Pet owners are always looking out for ways to make their furry friends appear attractive. However, if you’re a pet owner, you must not overlook the importance of grooming. It is essential for your pup’s physical appearance as well as long-term health. Also, frequent grooming sessions can maintain the overall hygiene and rejuvenate your pet’s mind. From the regular bathing sessions to oral hygiene, you must take care of it all.
Consider getting the reliable grooming essentials before starting the session for a hassle-free experience. On top of this, try to make your animal companion habitual of the grooming sessions since the childhood years.
Table of Contents
1. Clean The Ear Regularly
While grooming, pet wonders often ignore the most important part, i.e., the ear lobes and canal. Ear infections might go unsuspected until it advances to severe stages of pus discharge. Hence, it’s better to check and clean your dog’s ears often. You need to consult the vet in case your pet’s ears are moist or red. Also, try to rule out the inflammatory discharges through odors emitting from the ear canal. You can clean the ear flaps using a wet cloth and replace them with a cotton swab for the ear canal. Make sure to do regular grooming and scrape off the ear wax now and then.
2. Brush The Coat Often
Another thing to keep in mind is the frequency of brushing and removal of hairballs. Dogs are prone to develop matting and tangled hair due to invariable reasons. But, you can prevent the matting by brushing off the coat often. While the big breeds like the german shepherds require frequent brushing, the small ones like labradors need it only once a week. In addition, some foreign bodies like dirt, pebbles, and grasses might get entangled in the coat. With frequent bruising, you can get rid of such foreign particles and maintain a shiny coat. You can use the Dog Combs to brush off the coat and remove the debris along the way.
3. Practice Oral Hygiene
Do you get a fishy and lousy odor while cuddling with your dog? Bad breath or halitosis is a clear-cut sign of poor dental health and hygiene. If your dog has bad breath, you need to scrape off the plaque and remove the tartar from their teeth. Poor dental hygiene is likely to cause oral infections like periodontitis and tooth abscesses. But, you can maintain top-notch oral health using canine toothpaste and a brush. Never use human toothpaste on your dog’s teeth as it contains high levels of fluorides.
4. Trim The Coat
Who says you need a hairstylist to trim off and give your dog’s coat an excellent shape? You can trim the coat and get rid of the excess fur at home itself. All you need is the scissors and hair clippers to get started on the trimming session. Start trimming the coat around the neck and gradually move onto the tail region. Also, try to give a nice shape for better visual appeal and coat hygiene. You can brush the coat at the same time to reveal the long fur and trim it off. Regular trimming and hair hygiene minimizes the chances of parasitic infestations and the appearance of ticks.
5. Calm Bathing Sessions
Although your dog doesn’t need regular bathing, you must cleanse your dog’s coat every two or three weeks. Get a canine shampoo and clean the fur at least once every month to keep the fleas and ticks away. Also, it helps in removing the dead fur and prevents dandruff issues. You can consult the vet to know the ideal bathing frequency for your dog’s breed. This is because frequent bathing sessions might reduce the amount of oil on your dog’s fur.
6. Practice Paw Hygiene
Do you often miss out on the paws that are prone to dirt and excessive dryness? While grooming your dog, you must practice paw hygiene and clean the dirt off. Also, use a clean and wet cloth to scrape off the dirt in between the paw pads. Finally, try to get your hands on the paw moisturizers to clean and prevent cracked paws. That way, you can minimize the chances of cracking and maintain healthy paws always. Then, if your dog allows, you can do a full-fledged paw-dicure session.
7. Take Care Of The Nails
Have you noticed your dog licking the paws often while roaming here and there? To maintain holistic hygiene, you must trim off the excess nails. Also, try to clean the nail beds and remove the dirt that accumulates often. Huge nails might predispose your dog to injuries and trouble while walking. Therefore, try to trim the nails and clean them during the grooming sessions. However, you must let your dog get familiar with the grooming session first.
Final Thoughts
Grooming is an essential part of your pet’s life as it minimizes the risk of health issues. When it comes to grooming, you don’t want to compromise on the various steps. Try to start with the ear and scrape off the ear wax first. Further, you can trim the nails and clean them for better hygiene. Brushing your dog’s coat prevents matting and hairballs on the coat. Hence, the grooming session must include every part of your pet’s body, be it the nails or the paws. As far as the baths are concerned, you can ask your dog’s vet for the ideal consistency of bath sessions.
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