FORT KENT, Maine — Who doesn’t enjoy a good spa treatment?
I mean, as spring slowly makes its way into northern Maine, now is the perfect opportunity for a little “me” time at a local salon.
Fix up those winter-tattered nails with a nice mani-pedi, perhaps?
Shake things up a bit with a new, summery hair-do?
Maybe even try some of those edgy fashion accessories you’ve been looking at all winter?
Sounds tempting, doesn’t it?
Unfortunately for yours truly, the line for any spa day experience begins behind at least two sled dogs and one chicken.
As with most things here on Rusty Metal Farm, critters come first.
There’s my sled dog, Maggie, for example.
All winter she rocked a glossy coat of long, soft blond fur from the tip of her fuzzy ears to the end of her plume-like tail.
Sure, it looks a bit bedraggled when those locks get wet — don’t we all? But by and large, she looks good with her long hair.
That is, until things start to bloom.
From that moment on until the killing frost next season, that shiny coat becomes a magnet for all manner of nature’s detritus.
And she doesn’t even need to be running around — it comes to her.
I can’t tell you the times I’ve gone out to her spot in the dog yard only to find Maggie running around with burdock stuck in her fur, twigs tangled in her tail or leaves stuck to her coat. I would not be at all surprised to find a Rusty Metal chicken nesting in there one of these days.
So this time of year I schedule an appointment for Maggie down at the Fort Kent Animal Hospital with groomer Christina-Michael Delena.
A well-rounded, fluffy sled dog goes in in the morning and, by the afternoon, I am left with a dog that looks as much like a Nordic dog as a pampered poodle.
All that tangled long hair will have been shaved off, and her tail will have been brushed to its fluffiest point. She’ll be clean, she’ll smell good and — more often than not — her nails will have been painted a lovely shade of blue to match her eyes.
For the final touch, feathers will have been placed in her ears.
Overall, it the spa day has quite the stunning effect on her.
Not to be outdone, Corky — everyone’s favorite house dog — also will have some spa time later this month.
Think of it as a sort of Shusky spring cleaning.
She’ll be bathed, brushed, clipped if needed and sent home with her own colorful nails and bejeweled accessories.
“I find that it’s 50-50 with the dogs,” DeLena, the vet tech and groomer, said. “For the ones that love it, I feel that they know that after they are done they will look good, feel great and actually enjoy the spa. I swear, some likely know to show off to other animals and people afterward.”
Beyond the aesthetics, there are solid health reasons behind regular grooming sessions, according to Dr. Christiana Yule, the veterinarian at Fort Kent Animal Hospital.
“A good bath helps loosen dead hair and skin cells, remove bacteria and debris and flush out follicles, just like in people,” Yule said. “We use a hydrosurge bathing system that also provides a massage.”
Just like in kids, it’s important to wash behind — and inside — the ears, because wax and contaminants can cause infections in dogs, Yule said.
And never discount the importance of those pedicures.
“I’m always surprised by how many people don’t realize that their pets’ nails should be trimmed regularly,” she said. “When the toes bend backward because the nails are too long, it hurts [and] then the animal leans back to relieve pressure on the toes, and that puts more pressure on other joints. I’ve had more lameness exams than I can count that were just because of long toenails.”
This year, for the first time, one of the Rusty Metal chickens got in on the action.
Chickens, because they “scratch” at the ground, are very good at keeping their nails worn down. But every so often they either don’t scratch enough or for some other reason that defies explanation, their nails become very, very long.
This happened with one of my gals. I had not even noticed until my friend Julie — a fan of anything spa-related — pointed out the oversized, curling nails on the poor bird.
Ever given a poultry pedicure?
Neither had Julie nor I, but together with one of us holding the less-than-enthused bird and the other carefully clipping her nails, we got the job done with a minimum of pecking or fuss.
I have to say, while I won’t hesitate to get my critters whatever spa treatments they may need for their comfort, I myself came rather late to the spa game.
In fact, it was only last year that, at Julie’s encouragement, I had my first pedicure.
I’ll admit, after an hour or so of having my feet massaged and my nails painted some fun colors, I am now a fan.
So much so that, on a recent trip she and I took together, I had a great time photographing my colorful toes in front of historic and natural landmarks.
So, if time permits and I can find a break in my schedule, once the dogs and chickens have had their “me” time, maybe, just maybe it will be my turn again.
But I draw the line at feathers in my ears.
Julia Bayly of Fort Kent is an award winning writer and photographer, who writes part time for Bangor Daily News. Her column appears here every other Friday. She can be reached by email at jbayly@bangordailynews.com.
