs, mittens, etc. It’s kind of like watching QVC. No wait, it’s worse. It’s kind of like watching that obnoxious guy with the colored beard bragging about KaBoom, OxyClean or whatever the latest cleaning solution trend is on the horizon. Like one simple spray and wipe is going to remove that oil spill that’s been sitting in your grout for days, ha! Right.
I do trust Dave’s review though, but it’s always better to try products out for yourself. Enter: Bamboo’s FurBuster. Now, marketing-wise you could actually make something cool of this, like a FurBuster commercial with the Ghost Busters theme song or something, but I digress. FurBuster is yet another de-shedding tool that I thought wouldn’t quite work with Beary. He’s a small dog and has very thin, long puppy hair that gets tangled and matted real easily.
The instructions say to brush your dog’s hair prior to using the FurBuster, which is probably the best advice you’ll ever want to remember lest you want to ruin your dog’s fancy shag. Interestingly enough, the FurBuster actually does work flawlessly like it advertises on the packaging and on Bamboo’s site. The kit comes with three detachable blades, depending on your dog’s size. And unlike previous versions, this de-shedder also has a nice ergonomic handle, which makes de-shedding a breeze. However, I will say this: it works a lot better on bigger dogs of the spaniel variety. I actually did wind up testing the FurBuster on Shannon’s parents’ springer spaniel, Spanky, and it made his coat feel a lot cleaner and softer several minutes afterward. The best part was that neither Spanky nor Beary minded the de-shedding process.
And now for the really cool part: we will be giving a free Bamboo Deluxe Grooming Set away in an upcoming contest, so check back for that and your dog, too, could be strutting around your neighborhood with a clean, soft coat =)
Pros: Comes with different blades depending on your dog’s size. Easy to use. Nice handle. You can even use it on your cat.
Cons: It’s not a miracle tool that will substitute grooming. You won’t see the results as much as you’ll feel them.
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Michael Kuhlmann is an avid Web designer, writer and emoticon abuser. His dog, Beary White, provides him with daily inspiration for his work... like the time he chewed up his brand new bluetooth headset that he never used =PMore posts from this author (85) | Elsewhere online
The graphic with the floor completely covered in removed hair is no joke, hopefully you’ll do this outside or put the hair in a trashcan though.
I actually was skeptical of this too, as I keep on buying dog razors that wont even cut their hair!
This is the first comb that truly de sheds fur, but it also gets fleas! Just keep wiping the hair into a paper towel as you go and wad the fleas up.
ALL 5 of my dogs love it, and three of them hate everything else I’ve tried, this one they love =0) Even the 3 cats love it! What’s that say about it’s blade? Awesome!
my question – can you use this too often on your dog??? we have a flat coated retriever – and it’s great on getting all of that hair off of her – my house looks so much less hairy!! but can i do harm to her coat by brushing her with this too often?
thank you
@sarita
hey there – we’re trying to figure that out right now from an authoritative source, but i don’t think it would cause any immediate health risks. will definitely keep you posted so keep checking back!
Update #2: Bamboo’s Customer Service rep said there’s no harm in using the Furbuster “too often.” She said to check with your vet to see if your dog has any pre-existing health conditions that may be affected by brushing him/her too much. Hope this helps!
I asked my groomer today, and she recommended only using the Furminator, DeShedder, or FurBuster, et al. about once a week. Apparently brushes of this sort are so good at taking out “bad” hair that it will also take out some “good” hair with it…using it too often (like everyday!) will give you a bald doggie or kitty cat!
I have shorthair ragdoll tabby mix kitties & this tool works tremendously well on them! The instructions say not to brush though too much in the same spot b/c it can cause skin irritation. Is this true? Ironically I called the vet & no one there had heard of this product.
Rachel,
I use the same tool on my dogs and cats–I was told by a groomer that it’s best to only use deshedder tools like this only once a week. The tool has pretty sharp edges, so I’m guessing using it too much could possibly scratch up their skin.
It really does work wonders though! Just using it once a week, along with using a regular brush every other day, has just about ended our shedding problems.
Funny that the vet never heard of it…they’ve probably heard of the FURminator, which is the same kind of tool, and a more popular name brand–same exact tool, different name
Agree with Dustin. Be careful with how you use it. We brushed our cats and dog a little too hard and they have bald spots.