Grooming Your Pet

Regular brushing of the coat is important in all breeds of dog and most cats.  It not only removes shed hair from the coat but also stimulates the circulation of the skin.  It is also a great oppertunity to check your pets skin for fleas, scale or crusts and deal with them early on.  The best tools to use depend on your pets coat and there are a large variety of tools available.  It is best to consult a groomer or your vet as to which are the most suitable tools for your pet.  The frequency with which you need to brush your pet also varies depending on coat and season.

Another vital part of grooming your pet is regular ear checks (usually weekly) and cleaning out any wax or fluid that has built up.  If you find that the ears are red, irritated or smelly, or there is fluid or excessive wax present it is best to consult your veterinarian for appropriate treatment. If the ear looks normal gently wipe it with cotton wool moistened with and ear cleaning solution.  You may also need to put a few drops of the solution into the ear canal and the gently massage the ear before wiping it with dry cotton wool.  Cotton buds should never be used in the ear canal as they can damage the canal if your pet moves suddenly.

While we are checking the head don't forget to check your pets teeth.  Look for bad breath to indicate infection, tartar or plaque built up on teeth or inflammation of the gums.  To keep your pets teeth clean you can provide dental chews and raw meaty bones, or you can brush their teeth regularly.  There are also special dental diets and water additives to assist with this.

The final part of grooming your pet is to make sure the nails are the correct length, that their feet are free from seeds and mats and there is no evidence of infection between the toes and pads.  Trimming your pets nails may be necessary if dogs do not exercise on hard surfaces and in cats that do not use scratching posts or surfaces.  There are a variety of nail clippers available depending on the size of the nail and personal preferance. It is important not to trim nails to short.  The quick in each nail is highly vascular and sensitive and trimming the nail to short will result in pain and bleeding.  Ask your veterinarian or groomer for guidance as to length.

Thank you to Virbac for contribution of some of the images