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Archived Article:
Hair
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Archived Article:
Routine Grooming Promotes Good Health in Pets [PDF
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When
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Feature Article
authored by Candy for Pets.ca
A Groomer's
How To - by Candy Levine
Tender Pawz Pet Grooming - Surrey, B.C.
“Grooming”….it’s
more than just a ‘beauty session’ for your pet. Your
pet's personal groomer can play an intricate part in
their health and well being and they can provide
YOU, the owner, with a field of valuable information
in regard to regular grooming & maintenance. Along
with your veterinarian, a groomer can be very
helpful in discovering existing health and skin
problems, and may be able to work with you in
resolving some of them. A new puppy getting
introduced into a new family, also needs to be
introduced to the ’world of grooming’. Believe me,
some animals think this whole grooming experience is
“for the birds”…and aren’t shy about expressing
their feelings on the subject!!
Regular grooming, along with everything else is a
’training process’. Whether it is a puppy with a
lifetime of new experiences ahead of it, or a well
loved older cat in need of a little TLC.
Establishing and maintaining a grooming schedule can
be an overwhelming thing to try and figure out.
There are many different breeds of dogs and cats.
Although cats require different grooming needs than
their canine counterparts, routine brushing is
beneficial.
The first basic rule
of thumb is to start early. A puppy can have its
first grooming around 3 months of age, just
basically a ‘get acquainted’ visit, then another
full grooming around 6 months. It’s a good idea to
get them used to the routine of brushing, nail
trims, etc…this will hopefully make everything so
much easier as they get older. “Turn your pets’ bad
hair day into a good hair day!!”
Here are just a few basic things that will help
introduce you to the grooming world….
• Nails - Don’t
be afraid to play around a bit with your dog’s feet;
this will help it get used to the feeling of someone
holding their foot in order to do a nail trim. It is
a good idea if you are apprehensive about cutting
nails yourself, to take your pet into your groomer
or veterinarian to learn how to do it properly. If
you do try it at home, make sure you have a good
pair of nail clippers and some Quick Stop or a
Styptic Pencil handy, just in case you cut into the
quick and it starts to bleed.
• Ears - They
should be checked on a regular basis. (Cats need
clean ears too). There is an ear wash, a cleaner and
a powder. If the ears are especially bad, and there
is a lot of hair that has built up inside the ear,
this needs to be removed. Some people say to leave
it, but my own experiences have lead me to pluck the
hairs out of the ear. Use ear powder to help get a
grasp of the hair and pull it out. Ear powder also
helps to dry the ear out and control the odor. Next
step is to put a couple of drops of the ear wash
into the ear canal and massage gently to bring up
all the wax build-up, dirt, etc. that has
accumulated in the ear. It is important not to use a
Q-Tip if you don’t know what you are doing; you can
damage the ear if you go too far in…stay with a
cotton ball, or soft cloth. Wipe out the inside of
the ear, and you can finish up with using a good
quality ear cleaner. I prefer a natural one with
oils to help promote a healthy ear.
• Bathing at home
- Make sure you use a dog/cat shampoo, not a human
shampoo. Our skin and a pet’s skin have a different
PH level, and our shampoo can cause skin problems in
your pet. Make sure you put cotton in the ears so as
to not get water inside the ear; the build-up of
water can cause ear infections.
• Anal Glands -
Larger dogs have less of a problem expressing these
glands on their own during a bowel movement. Smaller
dogs seem to have more of a difficult time, in some
cases. Check with your vet or groomer. Some groomers
include ’anal glands’ as part of their services, and
some don’t. One way or another, they need to be
“expressed”. These little glands can be a concern.
If they are a constant problem, and develop frequent
infections, sometimes there is no choice but to have
them surgically removed for the health and comfort
of your pet, but this is only in severe cases.
• Brushing is mandatory!
- Introduce your dog to a soft brush, and pick a
time to do it. Make it part of your daily routine.
“Don’t Give Up!” Many dogs can manipulate this
brushing session to the point where they win the
battle. Owners give up when their pet nibbles,
fusses or scratches, saying “he/she doesn’t like
it”. But, when they go see their groomer, they have
to go through the process; it’s the groomers job to
make sure that the grooming gets done. It is very
helpful to a groomer that the animal they are
working on is co-operative (which isn’t always the
case!). This can start at home; a lot of patience,
re-assurance and a firm voice goes a long way.
