All dogs, no matter how long or short their coat is, need regular grooming. Proper grooming plays an important part in the overall care of your pet. Grooming not only makes your pet look better, it contributes to his or her physiological and psychological health.
Brushing and combing your dog helps keep the coat clean and healthy and stimulates the skin, allowing the natural oils to circulate to the coat. Regular professional grooming also allows the groomer to check your pet for potential health problems such as loss of hair, unusual growths and tumors, inflammation, fleas, ticks and other parasites.
How Often Should Dogs Be Groomed?
Most dogs should be professionally groomed every 4 to 6 weeks, or at the discretion of the Owner or the Veterinarian. Some breeds, such as Poodles and Shih Tzus, require clipping of the coat and therefore more frequent visits to the Grooming Salon. Daily brushing also helps keep dogs from becoming matted.
What Age Should Dogs Be Introduced to Grooming?
Dogs should be introduced to grooming as early in life as possible, especially those with excess hair that will require regular grooming and clipping. It is also good training for a young dog to besome desensitized to being handled and getting their nails trimmed. All dogs entering a Grooming Salon should be current with Canine Distemper, Parvo, Corona or a combination vaccination package of the equivalent, Rabies, which is required by law in most states, and Bordetella.
Exposing puppies to other animals before they have received a complete series of vaccinations can spread disease to not only the puppy but to other pets as well. Ideally, pets should wait at least 2 weeks after vaccinations to be exposed to other animals. This allows the vaccine to get into the pet’s system for maximum protection.
You should consult your veterinarian for possible risks if your puppy has an abundance of fur and needs to be groomed before all vaccinations have been completed, and ask the Grooming Salon if they will groom your puppy.
What is Included in a Professional Grooming Service?
A full-service grooming should include:
- External Ear Cleaning: A basic need for any dog. This is a very simple and quick task, and especially important for breeds with floppy, hairy ears like cocker spaniels, golden retrievers, and basset hounds—all prone to chronic ear infections.
A healthy ear has little to no brownish-black wax residue, the skin is a light pink, the hair at the opening of the canal is thin or non-existent, and the ear has no odor. It may be necessary to pluck the hair out of the opening of the canal, which most dogs find slightly painful, but this is crucial for good ear health.
An infected ear is thick with wax, the skin is red, the canal opening and creases are swollen and hot, the hair at the opening of the canal is thick and matted not allowing for any air to enter the canal, and the ear will have a foul odor. The dog will often hang its head to one side, hold the head low, paw at its ears, shake its head, and sometimes yelp while shaking the head.
- A Nail Trim: This is a basic need for any dog. Unless your dog is walking around on rock-hard surfaces that will wear the nails down, every dog will need a nail trim.
Toenails that grow too long begin to snag on things like carpet. The vein inside the nail (called the quick) begins to grow in length with the nail, making a nail trim pointless if the quick is too long because then you cannot cut much off the nail unless you get a vet to sedate the dog in order to cauterize the vein once it’s been cut back. This is very painful for the dog. Overgrown nails are at risk of getting ripped off the dog’s toes if the nail snags on something, and then the bleeding is difficult to stop, and infection can set in. Or if the nails grow too long, they begin to curl under into the paw pads or the sides of the other toes. Severely overgrown toenails can deform and cripple the dog’s feet and legs. Long, sharp toenails are also a danger to people and other pets, as an accidental scratch can break the skin
- An Anal Gland Check: Regular expressing of your dog’s anal glands will help keep problems to a minimum. You can drain the fluid yourself or have your vet do it, or ask if your groomer offers the service. Keeping your dog at a healthy weight can help reduce the potential for problems, as obese dogs are more prone to anal sac disorders than dogs of normal weight
- A Bath with Premium Shampoo
* Note: Human shampoos or other cleaning products are not formulated for your dog’s sensitive skin and may cause drying, flaking, irritated skin and a dull lifeless coat. Continued use of inappropriate shampoos or cleaning products can cause more severe skin and coat problems.
- A Fluff Dry
- A Breed Standard or Customer Requested Cut: Customers should be involved in the choice of their dog’s styling. Most professional Pet Stylists will recommend the breed standard clip or as close to it as possible. There are a variety of very nice clips for mixed breed dogs. Your groomer will help you choose which style best suits your dog. In cases of severe matting, your pet may need to be shaved leaving the coat less than a half an inch long. Hair does grow back, usually very close to the texture it was before shaving. If your pet must be shaved, your groomer will give you tips to keep the new hair healthy and beautiful as it grows back to its desired length
Should I shave my dog? It is not a wise decision to shave a medium-coated dog, unless the coat is matted over the entire body or recommended by a veterinarian. It’s a common misconception that dogs need to be shaved to “cool off” in the summertime. Dogs do not sweat; they pant to cool off. They use their overcoat to regulate their body temperature, which is why it is SO important to maintain brushing out their undercoat during times of shedding. If you feel you “must” shave your dog to cool off in the summer, it’s best just to shave the belly, so they can feel the cool grass or a tile floor.