Grooming your dog at home is a great way to save a little money and keep your dog healthy and happy. However, your grooming session can quickly become messy and hectic, especially when you don’t have the right tools and strategies ready. Use these tips from our veterinary hospital in Chicago to help make your grooming experience pleasant and safe for you and your pet.
Bathe Too Often
Baths are needed every so often when your pet gets into something smelly or muddy, but bathing your dog too often can cause problems down the line. Over rinsing your dog’s fur can strip their coat of natural oils, which can cause skin and temperature-regulating issues. Try not to bathe your dog more than once every other week, unless necessary. In addition, always use warm water and towel dry.
Scented Shampoo
Our veterinary hospital in Chicago recommends always using an unscented shampoo when scrubbing your pup! The perfumes in scented shampoo can irritate your dog’s skin and nose.
Neglect The Ears
When it’s time for grooming, don’t forget to clean the ears to help prevent infection! Instead of using Q-tips use a pet ear cleaning solution. Lastly, avoid getting your dog’s ears wet during a bath, since moisture can help accelerate an infection.
Cut Nails Too Short
First things first, always make sure your pup is in a calm state before you start nail trimming. Your dog’s nails contain a blood vessel that when clipped can cause a lot of bleeding and pain for your pup. As a general rule, only trim the part of the nail that hooks over their paw. Trimming a small amount of nail frequently is much better than trimming too far!
To learn more grooming tips or to get any product recommendations, talk to your veterinary hospital in Chicago. Portage Park Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic is open Monday-Saturday, give us a call at 773.725.0260.
