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Grooming for Good Looks And Good Health by Karla Addington-Smith For Feeders Supply Company
You may have spent months researching your new breed or perhaps you simply lost your heart to a furry little face, either way, you have made an important commitment. Sharing your life with man’s best friend holds many special moments and responsibilities. Your dog will look to you for lots of love, nutritious food, exercise, shelter from the elements, veterinarian care and good grooming.
Regardless of breed or coat type, your best friend needs regular grooming to stay healthy, happy and comfortable throughout all stages of his life. Regular brushing, bathing, nail trimming and ear cleaning can easily be done by you at home or at one of Feeders Supply Company’s convenient Self-Serve Pet Wash Centers. How often your dog needs grooming attention will depend on the length and texture of coat, his activity and how much professional care he receives.
Brushing Up Back to Top The most important aspect of good grooming is regular brushing. Brushing prevents matting as it distributes the skin’s natural oils throughout the coat, making the skin healthier and the coat shinier. Your dog will feel more comfortable and you won’t find as much hair on your furniture and carpets. The bristle brush is used on breeds with smooth, short coats, such as the Dachshund, Doberman and Basset Hound. This coat is the easiest to care for since matting is not a consideration, but shedding can be excessive. Use a stiff bristle brush or hound’s glove against the growth of coat to loosen dead hair and skin. Then brush with the growth of coat to remove debris and distribute natural oils. A quick spritz with a finishing spray will have these dogs looking shiny and smelling great!
Show dog exhibitors generally use a pin brush on breeds such as the Lhasa Apso, Maltese, Afghan and Old English Sheepdog. The rigid, straight bristles of the pin brush glides through well maintained coats and does a fine job for finishing or fluff drying while preventing splitting and thinning of the long, flowing coats. But, the pin brush is not practical for use by most pet owners because it does not remove undercoat, which is the culprit of matting. A slicker brush is a much more effective tool for the pet owner when working on these drop coated breeds.
The slicker brush comes in a variety of sizes, shapes and stiffness of bristles. The smaller, gentle variety can be used safely on sensitive skinned pets. The curved, firm variety can be used on larger double coated breeds. Medium to long length, double and curly coats require the stiff, bent wire bristles of the slicker brush to penetrate the profuse hair and to grasp and remove undercoat. Begin at a rear foot, working your way up and over the entire body by parting the coat and brushing from the skin out in short strokes. Pay special attention to friction points which are easily matted, such as behind ears, under front legs and around the hocks on the rear legs.
A comb is used to test what you’ve brushed. Place the comb in the coat parallel to the skin. The diameter of the individual tines should be narrow with at least an 1/8" spacing. This allows the comb to penetrate the hair, instead of pushing it flat.
A large wide tooth comb, placed between the skin and thick undercoat of the neck or rump, is the most efficient tool for removing undercoat in large double coated breeds.
Once you’ve decided which brush and comb is best suited to your breed, (see sidebar for specific listing) you will want to get your dog off the floor, out of your lap and on a raised surface to effectively brush all parts of his body. A grooming table, or bath mat placed on a counter works well. Keep one hand on your dog at all times or secure him by a grooming arm and noose to prevent him from jumping or falling.
Matted Dogs Back to Top Dematting your dog’s coat is absolutely no fun for you or him! Regular brushing and combing will eliminate the likelihood of having to participate in such unpleasantries. In the best case scenario, a cream rinse and water mixture, corn starch or dematting spray can be worked into the mats to help facilitate their removal by pulling them apart with your fingers. Or, small mats can be loosened with a slicker brush and split with a dematting comb. Rest assured, there are no magic tricks when it comes to getting out mats, nothing replaces elbow grease.
Mat combs are sharp, so always work with the cutting edges facing you. Secure the dog’s skin by pulling it taut. Place the mat comb behind the mat and with short, quick strokes pull the mat comb through the mat. Do not use a sawing motion. You may equate this to taking off a band aid, it hurts much less if you do it quickly. Matting can hide a variety of skin afflictions. If the dog’s coat is in firm clumps or matted like a rug onto his skin, (bullet proof as one groomer friend calls this condition), the dog must be clipped as short as needed to remove the mats. When a dog is in this kind of retched condition, the dog’s aesthetics should be the last consideration. By this time the dogs health and comfort are definitely suffering.
Ear Care Back to Top Dogs with naturally profuse facial coat will grow hair in the ear canal. The gentle removal of this hair is necessary to keep the ear canal dry and infection free. A depilatory powder is lightly dusted into the ears so the hair can be grasped and painlessly pulled out. Hemostats used close to the skin will assist in stubborn cases, but fingers are less likely to pinch. Blunt tipped ear and nose scissors can be cautiously used on puppies or dogs that object to the plucking. Swab ears with cotton ball and ear cleanser to remove all traces of ear powder, wax and dirt.
Dogs with prick ears or little hair growth in the ears will need an occasional cleaning with an ear cleaner formulated specifically for dogs.
Nail Care Back to Top How often nails need trimming will depend on how much time your dog spends on cement and other hard surfaces to naturally wear them down. If your dog is usually indoors, or on grass, his nails will need to be checked regularly. Nails left to grow unchecked can become painful and disfiguring as they grow so long that the foot becomes splayed and twisted. Since dew claws never wear down, (nails above the paw), they can grow completely around and back into the foot. These must be checked more frequently. Nail scissors open completely and work well for toy breeds and dew claws. Beginners may find the plier type nail trimmer with cutting guard, allowing you to trim a little at a time, the easiest to use for most breeds. You should use heavy duty nail trimmers specifically designed to accommodate the large, tough nails of the large to giant breeds. Never use human nail trimmers and be sure to replace dull nail trimmers to avoid crushing, rather then cutting the nail.
White nails are easier to trim than dark nails because the pink of the quick is visible. Dark nails have a faint line and dull color where the quick begins. Only practice makes you faster and better at determining how much to take off. Always have styptic powder available, just is case. Try to avoid cutting the nails so short that they bleed. It is better to trim a bit from the nail weekly to force the quick to recede than to cut the nails too short in one trimming.
For Good Health Back to Top No doubt, routine grooming improves the way your pet looks and feels. But, grooming also has direct impact on your dog’s health. Grooming is the perfect opportunity to detect subtle changes or potential health problems in your dog. Spend a few moments carefully examining the condition of the coat and skin. Are there any new growths or irritations that need to be brought to your veterinarian’s attention and avoided by brushes and other grooming tools? Ears should be free of redness, discharge and odor. Healthy teeth are white and secure in firm, pink gums. A foul odor emanating from the mouth is a sure sign that periodontal disease is developing. The eyes should be bright and clear without discharge. Check feet for foreign objects and nails for splitting or excessive growth. Early detection and treatment can greatly reduce the seriousness of a manifesting problem.
Remember, good health and good looks go hand in hand. Stop by Feeders Supply Company today to learn how to better meet your pet’s grooming needs. Your best friend will be glad you did! |
