Do It Yourself Pet Grooming Tips

Do It Yourself Pet Grooming Tips

Do it yourself pet grooming tips will help you save money by grooming your pet at home. This may sound difficult but you can do it by following some simple grooming steps. What a better way for you and your pet to bond together. Regular grooming is very important. It will keep your dog clean and healthy. Scheduling regular grooming sessions for your pet will help prevent yeast infections caused by matted hair, ear infections with wax buildup, and periodontal disease for uncared teeth. This article will cover some basics that you can do at home which will help make it more pleasant for all involved.

Preparation

Before you begin a grooming session with your pet, be sure you have on hand all of the necessary grooming supplies and tools. This will include the proper supplies for cleaning eyes, ears, trimming nails or hair, brushing teeth, bathing and drying your pet.

One more note, you may not be able to accomplish all of the grooming steps with one session. You will have to consider the patience of your dog and how long your dog can stand each of the grooming steps. For new dog owners, you may have to train your dog on each step at a time. Some dogs may not like you bathing them or trimming their nails etc.

Brushing Your Dog

Before bathing your dog, always brush him first and do it thoroughly. When wet, mats enlarge and can become unmanageable. If a mat goes undetected or coat care is neglected, you may have to shave or cut out the mat so that bacteria doesn't  grow between it and the skin and cause a yeast infection. If you should have a short haired breed dog, you only need go over with a curry brush or glove, medium to long coated dogs may require special tools like a slicker, a pin or an undercoat rake. These tools can be bought at a pet store. Whatever tool you use it must effectively remove loose hair and distribute oils from the skin throughout the coat.

Other Grooming Steps

Before bathing, trim out any mats or large amounts of hair that will only waste time in shampooing and drying. Dogs look best when groomed after they are bathed and dried.

Eyes

Some breed of dogs may require more maintenance in this area than others. You can pull eye boogers away from the potentially irritating spot in the corner of the eye, long-haired or white haired dogs require special attention to make sure all gunk is out of the coat. You can buy products which remove tear stains from a white coat available in most pet stores. A healthy eye should be clear and should not show signs of irritation or unusual discharge. Your vet can cut the hair around the eyes for you, which can cause the tear stains (do not try this yourself).

 

 

Ears

A clean ear may contain some wax and should not have any smell to it. Before placing any cleaner or medication in your dog's ear, warm it to body temperature (like a baby bottle) before putting it in the ear. Cold is painful in the ear canal. A few drops of warmed rubbing alcohol will dry water from the ear canal and kill bacteria, yeast and mites.

Cleaning the ear:

• To clean your dog's ears, apply any recommended ear cleaning solution to a cotton ball and simply wipe dirt and wax away from the inner ear.


• Be careful not to rub vigorously as to cause sores, and do not travel too far into the ear, as both can cause damage.


• Be prepared for your dog not to like the process; you will meet some resistance.


• When you are done wiping the ear with a damp cotton ball or cloth, gently dry it out with a dry one.


• If you should notice your dog's ear is swollen, red, dark or blackened, showing signs of discharge or sores, or smells bad, contact your veterinarian. This is not normal and could be signs of infection or disease.

Brushing Teeth

Here is a startling statistic, according to veterinarians; about 80% of dogs have periodontal disease. This means if your dog continually digests plaque on a regular basis, it may lead to kidney or liver disease and rotting teeth. Not good.

• Plan on brushing your dog's teeth at least two to three times a week. You may use a product called PetzLife antimicrobial spray if you do not have the time or your pet is resistant to having its teeth brushed.


• Use only products made for dogs so you do not unintentionally poison your dog.


• Use gauze over your finger or a tooth brush or any other effective product available. PetsToothBrush is a surgical glove with bristles attached to the thumb and forefinger.


• Ease your pet into the process so that it can be a pleasant experience rather than a stressful one so you don't get yourself bitten.


• Pets like the human touch than using the plastic brush.

If your dog has a buildup of plaque or tartar, a veterinarian may be needed. Some dogs will allow you to scrape the tartar if you are brave enough to try it. Purchase a dental scraper and be gentle. Brushing or spraying three times a week supplemented with an occasional frozen raw bone should be enough maintenance. Do not use human toothpaste on your pets. Pet will swallow the toothpaste and may get sick. Purchase only pet toothpaste specially approved for pets.

Trimming Nails

If your dog's nails are left untrimmed, nails can grow to enormous lengths, twisting toe and causing a pained irregular gait that can lead to skeletal damage, even curling into the pads of the foot. To prevent this from happening, clip your dog's nails regularly. Depending upon the breed of dog, you may have to do this weekly or as often as once a month or somewhere in-between. To trim nails use a pet nail clipper and trim about 1/16 of an inch away. Human clippers can be used on small breeds of dogs. Try not to clip into the pink area. If you should do this and your pet bleeds, use styptic powder or corn starch and apply it with a bit of pressure should stop the bleeding.

Other Grooming Steps

Before bathing, trim out any mats or large amounts of hair that will only waste time in shampooing and drying. Dogs look best when groomed after they are bathed and dried.

Eyes

Some breed of dogs may require more maintenance in this area than others. You can pull eye boogers away from the potentially irritating spot in the corner of the eye, long-haired or white haired dogs require special attention to make sure all gunk is out of the coat. You can buy products which remove tear stains from a white coat available in most pet stores. A healthy eye should be clear and should not show signs of irritation or unusual discharge. Your vet can cut the hair around the eyes for you, which can cause the tear stains (do not try this yourself).

