Dog Grooming at Home Tips
What to Do
- Possess the right set of tools. Mentors and dog breeders or professional groomers could be of great help in guiding you purchase the right tools, the right nail trimmers, a styptic powder for example Kwik stop used to stop nail bleeding, teeth cleaning tools as well, wide and fine teeth combs, brushes, blow dryers and even shampoos if you want to. They can teach about good and right tables to use for grooming and so on.
- Correctly use the brush that suits the coat of your dog breed. Sleeker brushes for example are suitable for long-haired dogs, whereas bristle brushes are preferred for short-haired breeds. Consult with your veterinarian, breeder or groomer to purchase the best option for your breed.
- Now that you have the appropriate brush for your dog’s coat, to remove debris and dirt, control shedding, prevent matting, and have a clean shiny coat; brush your dog regularly even if they have short hair.
- Wipe any mud, dirt, sand, and other outdoor debris or remains using a damp towel to clean your dog’s coat.
- Check your dog regularly in grooming sessions and more than once a day during tick season. You can purchase the appropriate tools to help you with the removal of ticks and you can train with the help of your veterinarian on some safe techniques to remove ticks. The quickest you remove a tick the better it is for your dog. Make sure that your dog’s paw pads are not dry, injured or cracked, by
- regular checking. This is not only for hygiene but also for ensuring that your dog is in good condition. Hair growing in between your dog’s toes in an excessive way may cause problems or become matted; therefore it should be trimmed to be in the same level as the paw pads or a little shorter. Be careful and use the right tools to prevent cutting your dog. Do not use tools such as small narrow clipper blade or small blunt-edge scissors without being properly prepared and taught by a professional breeder, groomer or veterinary.
- You can learn from your groomer or vet how to safely and effectively trim your dog’s nails, because you have to keep them trimmed. It is a cheap visit to the vet’s office or groomer if you do not enjoy the trimming or face difficulties at it. Rotary trimmers are indeed a safe alternative for dog owners but unlike clippers the latter consumes more time and requires the dog to be trained for such method.
- If you decide to trim your dog’s nails, make sure that you have blood stopping products next to hand, such as a styptic pencil or a treating powder like Kwik Stop, if you accidentally cut too short. Nails should not grow too long and ought to be cut for the benefit of your dog as we explained earlier. Regular trimming helps the nails and the quick stay short and eliminates or at least decreases the probability of cutting it in other trimming sessions. If your dog has black or dark toe nails avoid trimming them yourself and pay a visit to your groomer or veterinarian’s office or ask for advice.
- If you have an eyes hair covering breed kind of dog, clean the eyes with a damp cloth and always trim the hair and make sure hair does not fall in the eyes of your dog to avoid irritation.
- Using a soft piece of cloth or moist cotton ball wipe the inside of your dog’s ear every week. Take a good look inside the ear, also smell each ear. Be alerted to any signs of swelling, severe redness, debris, discharge either yellow or brown, or a rotten scent may be a sign of infection, pay a visit to your veterinarian. This is often seen not long after swimming or a bath because of the buildup of moisture, it is significant to entirely dry one ear at a time after it gets wet.
- You have to brush your dog’s teeth a few times a week necessarily, and if you brush them daily is perfect. For your information plaque starts to accumulate after just 48 hours. Another method you can use for brushing is wrapping your finger with washcloth or gauze and start wiping up the teeth and you can also message the gums. Regular teeth brushing prevents serious health issues and problems for example heart disease, kidney disease and other dangerous diseases. By getting your dog accustomed to regular teeth cleaning you hit two birds with one rock, first you keep your dog healthy and clean and second you spare your-self ,time and money that could be spent on future dental and health problems.
- Use on your dog only products of hygiene that are approved by your veterinarian.