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Articles
- My lhasa apso has suffered with a skin problem since he was very young. Should I take him to a specialist veterinary dermatologist?
- We have had our rescue dog, Prince, since last November. Our only problem with him is that he won’t have a bath. Do you have any suggestions?
- We have had our dog, Scamp, for about 12 weeks and have taken him to the vets as he is constantly scratching and biting himself ...
- My dog, Broxi, has developed what looks like a cold sore on the top of her front legs. It seems to be very itchy as she never stops nibbling it and I was wondering whether there is a way of stopping her before it becomes sore and painful.
- My cat has black bits in his ears, What is this ?
Forum Posts
Grooming not only improves your animal's appearance, it improves its health too. Grooming gives you the chance to check your pet for any lumps, bumps or parasites. Preventing the build-up of matts and tangles is essential to keep your dog's skin in good condition. Daily brushing is also a useful training and bonding experience.
How often?
Grooming should be done on a daily basis, if at all possible. If you leave long-coated animals ungroomed then tangles, and eventually matts, will develop in their coats. These are painful and time consuming to remove. Grooming will become an unpleasant chore for you and a time of anxiety for your pet. It is much more sensible to spend a few minutes each day in a session that both you and your pet will find relaxing and rewarding. In terms of short-coated animals, daily grooming will greatly reduce the amount of hair shed over your house.
Equipment
You don't need a lot of fancy equipment to keep your pet looking neat. Most good pet stores will stock all the following:
- for smooth-coated dogs: a hound glove or even a chamois
- for long-haired dogs: a pin brush and a wide-toothed comb
- a flea comb for cleaning under the eyes
- nail clippers, which come in an assortment of sizes depending on the needs of your pet
Getting your dog used to grooming
It is always easier to start with a younger animal. Puppies should be handled thoroughly from a young age and should get used to the feel of a brush and a comb. Dogs that will need to be clipped, such as poodles, can begin as early as seven weeks. In this way, they will become used to the sound and feel of the clippers and will not be afraid of getting a trim.
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Comments (2)
Hi, I work with great danes and the employer likes to use the dremel on the nails. How would you go about using it and keeping the tool and the nail sanitary. Is it ok to prep the nail before using the dremel. I was told that you should not because it will open up the poors and allow bacteria into the nail bed. The nails are kept show dog short. Thank you, Rhonda
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Comment by minna on 8th July 2008
Since my dog Jenny has been on heart medication tablets she has become very wary of me grooming her she is fine with me just stroking and massaging her legs but directly she sees me with a comb or brush in my hand she gets very stressed and will not let me near her .
Jenny is an English Setter some 14 years old and was a rescue dog here in Spain in January of this year she had two heart attacks then the following month a Brain Haemorrhage for which she is on medication but doing very well the vet although very good in every other way does not seem to have any answers to my problem she has a lovely healthy coat but the base of her ears are now getting very knotted Regards Trevor Austin
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Comment by silverfox on 20th September 2007