Ears

A clean ear may contain some wax and should not have any smell to it. Before placing any cleaner or medication in your dog's ear, warm it to body temperature (like a baby bottle) before putting it in the ear. Cold is painful in the ear canal. A few drops of warmed rubbing alcohol will dry water from the ear canal and kill bacteria, yeast and mites.

Cleaning the ear:

·         To clean your dog's ears, apply any recommended ear cleaning solution to a cotton ball and simply wipe dirt and wax away from the inner ear.

·         Be careful not to rub vigorously as to cause sores, and do not travel too far into the ear, as both can cause damage.

·         Be prepared for your dog not to like the process; you will meet some resistance.

·         When you are done wiping the ear with a damp cotton ball or cloth, gently dry it out with a dry one.

·         If you should notice your dog's ear is swollen, red, dark or blackened, showing signs of discharge or sores, or smells bad, contact your veterinarian. This is not normal and could be signs of infection or disease.

Brushing Teeth

Here is a startling statistic, according to veterinarians; about 80% of dogs have periodontal disease. This means if your dog continually digests plaque on a regular basis, it may lead to kidney or liver disease and rotting teeth. Not good.

·         Plan on brushing your dog's teeth at least two to three times a week. You may use a product called PetzLife antimicrobial spray if you do not have the time or your pet is resistant to having its teeth brushed.

·         Use only products made for dogs so you do not unintentionally poison your dog.

·         Use gauze over your finger or a tooth brush or any other effective product available. PetsToothBrush is a surgical glove with bristles attached to the thumb and forefinger.

·         Ease your pet into the process so that it can be a pleasant experience rather than a stressful one so you don't get yourself bitten.

·         Pets like the human touch than using the plastic brush.

If your dog has a buildup of plaque or tartar, a veterinarian may be needed. Some dogs will allow you to scrape the tartar if you are brave enough to try it. Purchase a dental scraper and be gentle. Brushing or spraying three times a week supplemented with an occasional frozen raw bone should be enough maintenance. Do not use human toothpaste on your pets. Pet will swallow the toothpaste and may get sick. Purchase only pet toothpaste specially approved for pets.

Trimming Nails

If your dog's nails are left untrimmed, nails can grow to enormous lengths, twisting toe and causing a pained irregular gait that can lead to skeletal damage, even curling into the pads of the foot. To prevent this from happening, clip your dog's nails regularly. Depending upon the breed of dog, you may have to do this weekly or as often as once a month or somewhere in-between. To trim nails use a pet nail clipper and trim about 1/16 of an inch away. Human clippers can be used on small breeds of dogs. Try not to clip into the pink area. If you should do this and your pet bleeds, use styptic powder or corn starch and apply it with a bit of pressure and should stop the bleeding.

Bathing Your Dog

After you have completed the brushing and other grooming steps on your dog, you are now ready to bathe your dog. You should bathe your dog once every two weeks. If he is new and has not been bathed before, you may have to train him first so he can get used to it. Here are some basic steps you can use in bathing your dog:

1.      Some dogs are afraid of the sound of running water. If this is the case, you need to desensitize your pet to the sound.

2.      Do not place him in a bathtub. He will be sitting in dirty bath water. Try to use a sink big enough for him.

3.      Remove his regular collar and replace it with one that will not stain his coat or be damaged by water to restrain him in the tub or sink.

4.      Do not put on his regular collar until he is fully dry. Failure to observe this may result in your dog getting sores around his neck.

5.      Wet him down thoroughly using lukewarm water. If you have a medium or large dog, you may need to attach a water pressurizer to the hose or hose attachment for the sink, bath spout, or shower head can help clean all parts of your dog's body.

6.      Use only a shampoo specially formulated for dogs. 

7.      Begin shampooing at the neck and move downward. Shampoos are easier to apply if diluted. It's better to give two shampoos that rinse thoroughly than one strong shampoo that leaves a residue. When shampooing a certain area, give it a few squirts and use your hand to spread the shampoo. For hairy dogs or double coated dogs, you may need to use a curry brush to work the shampoo into the coat. Continue this until you have completed his body and legs. Save his head for last. When doing his head, do not use shampoo around the eyes and ears. Be carful of his nose and mouth. Before rinsing, let the shampoo rest on the dog for 3 to 4 minutes.

8.      Thoroughly rinse your pet. As long as you see dirt or soap bubbles in the water coming off an area, keep spraying, then move on. Shampoo left in the coat will cause hot spots, an irritating spot of bald, itchy, red skin. Be careful not to get any water or suds in his ears and eyes. If you should get any water in his ears, use a cotton ball into his ear and gently pat the area. If your dog should be scratching his ear after bathing, take him to the vet to remove any water. Water left in his ear can cause serious damage.

9.      Towel dry your dog as best as you can. If you have a short coat breed of dog, you can let his coat dry naturally. If you have a larger breed or a double coat dog, you blow dry your dog as best as you can. This is especially true for long hair dogs. When using a blow dryer use the cool setting which may take longer. Also, use a professional quality dryer model, because of the amount of time to take to dry your dog's hair.

10.  Diluting shampoo. When diluting a shampoo, the ratio is 1 part of shampoo with 10 parts of water.

Conclusion

By following these easy do it yourself pet grooming tips will make you a better pet owner and build a stronger bond with your pet. Some of you may feel uncomfortable in performing these basic grooming steps for your dog, you can always let your vet do it or you can take your pet to a professional groomer. Be prepared to spend some extra money for these services.