Dog Grooming Hints

Dogs are the most sensitive and affectionate pets. They are not only part of your family but the most loyal and loving companions that you will ever have. They stay by your side when you are happy or sad and love you unconditionally. If you go out for as little as ten minutes, they let you know how much they missed you when you come back. Your responsibility, as a dog owner, is to provide your dog with everything it requires, to live a healthy, happy life.

Dog Gromming and Skin care:

Dog’s skin is very sensitive. The dog’s skin is shining, healthy and free from dandruff if it is taken proper care of. Its skin depends on the diet it has. Its skin will be in good condition only if it has correct weight. An underweight or an overweight dog may have health problems. Knowledge, precaution and proper attention will surely keep the dogs healthy. Regular vaccination ensure dogs from getting affected from any infection. The most common disease is allergy in dogs.To keep them away from allergy the surroundings should be clean.

Grooming can be a special bonding time between you and your dog. You can also use this time to check your dog’s health. Look carefully for signs of fleas, ticks, skin irritations, lumps or painful spots. Check your dog’s eyes, ears and teeth regularly. Consult your veterinarian if you find anything unusual or concerning.

Dog Gromming and Skin care

• Long-haired dogs generally need to be groomed daily while short-haired breeds may only need to be groomed weekly.
• Selecting a time when your dog is calm and you have adequate time will help make grooming a pleasurable experience for both you and your dog.
• Get your puppy accustomed to grooming early in life by handling your puppy often and touching its ears and paws. Be gentle and reassure your puppy constantly.
• Some areas of your dog’s body may be more sensitive to combing and brushing than others. Be aware of these areas and be gentle.

Brushing and Combing

• Regular brushing and combing will remove loose and matted hair and help keep the skin free of disease. Natural oils will be more evenly distributed to give your dog a nice shiny coat. Comb in the direction of hair growth to remove tangles.
• Fine-toothed dog combs are used for soft, thin or silky coats. Medium-toothed combs are used for normal coats. Wide-toothed combs are best for heavy and thick coats.
• Flea combs are very fine and are used for removing parasites and flea dirt from the coat. They may also be used to comb the hair around the eyes.
• Rakes are ideal for removing dead undercoat hair in larger dogs with coarser, thicker coats.
• Pin brushes, with rounded tips to prevent damage to the skin, are good for dogs with long, fine hair such as Silky Terriers.
• Bristle brushes are good for dogs with very long coats, such as the Afghan, and help add shine to the short coat.
• Grooming mitts are also good for short-haired breeds to add polish and shine once the loose hairs are removed.

Do you have a pet dog or cat in your house?

We treat them as part of the household; we are obliged to give proper care and attention for them to make them look good and healthy, just like what we are doing to other family members.

There are different pet parlors where you can bring your pet dogs and cats to have them groomed properly. Pet parlor owners also give some basic home pet grooming tips and advices for pet owners to follow so that they can personally attend to their pets grooming needs.

Have your Dog the Best Look

Pet dogs are one of the most adventurous pet animals. They tend to explore different parts of the house, backyard, and even in the streets. Because of this, they acquire different smell (a stinky one, for instance), their furs are stained, and different parasites sticks to their body and make them itchy.

Proper hygiene practices that are similar to human beings are one of the basics in dog grooming. It is important that you give your dog the best bath. Below are the tips to help you bathe your dog successfully.

Prepare the bathtub and the bath supplies that you will use in bathing your pet dog. Make the bathroom comfortably warm so that you can encourage your dog to have it bathe. Gather all the pet bath supplies such as dog shampoo, bucket, towel, and hair dryer that will be used before bringing them into the bathroom.

After you have gathered these bath supplies, bring your dog to the bathroom. Pet them and make them comfortable while you are waiting for the water to reach a soothing temperature ideal for them.

Bathe them in the tub by using a bucket to splash water on their body. You can also use a hose with a sprayer on the end.

Use medicated dog shampoos against fleas and ticks. You can also have shampoos of sweet scent and good for your dogs sensitive skin.

Just a reminder: Never use dish soaps or your own shampoo because it will plague your dog with painful skin irritations. If you are not sure of what dog shampoos and soaps are fit for them, consult your veterinarian first.

Once you have splashed their body with water, apply now their shampoo. Be sure that you will not let the shampoo reach their eyes. Massage their body carefully. Rinse it with water once again.

Dry them using a towel first. Wipe their paws gently. Give extra attention to their ears, for any moisture cam lead to wax and bacteria build up that can lead to ear infections.

Then use a hair dryer. Set the dryer to its medium setting and place it at least six inches from your dogs fur so that it will not burn. Continue drying until their furs are dry, but not completely. Then brush through their hair as you dry it to give it style.

