Grooming plays a significant role in maintaining a dog’s health and hygiene and makes life comfortable and improves the quality of life. Regular grooming not only provides scope for close inspection and identification of the skin infections at an early stage but also limits the spread of infection and increases the chances of successful treatment. Bathing, brushing, hair and nail trimming, ear cleaning, etc all are part of routine grooming, whether you do it yourself or opt for professional grooming service, there are certain dos and don’ts of pet grooming every responsible pet parent should be aware of.
Do’s
1. Groom your pet routinely
Due to lack of regular grooming, some dogs can have severe mats and skin issues, which you may not see immediately. Certain dog breeds especially long-haired breeds including Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apsos, and Pomeranians need to be brushed frequently. Be gentle while brushing and try to remove knots and tangles consistently to prevent dreadlocks. Nails should be clipped, as well. Overgrown nails are uncomfortable and trimming those can be distressing and awkward for your canine. At the point when your pet is feeling awkward, they are less prone to cooperate.
2. Show patience with your dog
Some dogs become anxious during grooming, so handle them with extra care and ensure that you’ve saved a lot of time for the prepping meeting. Go on gradually and give close consideration to what you are doing and how your dog is responding. Watch for indications of stress, like shuddering, crying, or panting that is not heat-related, and take breaks if necessary. Be extra careful when using scissors and nail and hair trimmers. In this case, your canine will be in a general frenzy and will not stop, groom your pet more frequently, at least once every week, and simply practice small grooming sessions. When cutting your canine’s nails, simply do a couple at once. . Try to make it a pleasant experience for them, offer some treats and pats to praise them. With time and patience, your pet will get comfortable with the cycle and feel wonderful.
Read more: 10 SPECIAL WAYS TO SAY A FINAL GOODBYE TO YOUR PET
3. Pick a protected, sufficiently bright spot for grooming
You should have the option to perceive what you are doing, and you likewise need a protected, non-slippery surface with the goal that your pet does not slip and fall. Try not to tie your dog during preparing—that will only make him fearful and can prompt horrible mishaps. Obviously, on the off chance that they love being brushed, brush them anyplace and as regularly as could be expected—this will also provide you time to bond with your dog. You can even utilize brushing as an award after a grooming session that they don’t really enjoy.
4. Utilize professional canine care equipment
Talking about brushing, it’s necessary to do some research on the kind of brush that is suitable for your dog before buying. It depends on the type of coat and skin of your pet. Different types of brushes are available in the market nowadays like slicker, pin, bristle brushes for different breeds. If you are using the right kind of brush your dog will surely enjoy grooming but if there is any sign of pain and discomfort them might be because of the wrong brush. Additionally, ensure the nail trimmers, scissors, hair trimmer, are of good quality. In case you are uncertain, seek for veterinarian’s advice or ask a professional groomer for ideas.
5. Be careful that long-haired or two-fold covered varieties require broad upkeep
Long-haired breeds like Shih Tzus, Apsos, golden retrievers, poodles, and other fluffy dogs look beautiful and elegant if properly groomed. Without regular grooming, these dogs can rapidly acquire mats on different parts of their bodies, for example, behind the ears, behind the front legs, and before the rear legs. Regularly check your pet’s coat. It’s beneficial for these dogs to cut long hair on their paws before the nail clipping.
Read more: 5 WAYS TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE PET OWNERS IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Don’ts
1. Try not to restrain your dog by grasping his fur
Avoid tying your dog during grooming and instead use another hand who can hold your pet gently and calm him down especially while using scissors and trimmers.
2. Try not to use scented cleanser
Perfumed shower items can bother canines’ skin and noses. Pick an unscented cleanser from a pet store or from a pet website.
3. Try not to bathe your dog time and again
Give your dog a shower just when it is necessary, for example, when they’ve got filthy or foul by moving in something—bathing your dog frequently strips skin’s natural oils and can cause skin and temperature-regulating issues. Ensure shower time happens on a sunny day, and dry him thoroughly after bathing, as washing on a cold day may cause the dog’s temperature to drop or cause skin issues due to a wet coat. Towel-dry your dog and dry him in the morning sunlight, can also blow-dry but the sound of the dryer can be disturbing to them and furthermore cause them to overheat.
4. Try not to overpower your dog by attempting to do a lot in one grooming session
Your dog grooming plan may incorporate a shower, hair trimming, nail clipping, tooth brushing, and the sky is the limit from there, do not wrongly attempt to accommodate this all into one sitting. Divide all the grooming tasks and perform frequent and short grooming sessions.
Read more: COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON PET NUTRITION
I like this blog so much, bookmarked.