Snowmelt and good weather are synonyms of cleaning, mud and shedding. Keeping a good hygiene routine can be challenging when it concerns our fur friends. But totally worth it for their health!
It’s never too early to train good habits when it comes to grooming your puppy or kitten. You need patience, tasty Oven-Baked Tradition treats and you are good to go gradually. You don’t have to do all the grooming in one day, especially when you want to give a positive experience to your young pet.
1. Brushing
By brushing your pet’s coat regularly, you will avoid the formation of knots, prevent the presence of parasites, be able to spot a wound or an early health issue, remove the dead undercoat and allow your pet’s coat to breathe. Choose your brush according to your pet’s age and its type of coat (whether or not there is an undercoat).
2. Trim those nails
Your pet will naturally reduce its nails by walking, running or jumping on a hard surface like concrete or pavement. However, this is not enough. You need to check its nails regularly. If its nails become too long, your pet could feel discomfort, change its posture or the way it is walking. In the long term, this can result in musculoskeletal issues. You can use a traditional nail clipper, a rotative one or you can train your pets to trim its nails on sand paper by itself. If you are not comfortable with these steps, veterinarians, groomers or qualified staff at your local pet specialty store will be happy to help you.
Tips: For positive association, we recommend giving a little piece of treat to your pet every time you cut a nail.
3. Bath time
Some of our fur friends enjoy being dirty and some of us allow them permission to climb on our couch or bed. Whatever the reason, it’s important to bath your pet several times a year. Fortunately, you can find many shampoos for any type of coat and unpleasant situations like skunk encounter, shedding period and skin issues. We recommend that you choose a natural product in order to preserve the natural protective barrier of the skin. Dry it well to prevent skin infections caused by humidity.
Tips: Buy a lickimat with suction cups and spread some wet food on it. This will occupy and help to relax your pet during bath time.
4. Clean the ears
Get a pet ear-cleaning solution, apply a small amount on a cotton ball and then, rub gently inside the ear of your fur friend. Hold the ear flap and massage the ear base for a few seconds. Afterwards, let your pet shake its head. This will help get the excess ear solution and any additional debris out of the inner canal. The frequency of the cleaning will depend on several factors: floppy or pointy ears, pet who plays a lot outside or in the water and who has frequent skin or ear infections.
Tips: Since this is a fairly invasive step for the animal, we recommend you to apply some tips mentioned above like a lickimat or tasty treats. This positive association will be beneficial during the annual exam at the vet clinic.
5. Grooming
Just like human hair, refreshing your pet’s haircut is beneficial for the strength of the hair and will facilitate the maintenance of its coat. It’s not recommended shaving pets with undercoat. The double coat protects them from sunburn, cold in the wintertime, all outside elements and the texture will never be the same once you shave it down.
Some will entrust the grooming of an experienced and qualified groomer and others will choose to do it themselves using the tips mentioned above.
Whatever your choice is, remember that a good hygiene will influence the well-being and longevity of your pet and can save you some trips to the vet.
