The season for haircuts begins in spring, when animals shed fur and parasites awaken. It continues until fall. "During the winter I have time to play backgammon," says Muli Perlman, a veteran dog and cat groomer. "At this time most dogs are brought in for shampooing after having played in the mud. Few owners are interested in a winter haircut. Sometimes, owners bring their dogs for a haircut only because they did not brush them and dead fur collected," Perlman reveals. "I tell every customer: 'Keep a brush in your back pocket and brush the dog at every opportunity.' You also have to brush against the direction of hair growth - this technique takes out a lot of dead fur. In addition, brushing is also a nice massage for the dog."

Cats also need frequent brushing. This is especially true of long-haired cats, such as Persians. "If you don't brush them every day, they begin to get dreadlocks," explains veterinarian Dr. Amir Beck, director of the Nahalat Hahai veterinary medicine center in Rishon Letzion. Perlman works in the center's grooming salon. In addition to the snarled, unaesthetic appearance, "Dead fur chokes the skin and doesn't let it breathe. That's a source of infection."

One should wash dogs and particularly cats, who clean themselves, as infrequently as possible. "Dogs have an oily layer on their skins that nourishes their fur and protects them from allergies, insect bites, etc. If you wash the dog with soap, every week or two, you remove that layer and the skin becomes exposed and vulnerable," Dr. Beck explains. "It is best to wash infrequently and only when the fur is dirty. You should, of course, use shampoo intended for animals, which suits their skin's acidity. Shampoo designed for humans will only cause problems." After a dog plays in the ocean, one should rinse it thoroughly with tap water. "However, small purebreds like Maltese and Yorkshire terriers need to be shampooed every month or month and a half," Perlman notes. "Their fur sweeps the floor and quickly gets dirty."

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Frequent shampooing is not the only thing that damages skin and fur. A haircut from an inexperienced groomer can also do damage. "In the past, lots of dogs developed eczema and rashes on the skin because their fur was clipped too closely. Lately, we have come to understand that it is preferable to leave half a centimeter of fur."

The hairy customer who arrives in the salon adjacent to the veterinary clinic today is a former stray, who "had a very difficult life." Belinda stands on the table with a strap tied around her neck. "Some groomers tie the strap around the hips," Perlman says, "and some don't tie one at all. They are the kindest, but it means that what should be a 40 minute haircut takes three hours."

Belinda was cheerful and upbeat when she arrived, but now her whole body is shaking. Perlman is unmoved. "Belinda's no coward. A fearful dog shakes much more than she does, cries, soils the table and bites. If I come across a problematic dog, I tell the owners to go run a few errands. If the owners are not present, it is likely the dog will behave. It's like what the kindergarten teacher tells parents: 'Leave the kid and come back in the afternoon.' That's the only way the teacher can control a toddler."

Perlman starts to shave Belinda and her mood seems to take a turn for the worse. After a few minutes, he touches his arm with the electric razor to see if the blade is beginning to overheat. "Sometimes I see dogs that have been burned by the razor. This shows that the groomer has been sleeping on the job and did not switch the razor in time."

The heat of the razor damages the hair follicle, says Dr. Beck, "I have had clients whose dogs' fur stopped growing in certain areas after a haircut." In addition, Dr. Beck says that the groomer must sterilize the blade in between haircuts to avoid passing diseases from one dog to another.

As we are speaking, a foul smell enters from the adjoining treatment room. The owner of a dog that came in for an examination rushes out of the room. "I'm pregnant," she apologizes for her sensitivity to the smell. Her dog was treated with antibiotics for an infection and had its anal glands drained. How is that connected to a haircut? Courses for dog groomers recently began to include lessons in how to empty anal glands. The veterinarian appears to be somewhat perturbed by this invasion into what used to be his territory. "The gland is located at a depth of about two centimeters and you have to squeeze it in the right direction," says Dr. Beck. "An inexperienced person could injure the gland, and by the time symptoms begin to show, it would be difficult to prove how the injury occurred."

We return to Belinda. She is still quaking and waiting for the procedure to end. "We have arrived at the foot. Many dogs don't like to be shaved here." Perlman then shaves a little bit of fur on the head before relinquishing the razor for scissors. "I give haircuts to purebred dogs, with papers, that participate in shows. I can even offer a mutt a flattering haircut. I am cutting the hair on Belinda's head so it will look small and proportionate to the shaved body.

"Most of the work is an endless routine," Perlman says. He has been grooming and taming dogs since 1980. "During the last 10 years, there was only one dog for whose breed I didn't know the regulation haircut. It was a Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier. In a case like that you open the book about dog grooming and learn the nuances of the haircut."

Can an owner try to groom his own dog? "I pity the dogs whose owners try to cut their hair. They simply burn them," Perlman says. "It's also difficult to get good results with a non-professional razor. More than once, I have received calls from customers who say, 'You have to fit me in today to fix this.'" Belinda is now in the bathtub. After a quick shampoo and rinse, she very happily heads home. "You don't need a blow-dry in the summer. The fur dries in an instant."

Summer reruns
Remember Nana? She appeared in this column alongside three dogs: Tasha, Joe and Pluto, who have been in the Ramat Gan ISPCA for three years. None of them has found a home. This is an opportunity to spring them from the kennel.

Telephone:
03-6967394, Pictures at: www.spca.org.il. Other dogs and cats waiting for homes at the Ramat Gan ISPCA will be available for adoption on Saturday, from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M., at the Hasukaah Bayit Hayarok nursery and garden center in Kfar Azar. Dog tamer Rafi Franco, of ?My Dog,? and veterinarian Dr. Boaz Arad will participate in the event.

For adoption: Afek, 10-months-old, was found starving and neglected at Kibbutz Afek. He has been rehabilitated and is waiting for adoption. Information available at the Gilboa Loves Animals nonprofit organization, 0506539439 or www.gilboadogs.co.il. The organization requires donations to fund the needs of dogs that remain in the kennel until a permanent home is found.

Ten-year-old Lady Lou, who appeared in this column, was adopted by a family in Haifa.