Remember, you are the boss, not your pet during this
time. A lot of times, pets co-operate at the
groomers, they know that it is getting done!!
• The First Haircut
- Can be a puzzling experience. If you have a dog
for the first time, and aren’t quite sure of the
style that it is suppose to have, ‘don’t panic!’
Your dog &/or cat is just that…”yours”, so enjoy
them and don’t sweat the little stuff! Just because
you have a Bichon (which by grooming standards
should have a full scissor cut), or a Wheaton
Terrier (that according to their breed should have a
‘fall’ bang), or even a Cocker Spaniel with a
full-length Cocker Clip, in the end, its “up to
you…the owner”. Your groomer is always there to make
helpful suggestions on how they ‘see’ your dog’s
style, but again, it is YOU that we groomers listen
too. ‘Teddy Bear, Daisy, Kennel, Utility, Springer
Cut, Lion Clip…so many clips, so many dogs & cats,
it can be overwhelming to think about. You may have
an idea of how you want your dog to look, and as for
myself, I want to make the owner happy with the cut,
and your pet happy with a positive grooming
experience. Even if in some cases, I don’t really
understand or agree with what a client may want, it
is ultimately up to the owner to let the groomer
know what they want. Don’t let your groomer tell you
that your dog should look a certain way because of
its breed, it’s “your” decision in the end. We can
certainly inform you how this particular breed
should look and what they require, but not all dogs
do well with grooming. They may have skin
conditions, or matt up to the extreme that an owner
is incapable of de-matting them, their hair just may
not be consistent with the way that it should be. A
lot of factors can come into play. But, groomers can
be very knowledgeable and can help to achieve that
special look you want. Unless your dog is a ‘show
dog’, then it is required to be groomed according to
the breeds’ standard book. Otherwise, your pet is a
very important part of your family, and you just
want them to look well taken care of and be loved.
Definitely a routine grooming can achieve that goal.
Each breed requires different grooming needs, some
more frequent than others. Your groomer is the best
person to let you know how often your pet needs to
come in. Some dogs that have long full coats, may
need to come in as often as once a month. Whereas,
as dog that has a basic shavedown or bath & tidy up,
can go much longer than that. You still need to keep
up on the nail trims & ear cleaning on a regular
basis in between groomings.
• Teeth brushing
is an important part of health care, especially in
smaller dogs. Some groomers provide this service and
some don’t. My theory is that if you are not going
to make this a daily routine at home, one teeth
brushing session at the groomers every 3 months,
isn’t going to make much of a difference. There are
a few ways to get your dog/cat familiarized with
teeth brushing. Purchase a rubber tipped messaging
brush that fits on your finger tip and just rub this
inside their mouths to get them use to the feel of
it. No need for toothpaste at this point, you just
want your pet to feel comfortable with this
procedure first. After a couple of weeks or so,
purchase toothpaste. They have a variety of flavours
to entice your animal to enjoy this whole
experience. After they have gotten use to this, you
can try using a regular pet’s toothbrush. Purchase
doggie treats that help lessen the tartar build-up
and something that makes them want to chew. For
example, Dentabones & Greenies products are good,
try to stay away from the rawhides, because they are
not easily digestible in the stomach, and can cause
a build-up inside the intestines & stomach. Of
course, dental visits with your veterinarian are a
must.
As you can see, our pets need a lot of love & care.
Cats and dogs cannot look after themselves alone;
they need their ‘human family’ for all of their
needs. They can’t always tell us when something is
bothering them, or if they are in discomfort. At
least with a regular grooming regimen, skin
problems, fleas, lumps & warts, or any other kinds
of skin conditions, can be discovered just by a
routine visit to your groomer. Your groomer can be
your first link to discovering some skin problems,
and can suggest, along with your vet, proper
shampoos that can help turn the problem around.
“ Don’t be afraid to ask our groomer for tips!” Even
if you think it may be a stupid question at the
time, never let that stop you from getting the
information you need. Many groomers do genuinely
care about your pets’ needs, and are there to help
you in any way they can. Your special family member
deserves a long, happy & healthy life. They were
special enough to be chosen to be part of your
family, make sure that they stay that way.
… “Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our
lives whole”
Article courtesy of Candy Levine
Tender Pawz Pet Grooming - Surrey, B.C.
Telephone: 604-313-4785 |
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