It might seem like a small detail of owning a dog, but in fact, maintaining regular grooming should be high on your weekly to-do list! Even if your dog doesn’t look overly scruffy, grooming has many health benefits that shouldn’t be overlooked, despite them not being immediately obvious.
Many of these benefits stem from simply brushing your dog. Not only will regular brushing become a nice bonding routine for you and your pet, but it also helps to circulate blood flow and ventilate their coat which helps it to grow healthy and strong. Brushing will also remove any old damaged hair and keep excess grease at bay. This is important as too much grease can block pores and cause irritation and all sorts of skin problems.
Furthermore, when a dog sheds, the loose hair can get tangled which causes matting. Left untreated, matting can create painful sore patches and in worse case scenarios can lead to infection. All of which can go unseen under their fur.
The next major health benefit comes from regular nail maintenance. Allowing your dog’s nails to grow too long can cause their toes to spread, which in turn puts stress on the ankle joints. If this happens, they may experience some difficulty in walking around. Unfortunately, this is quite a common problem in dogs. Trimmed nails will keep them from curling, as well as stop germs from getting trapped in them. Extra long nails can sometimes grow so much that they grow into the foot! OUCH!
Many owners are apprehensive about cutting their dog’s nails, but if you do decide to do this yourself be sure to invest in some proper nail clippers made especially for dogs. If you are nervous about this part of your grooming routine, feel free to seek advice during your next visit to Pet Doctor. Bring the clippers in and staff will train you in how to clip your dog’s nails.
Animals can’t tell us when or where they’re hurting, so it’s important to keep on top of grooming as it gives you the opportunity to give them a basic health check during the process. You can check for matting, sores, grass seeds between their toes and other areas of the body and as well as fleas, or general lumps, bumps, scratches, and the condition of their eyes, ears and feet.
Of course, if you don’t feel up to the job or you own a long-haired breed, which requires substantial upkeep, professional groomers will be able to do all this for you. Just be sure to book them in on a regular and on-going basis to ensure health implications don’t arise in between appointments.
For more advice or information, or recommendations for trusted grooming salons, be sure to contact Pet Doctor on (08) 8268 6777 and speak with one of our friendly nurses.