Why should we regularly groom our dogs?
Keeping your dog’s coat in top condition is vital to his overall health and is an important part of your care for him. Let’s face it can you imagine going for months without washing your own hair, cutting your nails or brushing your teeth? Regular grooming isn’t just about making your dog look nice though, there are many physical, health and emotional benefits too.
Not only does it keep coats clean but regular grooming will encourage new hair growth and help your dog to regulate their body temperature. The coat serves as an insulating layer between your dog’s skin and the external environment, protecting them from the sun and heat in the summer and the cold in the winter and from cuts and abrasions, so it is important to look after it. The growth of a dog’s hair is affected by nutrition, hormones and change of season and they normally shed hair in the early spring and early autumn. When shedding, loose hair can get tangled and if not effectively brushed on a regular basis can result in heavy matting which can cause pain and lead to skin irritation.
As well as keeping your dog looking it’s absolute best, grooming is a great opportunity to check for any suspicious lumps and bumps and for resident parasites. Constant biting, licking or scratching is usually caused by parasites, infections, allergies, stress or environmental conditions and a good groomer will check for these and use the appropriate the products to prevent, protect and soothe. Please remember though that this should be no substitute to a visit to your vet to get your dog checked out.
Ear Checks
All dogs should have their ears cleaned on a regular basis and it should form an essential part of their grooming routine. Some dogs need more frequent and thorough cleaning due to their predisposition to ear infections, dogs with floppy ears lack adequate airflow to the ear canal which can accelerate ear infections and others produce a lot of secretions that need to be cleaned.
In addition to cleaning, some breeds also need to have their ears plucked as they have thick hair growing in their ear canal. This must be done with great care to avoid causing irritation or pain to the dog and is best left to the professional groomer, we provide this service as part of our Wash & Fluff and Full Groom.
Nails
If your dog’s nails get too long they can break and bleed which is painful and can result in infection. Overgrown nails, particularly the dew claw, can also also curl backwards into the dog’s pad or leg causing serious pain. It is important not to cut the ‘quick’ as this will cause the nail to bleed but if you’re not comfortable doing it yourself don’t worry as it is included in our Wash & Fluff and Full Groom.
Teeth
You should aim to clean your dog’s teeth several times per week using special dog toothpaste, this will help to prevent gum disease and bad breath and will reduce the build up of tartar. We can clean teeth and remove tartar for you during their grooming session.
Grooming
It is important to keep your dog regularly groomed, we recommend a professional groom every 6/8 weeks dependent on breed. A professional groomer will have all the correct tools and equipment and the skill to groom your dog, helping them to look and feel their best but it is also important to continue to groom them in between visits.
Don’t forget that every time you groom your dog you are increasing the bond between you and helping with it’s overall health and wellbeing. If you want to bathe your dog between visits please ensure you use special pet shampoo as their skin has a different pH to yours and using human products could lead to discomfort and skin problems. At Clippity Snip we use only the best quality natural pet products.
“It is important to keep your dog regularly groomed, we recommend a professional groom every 6/8 weeks dependent on breed.”
-CLIPPITY SNIP
For further advice and information or to make an appointment please email mark@clippitysnip.co.uk or call 07590 053758.