If you’re like most people, the holiday season was a whirlwind with all its hustle and bustle — parties, shopping, cooking, gift-giving. It’s a challenge to focus on meeting your own needs during this time, let alone those of family and friends. To compensate, we sometimes give our canine companions less attention than normal until the chaos has passed. Now that it has, it’s time to put a bit of the spotlight back on our furbabies and that often starts with addressing their grooming.
If you’re interested in learning more about the various aspects of dog grooming, and possibly even thinking of giving it a try yourself (if you have the time and inclination), here’s some good information about nail trimming, tooth brushing, ear cleaning and more activities that are important parts of the process.
Let’s start with this informative article:
Professional Dog Grooming Tips
Routine: Develop a routine that works for both you and your dog. Same shampoo, same bathing spot, same steps every time. This makes it easier on you and they’ll know what to expect and be less anxious. Make sure to clean every part of their body, including the belly and face, and make sure that you rinse thoroughly. You don’t want any shampoo residue left on the skin or in the coat. Read the full post here…
Get the right equipment and put them together before you start. This includes getting the right shampoo for your dog or puppy, as well as the proper combs, brushes, scissors, and trimmers. Many dogs won’t be obliged to sit still while being groomed, so you may need a helping hand, such as the Groomers Helper Device or an actual person that your dog is familiar with.
After taking your dog to the veterinarian for all shots as scheduled, grooming is possibly the best thing you can do to help your canine maintain their general health and appearance. This post provides more detail:
To groom them,
- Bathe them – This ensures that they smell great.
- Clean their ears – It’s essential to clean their ears to prevent wax from building up which in turn causes infection.
- Trim their nails – Normally nail trimming for your doggie should be done every fortnight. However, some breeds’ nails grow faster than those of others.
- Brush their teeth – This should be done daily to avoid dental diseases which cause their teeth to fall out.
How often should you brush its teeth? This should be done everyday. At first, you may have a hard time doing this, but your puppy will get used to it, especially if you get a good toothpaste. Remember, though, never to use human toothpaste for your dog. Read more at HTG Members…
Brushing is another important step in the grooming process and plays a part in preventing or reducing matting. The frequency of brushing your dog’s coat can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including breed, hair length and hair type. Dogs with skin problems need set grooming schedules as part of their treatment plan, so it helps to get guidance from a vet. Learn more about the importance of brushing:
While the effect of mild hair mats is usually minimal, severe matting can cause discomfort, or even damage to the underlying skin or joints, depending on the location. “Sometimes the matting will constrict a limb, and you can even have damage such as deep wounds, swelling of the feet, or bed sore-like injuries,” Liff says. Matting may also hide underlying problems like fleas and skin conditions… Read more at Pet MD…
While brushing your dog, remember to inspect their paws, nails, ears, teeth and eyes. Checking for limping conditions should also be part of the process. Brushing and grooming will go a long way toward keeping your doggie healthy and happy.
If you think you’re ready to try your hand at grooming, this post should help. On the flip side, if you’re more convinced than ever that this is an area best left to the professionals, Fur Babies Pet Resort is an ideal option. Our exceptional grooming staff knows how to keep dogs and their people happy all across Greenville, SC. If you’d like to schedule a grooming appointment for your canine family member, call us at 864-375-4100, or reach out to us through the