I have been breeding white Pomeranians for the past 12 years. One of the main difficulties and discouragements that I have encountered is acquiring good white Pomeranians and keeping their whiteness. When I buy them, they are practically snow white but after a few months, they are no longer that white...more of light cream and some even become dark biscuit. Over the years, this has puzzled me. Because of my desire to make them really white white, I would oftentimes sacrifice quality for the sake of getting that elusive white color. But it is always that same old story. They are born white but eventually they turn cream.....to dark biscuit. At least, there would be some yellowish tinge behind the ears or on the saddle.
Now, I would like to share some of what I have learned and in the process, hopefully, this would serve as a motivation for those who has been discouraged...to offer them a fresh encouragement to pursue further their white breeding program. When the white Pomeranians are white white, they are so magically irresistible. One prospective customer was not too keen on one of my white Pomeranians because he said it was not white enough. I posed a challenge to her and I said, “That Pomeranian can be presented to be more white by bleaching and if I have it bleached now, will you like to see?” After the bleaching, the dog was sold.
For a start, I would like to share my definition of what is a white Pomeranian. A white Pomeranian is a pom that is born white. Down the line, if he/she happens to turn light cream, I would still call him/her a white. Why? It is just like a white fabric or white T-shirt. Your human children would like to play and their clothes or T-shirt gets dirty, specially in the portion of the neck. Or, through usage over time, it ends up being light cream. And so, what do they do? They use detergents like .....chlorox......in short....BLEACHING AGENTS. There would be a bleaching counterpart of the coat of a white Pomeranian.
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Many of these white Pomeranians are born white and over time, they lose their snow whiteness. This could be attributed to the following:
1. Genetically, they are not really homogenously white white but rather the dominant reds/oranges background which has been diluted to become a carrier gene that somehow shows turtle signs of their hidden existence. Oftentimes, you see this is terms of yellowish tinge at the back of the ears or even in the saddle.
2. Enviromentally accumulated dirt thereby causing disobedient discolorations and stains such as:
A. Tear stains which eventually turn reddish.
B. Saliva stains in the mane of the Pomeranian which eventually turn reddish over time.
C. Dirty ear mites which also stains the ear area, left unchecked, making them turn reddish.
D. Urine/Urea stains causing heavy discoloration on the yellow side.
E. Exposure to unclean surfaces like the rust of dog runs/cages, dirty of the floor, etc.
F. Sun stains
G. Stains caused by the minerals of water, like manganese, specially those sourcing their water supply from deep wells.
All these stain exposure should be immediately cleaned and done so regularly. Left unchecked, they become extremely difficult to remove and more drastic actions will be required.
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For whites, the rule is to clean them up immediately when they get dirty. The longer you wait, the more the disobedient the stain will be. Here are some things you can do to help you keep your white Pomeranians white:
TEAR STAINS
They say prevention is always better than the cure. To prevent tear stains,
1. Make sure that the eyes are clear of dirt, dust or even hair is so important for the maintenance of your pom. Using cotton buds with SALINE SOLUTION(SODIUM CHLORIDE) to clean the eyes and tear stains is a regular protocol for my dogs. Keep the hair portion below the eyes as dry as possible using cotton to sponge any wetness, keeping them super dry.
2. The smell of ammonia coming from urine and urea causes tearing of the eyes. So keep your areas clean.
3. There are certain ORAL MEDICATIONS which prevents tearing of the poms. SHINY Syrup 30 ml which was given to me by Frank from Taiwan. This is a US brand and there is a powder equivalent. This is the best I have tried amongst all but the most expensive. An alternative medication would be HOLYGA biogen synthetic milk 500gm which is a feed for post weaning puppies or kittens. Manufactured by BIO-STARCH PTY LTD, Australia. This works too but not as good as SHINY.
4. Some have suggested a veterinary operation clearing the tear duct canal but its effectivenesss may or may not last forever. I have never tried this. Consult your veterinarian.
If the above is still insufficient, I would use ALL SYSTEMS TEAR STAIN REMOVER – Whitening Gel which is an excellent way of lightening if not removing the stain altogether. If this is not enough, you may want to use BIOGROOM WHITENING CREAM or simple WHITE DOG CHALK to hide imperfections just before entry in the dog show ring.
SALIVA STAINS
Saliva stains can be prevented by using a BIB. You can improvise by using a disposable mask which is available in pharmacies or drug stores. However, I would prefer to use my own homemade bib using a micro-fiber cloth and having it sewn into a bib.
GENERAL MAINTENANCE OF THE COAT
Regular shampooing is a must for whites. I usually use Whitening Shampoo from Number #1 All Systems or BIOGROOM to maintain the whiteness...and TEXTURIZING SHAMPOO from Ring 5 to keep the coat with a good finish. All these shampoos are available in concentrates by the gallon at Cherrybrooks.
There is also another whitening shampoo which I imported from Portugal called TABER DOG PELO BLANCO 300ml shampoo. This seems to be better than the above but rather expensive. It is available at: www.divasa.farmavic.com [1]
And if all this fails or prove to be unsatisfactory, I would BLEACH!
BLEACHING
Bleaching effectively lightens up the color ...or really kills the color. This is different from dyeing where the color is enhanced or put on.
In bleaching, you have the whitening powder and you have a liquid activator. Mixing the powder and the liquid activator 50-50, you produce the bleaching solution. The more the powder, the stronger the solution will be. Apply the solution to the dry dog using a toothbrush. Apply it gently but comprehensively in layers to ensure uniformity in the whiteness but at the same time take care that the undercoat is not scratched out during the application. Wait between 5-8 minutes after which you should rinse with a whitening shampoo. Repeat the process. Use a conditioner to moisturize the coat and keep it there for at least 3 monutes before rinsing if. Shampoo a third time, this time using a texturizing shampoo. Blow dry the hair but DO NOT USE HOT AIR because this will break the coat. After about 3 days, shampoo the dog again using heavy conditioner.
WARNING: BLEACHING CAN DAMAGE THE COAT OF THE DOG so you should not bleach more than once a month. Bleach only when ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.
The materials for bleaching can be purchased in beauty parlors. My first experience was when a local friend suggested that I use this bleaching materials which he purchased from a pet shop in Taiwan. They were is being sold in very small containers at very expensive price.
My second experience was sourced from a white breeder in the US which comes from a beauty parlour detailed as follows: ACTIVATOR: hairbleaching system Lovely Light 1000 ml crème activator with protective toning action 30 Vol 9% artego hair professional unicompany Srl – 000400Ardea(RM) Italy ...available at www.artegohairprofessional.com [2] ...and the matching POWDER is Equipment Evolution Color Tools SUPERMECHES+ MET 50gEwt 1.76 Formula Original – ALFAPARF, Milano ....available at www.ALFAPARF.com [3]
My third experience was sourced locally in the Philippines, again from a hair saloon. ACTIVATOR: EpSA oxidizing solution(1000ml) and the POWDER: EpSA bleaching powder formula plus nutrients net 500 mg. These are distributed by BIC Cosmetics.
I hope the foregoing has helped my blog readers in some way...and somehow, this will serve as a motivation to pursue a white breeding program which is really the fantasy and dream of most Pomeranian breeders.
February 8, 2011
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Links:
[1] http://www.divasa.farmavic.com/
[2] http://www.artegohairprofessional.com/
[3] http://www.alfaparf.com/