Is The Furminator Bad For Huskies? Owners MUST Know This

Furminator is a well-known brand that has a range of brushes all designed to help groom your furry friend. But is the FURminator de-shedding tool good for huskies?

The FURminator de-shedding tool is not ideal for huskies as it can inadvertently damage the healthy topcoat layer with incorrect use. It’s better to use an Undercoat Rake to remove dead fur.

Important note* FURminator has a range of other brushes that are more suitable for huskies. This article highlights what those are further below.

What Is The FURminator Deshedding Tool?

The most well-known brush in The FURminator range is the de-shedder tool.

This is their iconic brush and it’s designed to remove dead fur from the undercoat. They have many variations of the de-shedder depending on the type of coat your breed has.

Huskies have thick double coats and are known for their spectacular shedding. Naturally, this has owners scrambling to find the best brush possible to remove the dead fur and maintain their husky’s coat.

The de-shedder tool is somewhat sharp and does have the ability to damage the topcoat if used incorrectly*.

Owners have mixed feelings about the de-shedder, some love it, and some hate it. It depends on how it has been used. I know owners who use it without damaging the coat, and others weren’t so lucky.

Is The FURminator Good or Bad For Huskies?

The de-shedder does a very good job of removing fur. We’ll give it that! It does what it says on the tin.

However, our main issue with it, is how easily owners can misuse it and end up damaging or cutting healthy topcoat hair.

Can that be avoided? Sure, it certainly can and that’s why some say they like the brush. But in general, most people will use it incorrectly and can accidentally damage or cut the topcoat.

So that’s why we don’t recommend using it, plus, when it comes to removing dead undercoat fur, the de-shedding tool isn’t even the most effective! So why use it anyway, right?

The Better Brush From FURminator You Should Be Using

My Happy Husky has always recommended just two brushes that best suit huskies: The FURminator Undercoat Rake and a quality Slicker Brush.

1. The FURminator Undercoat Rake

The undercoat rake is incredibly simple and your husky will experience a much better brushing session compared to when you use a de-shedding tool.

Undercoat rakes feature a single row of dull, rounded metal teeth designed to go deep into the undercoat. The rake is smooth so it doesn’t pull or cut the fur. The dead hair just gets trapped in the rake and easily comes out. It’s a fuss-free process.

This simple design outperforms de-shedding tools over and over again, AND it provides the least irritation for your husky throughout brushing. It’s crucial that your husky considers brushing as a positive and enjoyable experience, otherwise, next time will be a nightmare.

2. Slicker Brush

The FURminator has its own slicker brush, but it’s not as good as this one from a company named Hertzko.

Slicker brushes are great at maintaining the topcoat.

So we always recommend starting any brushing session with the FURminator undercoat rake, before finishing off with a slicker brush.

The slicker brush is made up of short thin metal wires. These do not reach down far enough to access the undercoat, so there’s no risk of them touching the skin.

The thin wires smooth out and remove final hair and debris from the topcoat. And they do an awesome job of it. Combining these two brushes together is a favorite for many husky owners. We seriously recommend trying it out!

So Should You Avoid The De-Shedding Tool?

Well, considering that we strongly believe the Undercoat Rake and Slicker Brush do a far better job of grooming, we say there’s no point in risking damaging your husky’s coat with a de-shedding tool.

It’s true, de-shedders have awesome reviews, and that’s because they do a good job of removing fur. But as a husky’s coat is fundamental to their health, we need to be careful with it. And this brush has consequences if misused (and who’s going to brushing classes these days, right?)

If you want to give your husky an effective brushing session that will also be comfortable for him, then use an Undercoat Rake followed by a Slicker Brush.

Our top picks: (Amazon)
The FURminator Undercoat Rake
Hertzko Slicker Brush

Top Brushing Tips

Let’s run through some brushing tips you may find valuable.

1. Ensure your husky likes the brush

As you’re going to be brushing your husky a lot (every few days), it’s essential that he enjoys the experience.

There’s nothing more frustrating than your husky freaking out every time he sees you grab the brush.

So start by brushing him in the evenings, after he’s had his daily exercise and is in a calm state. You can start giving him small tasty treats (tiny pieces of chicken breast works well) as you’re brushing him.

This will quickly build a positive association with the brush. Once this is done, brushing him will be easy and stress free.

2. Little and often is the best!

Having short but frequent brushing sessions is much better than infrequently brushing him for hours at a time.

Not only is it much more enjoyable for him only being brushed for 10 minutes at a time, but it will do a much better job of keeping the hair off your floors!

Aim for4 sessions per week, 10-15 minutes each. Start with the undercoat rake and finish the last 5 minutes with the slicker brush.

3. Start from the head down

It sounds so obvious, but it’s easy to grab the brush and start on those juicy thighs or lower back. Always remember to start at the top and work your way down.

Doing it like this will mean you don’t miss spots or forget where you’ve already brushed. When it seems like your husky is shedding forever you’ll be surprised how easy it is to forget where you’ve already been.

4. For puppies, use a Pin & Bristle brush

When it comes to puppies, they do not need such a plan of action in place, but they do need to be brushed occasionally. Plus, introducing the idea of brushing early on will help your puppy enjoy brushing when they need it the most, in adulthood. Related post: When do husky puppies start shedding

Pin & Bristle brushes like this one are excellent for puppies because they’re incredibly soft and forgiving. When puppies don’t really shed that much, it’s easy to give them a brush once a week, if that.

An undercoat rake or even a slicker brush will be a little over the top, considering their coat is very thin and short.

5. Use this time to inspect and bond with your husky

Brushing can be a great bonding time once your husky has learned to relax. Your husky will absolutely love the attention he’s receiving from his favorite person, and it will prove to be very mentally stimulating for him.

You can also use this time while your husky is relaxed and calm, to inspect his body and skin and make sure there isn’t anything out of place. This could be anything from unusual bumps, wounds you weren’t aware of, or dry skin.

With any health issue, the quicker you find it and deal with it, the better off your husky will be. Brush time gives you this opportunity.

Last Thoughts

The FURminator de-shedding tool can accidentally damage your husky’s topcoat if used incorrectly. Due to this, we recommend using an undercoat rake and a slicker brush.

This isn’t to say that the de-shedding tools do not work and can’t be used effectively, because they can!

But for the majority of owners out there, using the other recommended brushes will prove to be a better experience for you and your husky.

And make no mistake, this isn’t to dish out bad news on FURminator. We love FURminator as a brand and use many of its products. Just the de-shedding tool, in particular, not so much.

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