ShowSheen product review

ShowSheen hair polish and detangler by Absorbine

Hunting can be rough on dogs and grooming is a necessity, regardless of whether your dog has a short or long coat. Thorough grooming allows you to check dogs for hidden injuries and remove burrs or seeds that can cause skin irritation leading to infections and abscesses. Earlier this year (2013) Doc went one day with a cocklebur lodged between his toes and it caused a bacterial infection; a few years ago I witnessed a Lab with a large abscess on his back from a seed that had not been groomed out and had to be surgically removed.

I normally spent from 30-45 minutes to grooming and bathing each Spinoni after a normal day of hunting which limited me in three ways: 1- I avoided hunting certain areas due to grasses and burrs; 2- I quit hunting by late afternoon because the evenings are spent cleaning birds and grooming dogs; and 3- while hunting, the dogs occasionally had to stop and dig the burrs out of their feet.

So it was fortunate one day when I had to interrupt a Pheasant hunt for about an hour to groom Doc, because while grooming him I visited with a Fish and Game officer who recommended using ShowSheen Hair Polish and Detangler. He hunts with a setter, and after researching and using various products, found ShowSheed to be highly effective.

ShowSheen, made by Absorbine, is made in the United States and claims to be the original hair polish and detangler. It is made primarily for horses, cattle, dogs, llamas, camels, goats, alpacas, pigs and sheep, and is enriched with pro-vitamins and silk proteins to strengthen hair and give it a healthy shine. Directions for use are to wash and dry prior to use (which I don’t do) and stroke or brush it through; although there is no need to wash it off, the dogs normally get a bath after hunting anyway.

The product needs to be protected from freezing, however the bottle I received was frozen solid from shipment so it will be interesting to see how it stands up over time. ShowSheen should never be sprayed on an animal’s head or face; instead, it should be sprayed into a rag and wiped onto their face, avoiding the eyes and nose. ShowSheen can either be purchased online or from retailers that can be found on the Absorbine web site; however I have also seen it available from local farm supply stores. A variety of products are available including ShowSheen detangler gel which I have not yet tried; this product review is for the spray.

The following criteria were used in reviewing ShowSheen.

1- Easily removes burrs and tangles
I can attest to the fact that burrs and tangles are easily removed. As the photos illustrate, prior to using ShowSheen I had to interrupt a Pheasant hunt to groom a large number of burrs out of Doc’s coat, even when avoiding areas with large patches of cockleburs.

A pile of burrs combed out of Doc while Pheasant hunting.

After spraying Elvis with ShowSheen, I was able to hunt through large patches of cockleburs and had to groom a dozen or so burrs out of his coat. The burrs he did have weren’t tangled in his coat and easily combed out.

Dakota and Elvis work through the dreaded cocklebur patch. I sprayed Elvis with Show Sheen which did a great job of keeping the cockleburs off him.

2- Do not use on saddle area of horse
ShowSheen is not recommended for the saddle area of the horse in order to prevent the rider from slipping off sideways, however there is no issue with using it under dog gear such as hunting vests. One suggested use is under horse blankets (saddle area and all) to reduce static, friction points and smell fresh. If ShowSheen acts as an anti-static and reduce friction points, that may be an additional consideration on where and when to use it.

3- Keeps tails and manes tangle free
Our Soinone hate having their beards combed and ShowSheen does a very good job of keeping their beards from tangling. Right or wrong, I avoid using it inside their ears because that’s the one place I want seeds and burrs to tangle, so as to keep them out of the ear canal.

4- Helps promote stronger, longer hair
Our dogs have very good coats so I don’t know how much of it is attributable to Showsheen. Perhaps if used on a regular basis it would be more evident.

5- Highlights coat color and muscle definition
ShowSheen may highlight their coat color and muscle definition, however it isn’t something I’ve paid attention to under hunting conditions.

6- Dirt and mud fall off to save hours of grooming time
ShowSheen does a very good job of keeping dirt and mud from sticking to the guys’ coats and balling up between the pads of their feet. Their feet are easier to clean, and the dirt and mud grooms out much easier. While it may save hours in grooming horses, grooming the Spinone is reduced from 30-45 minutes down to 10-15 minutes.

7- Prevents stains: manure, grass and urine
I can’t validate this one as the dogs generally don’t get stained while hunting.

8- Dries quickly and leaves a healthy shine
ShowSheen seems to dry in about 10 minutes and a little longer where I apply it more heavily. It gives their coats a healthy shine which I have found useful while hunting in the desert: even while wearing their hunting vests, the dogs can be difficult to see in the sage brush, particularly Mia who is a brown roan. Oftentimes I have seen them by the sunlight reflecting off their backs, and don’t have to make a lot of noise calling or whistling to find them.

9- Detangles dog hair mats
If there’s one place that Spinone hair mats, it’s their beards and none of our dogs are fond of having their beards groomed, especially when you’re pulling a comb through matted and tangled hair. ShowSheen should never be sprayed into their faces, rather, for applying to the head it should be sprayed onto a cloth and wiped into their coats. I apply ShowSheen more heavily on their beards, neck, chest, legs and feet where burrs and mud has a tendency to tangle.

10- Can reduce grooming time by as much as 80%
Generally speaking, ShowSheen seems to save me about 50-60% of my grooming time, but is dependent upon the conditions under which they’re hunting. ShowSheen is not water resistant and can lose some of its effectiveness if the dogs are hunting in rain or through water, however I have found it still be effective even after the dogs have been in the water. When grooming a dog after hunting, eyes, ears and feet need special attention. As previously stated, I do not use ShowSheen inside the ear or ear canal since that’s the one place I want mud and seeds to tangle so as to help prevent them from going down into the ear canal.

11- The unique formulation provides the serious horse owner with an unsurpassed multi purpose grooming aid
I think that the use of ShowSheen on hunting dogs illustrates that it is a good multi-purpose grooming aid. I have also sprayed it on my hunting pants to keep burrs and seeds from sticking to them as well; the way I see it, if it’s safe to use on horse blankets, it should be okay to use on clothing.

Summary – As a rule of thumb, I write product reviews on only those products and services that I personally use. ShowSheen has reduced their overall grooming time significantly and I have not seen my dogs show any allergic reaction from using it. I have found ShowSheen to be highly effective in keeping my dogs free from burrs and other seeds, and those that do stick to their coat are much easier to groom out. Dirt and mud doesn’t stick to their coats as it did before using ShowSheen and while it is not water resistant, it still seems to retain some of its effectiveness after the dogs have gotten wet.

I highly recommend ShowSheen and now consider it as part of my standard hunting equipment.

Response –

Clinging seed pods hinder active dogs in several ways.  Not will matts and tangles make the dog uncomfortable, but as noted above, sometimes clinging seed pods like fox grass can actually burrow into the dog’s skin causing pain and infection.  Keeping paw and leg hair coated with ShowSheen while in the field helps seeds fall off, making sure your dogs stay clear of sticky situations!