How to Remove Tree Sap From Dog Hair
Removing tree sap from dog hair is difficult but not impossible. According to environmental writer Ellen Brown, even though hair is one of the hardest things to remove tree sap fromthe task can be made somewhat easier if the sap is still soft. Products to loosen and remove sap are available at stores selling pet supplies, hardware or camping equipment, but your kitchen is where youll find the safest, most effective sap removers.
Instructions
Peanut Butter
- 1
Begin cleaning the sticky mess immediately so the sap wont harden and become more entangled in your dogs fur. Check your dogs paws for sap that may be stuck on his pads or between his toes. Be prepared to clip affected fur with grooming scissors to remove stubborn bits of sap.
2Apply a liberal amount of creamy, oily peanut butter into the sap stuck in your dogs hair. You can use mayonnaise instead, but peanut butter is preferable if your dog is going to lick her fur.
3Soften the sap by intermittently blowing warm air onto it with a hair dryer set on low.
4Massage peanut butter into the affected fur and leave it there for a few minutes while the sap dissolves.
5Comb slowly through the dogs hair, using a large-toothed comb. Use your fingers and nails to loosen and scrape any stubborn sap off of the fur.
6Let your dog lick the excess peanut butter. The best reason to use recommended everyday food products to remove sap from your dogs hair is that whatever she licks from the area being treated will be edible and non-toxic.
7Shampoo and rinse with warm water.
Olive Oil or Other Salad Oils
- 8
Pour olive oil into a bowl and soak some cotton balls in the olive oil.
9Rub olive oil into the fur where the sap is stuck. Massage thoroughly so it penetrates and dissolves the sap.
10Use your fingers and fingernails to break up the sap, and then, follow the Urban Hound websites suggestion to gently pull and work the sap out of the hair as it softens.
11Use a washcloth to blot the excess oil. Repeat the entire procedure until the sap is removed completely.
12Bathe your dog. Shampoo the oily fur so the oil wont get on your furniture and clothing when your dog is free to run around.
Butter
- 13
Rub the dogs sticky fur with one or two teaspoons of butter. Keep rubbing until the sap has dissolved. The Woof Report dog care website explains that the butter works like a solvent on wet or dry fur, and it wont cause your dog any harm if he licks the butter off his coat.
14Scrub the area with dog shampoo and rinse with warm water.
15Comb slowly through the treated dog hair. Repeat the entire procedure until the sap is removed completely.
Coconut Oil
- 16
Rub extra virgin coconut oil into the sap and fur.
17Soften the sap by warming it with a hairdryer set on low.
18Massage into the fur so the coconut oil lubricates and breaks up the sap. Continue working the coconut oil into the fur and skin.
19Grasp the fur with a washcloth and ease the sap out of the dog hair.
20Spot shampoo to remove the coconut oil residue if you are worried about it getting on your belongings. Otherwise, there is no need to remove coconut oil because it is non-toxic and an excellent conditioner for your dogs skin and fur.
Baby Oil
- 21
Saturate the affected hair with baby oil, which works well for thick pine tree sap.
22Leave the oil on the fur for 15 to 20 minutes, loosening the sap by rubbing the affected dog hair between your fingers
23Use a large-toothed comb to gently work the sap out of the hair a little at a time.
24Scrub the fur with a warm wet washcloth and soap, followed by a warm water rinse.