How to Bathe a Dog Without Clogging the Drain

Another expensive bill from the plumber for clearing a badly clogged tub drain after bathing your dog!  Enough already!  Time to come up with a way to prevent dog hair clogging your drain during bathing or this is going to get way too expensive!  

Dogs that lose hair during the bathing process can easily cause a clogged drain when that hair gets rinsed down the plumbing, resulting in a real mess.  There are, however, several things you can do to reduce dog hair being lost during bathing and prevent hair that comes off your dog during bathing from going down the drain.  Read on for some important tips on preventing dog hair-clogged drains.

Your dog loses hair, even so-called non-shedding breeds lose hair, although not usually enough to adversely affect your plumbing. Short haired dogs that shed excessively or long-haired dogs that lose their luscious locks are major contributors to clogged household drains. Your dog is wonderfully ambivalent about the problems his hair is causing, however, regular brushing to remove excess hair will make him feel better by reducing dead dry hair that can be itchy and cause knots.  This will make bathing easier on your dog and your pipes, with less hair to get rinsed down the drain.

• If you have a clogged drain and are using commercial corrosive drain cleaners, use with caution as they can burn skin or cause harmful fumes.
  
• Regular brushing of your dog is more effective than last-minute brushing as dog hair that builds up in an undercoat comprises coat health and can cause more hair loss during bathing.
  
• Be sure that homemade drain covers or baby wipes do not go down the drain and cause an obstruction.
  

Nobody wants to have to deal with a clogged drain, but dog hair clogs are particularly nasty! Brush your dog prior to bathing to remove as much loose hair and debris as possible. This will help prevent clogs and make bathing your dog easier.  Use of a homemade or commercial strainer over your drain to catch hair that is lost during the bathing process is also effective at preventing clogs.  Always wipe excess hair out of the tub instead of washing it down the drain.  It may seem like it is easier to rinse hair down the drain, but dealing with hair before it goes down the drain is a lot easier than dealing with it once it has to come back up!  Yuck!