Hydrophobic Cat Grooming Tips

It is a well-known fact that cats are really afraid of water. It is a challenge for you to lure your pet cat to take a bathe. Here are some pointers that you can consider in bathing your pet:

Make the water warm. Cats have high body temperature than ours, so it will make them comfortable if you will bathe them in warm water. Nevertheless, it must not be too hot for them.

Have them bathe in a flat surface. You can also place it in a rubber mat so that they will not slip.

Splash a little amount of water on their body. Use a hose with sprayer if necessary.

Apply a little amount of cat shampoo in their furs. Be sure it will not get into their eyes or else it will irritate them. Use shampoos specifically intended for them.

After rinsing, dry them by using a towel and then later on a hair dryer in medium setting. Be sure you will not dry their furs completely. Use a brush to style their furs.

So there you have the basic tips in grooming your pet dogs and cats. Make them the most-groomed pets you ever had.

This really should have been a debate on whether or not to bathe a dog. Certain breeds do require regular grooming, particularly the long-haired purebreds and mixes, but there is a group of dogs that should rarely, if ever, be subjected to a bath. These are the German and Belgian Shepherds and any mixed breeds that incorporate more than 25% of Shepherd in the animal.

German Shepherds and their cousins the Belgians, have a unique skin pH (acid-alkaline reading) that is different from all other dogs. While dog groomers, who make their living by bathing dogs, will tell you it is perfectly fine to groom and bathe these animals, don’t yoou believe it. Any responsible breeder or your veterinarian will tell you that if you bathe these breeds, especially using a soap, even one made for dogs, you will remove the protective oils from the skin and cause problems with the double coat that they have, as well as precipitate skin irritations and potential allergies.

If you have one of these Shepherd breeds or mixes and they become dirty because of contact with unclean water or an animal encounter or some other reason, it is best to take them to a professional groomer, or if necessary as in the case of run-in with a skunk, to a veterinarian, and have them cleaned using the gentlest of shampoos. After cleaning and grooming, their skin should be rubbed down with an oil that will help restore the proper pH balance. For at least a week afterward the animal should be given veterinary fish-oil capsules, by weight, to prevent hair loss or dandruff. These are not the same as what people use, because dogs require a much higher concentration of the active substances in fish oil. If you don’t want to use fish oil, which also has excellent anti-inflammatory properties, you can mix into the dogs meals (adjusting the other food so as to not overfeed) a can (or portion depending on dog weight) of high quality tuna fish in water (not vegetable oil). After a week or so, if the dog exhibits no skin or hair problems you can return to its normal schedule.

For the Shepherd line the best grooming is simply to brush it frequently with a stiff wire brush, followed by a finishing brush. Some people like to use a furminator, but if overused they can remove too much hair and adversely impact the dogs natural skin insulation from the elements. Because it is inevitable that a dog will end up being walked in the rain or perhaps get sprayed by a garden hose or sprinkler, a simple thorough towel drying is really all this breed needs to keep clean and healthy.

Since every breed has different grooming needs, before you go to a dog groomer, check with your breeder, veterinarian or trainer as to the best way to groom and bathe, if needed, your dog. Keep in mind that a mistake in grooming and bathing (excessive or wrong kinds of shampoo) can lead to health problems, veterinary bills and emotional distress for your pet and yourself.

Dog Grooming & Routine Care

All dogs need regular grooming. It improves the appearance of short coated dogs, and is essential for those with long coats. It also does much to stop unwanted hair on the furniture and carpets. Start as soon as you get your dog or puppy. If you get dogs used to grooming from an early age they will accept it as a normal routine and become to enjoy it.

For the shorter haired dogs a fairly firm clothes brush will be sufficient, but if you need one that’s a bit stiffer your local pet store should have a wide choice of brushes. Regular brushing will remove the loose hair and give a shine to the dogs coat. For long haired breeds a strong steel comb as well as a brush is essential. So many owners think they are grooming their dogs when they are actually only running a brush over the surface of the tangled coat. A daily grooming should prevent the formation of matts and tangles, even in spaniels and poodles.

Parasites

Remember while grooming your dog to look for parasites such as fleas and lice which may have been picked up by your dog. To see how to deal with these, please visit our pet website which is shown below.

You may also find grass seeds in the coat, and especially between the toes. These, if not removed, may penetrate the skin causing painful abscesses. A daily examination of the coat will also give you the opportunity to check for skin irritations that may need attention.

Foot Care.

The feet should be examined daily, especially the hairy types of dog such as spaniels, for the presence of thorns. It is better to keep the hair between the toes and under the pads trimmed short, and to wash the feet after exercise in muddy weather. The accumulation of grit and hard packed mud under the pads may contribute to the formation of cysts or boils on the feet. Keeping your dogs feet clean is a must.