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Grooming is a matter of health just as much as it is a matter of looks. These are the things you should attend to when grooming your dog:
Ears
It is not difficult to tell when a dog’s ears need cleaning. They look and smell
dirty. You should check its ears once a week. Doing this takes no more than a few seconds and it can prevent infections. An ordinary cotton swab can be used without danger of doing damage. With a swab
dipped in lukewarm, soapy water, you can clean any accumulation. Cotton, another swab or an old piece of terrycloth, dipped in baby oil or soapy lukewarm water, can be used to clean the external ear
flap. If the ears appear red or if the dog is in obvious pain, your veterinarian can supply ointments or drops that will correct or fend off real infections that can become chronic.
Nails
Unless a dog runs and walks constantly on a hard, rough surface, it is almost
certain its nails will grow too long. This will spoils the dog’s movement and causes it discomfort and even pain. Nails must be trimmed regularly to encourage the dog not to splay its toes. All dogs
hate having their nails trimmed. Try to be encouraging and reassuring, and apply no more restraint than is necessary – but cut those nails. If you have not had experience clipping a dog’s nails, have
a veterinarian or groomer show you how it is done. A dog’s toenails have a vein and a nerve, be careful. If the nails are light in color, you will be able to see the vein and know where the nerve is.
You can come to within a tiny fraction of an inch of both and cause no pain to your dog. The best type of nail trimmer is the guillotine type, which holds the tip of the nail in a slop while you squeeze the implement. A sharp, replaceable blade slips up and cuts the tip away. Do not take large pieces of the nail off at once; instead, take the tip off first and then, turning the clipper at an angle, gently trim the nail back as far as you can go.
Teeth
Dry food is better for your dog’s hygiene or tooth care. But it is better yet
to give your dog a treat of a tough, dry biscuit, the kind that come in the shape of a bone are fine. Brush and rinse your dog’s teeth at least twice a week. We recommend the cleaning and removal of
plaque building up to be done in the veterinary clinic.
Skin
If your dog’s skin is not healthy (itching, scratching, hot spots and a scraggly
looking coat) it’s important first to get rid of external parasites. Ticks and fleas must go; the use of chemical dips, sprays, and powders is advisable. Your veterinarian can prescribe the right solution for your dog. Spray and dust cracks in the floor, areas where the dog sleeps, and fabrics your pet may rest on. During tick season, check your dog every evening and remove all ticks. During winter months, many dogs have dry skin because their owners’ homes are overheated. Add a teaspoonful of salad oil to the dog’s food.
Coat
Basic coat care can consist of simple maintenance or fine-tuned grooming. If your
dog requires trimming, plucking or cutting, you are going to need help, at least initially. If you decide to do it yourself, get some beginning instruction and be sure to buy the proper equipment.
Bathing Procedures
First, the bath. Start by putting a nonskid mat in the tub, use a good dog shampoo on the body and a human baby shampoo on the head. Always put eye drops into your dog’s eyes before a bath to avoid eye irritation. The water should be lukewarm, a little cooler, soak and lather all the way around your dog’s neck to prevent fleas from heading toward its head. Isolate the pests down on the body and give them their due. Use a mobile shower spray head or a plastic pitcher to soak the dog’s coat. Work the lather through the coat again and again, and then rinse thoroughly. Don’t leave soap on the skin or you will invite itchy spots and constant scratching. Towel your dog dry and keep it in a warm place. If you have a heavy-coated dog, use a hair dryer while you brush the coat into shape.
Undercoats
A good many breeds have heavy undercoats. To loosen and remove undercoat
fur, use a rake, a toothed band of steel with leather handles at both ends. Form the band into the loop and go to work, out-of-doors. If you do not rake the undercoat loose in the spring, you will be driven mad all summer and fall, because your dog will shed that coat instead.
Dry Shampooing
Some dogs do not really need baths. If there is not some grand emergency, dry shampoos are best. These are powders, available in pet shops, that are brushed through the coat, leaving it clean
and neat. Read the instructions carefully and take the manufacturer’s advice. Bathing off-standing coats more often than is really required will break the coat down and leave it limp and unimpressive.
If your dog has been swimming in salt water, you will want to rinse it thoroughly with fresh water, to prevent dermatological complications. Elaborated coated dogs need daily brushing.
Dogs and Skunks
Skunks are generally not keen on dogs, and are quick to spray dogs with
their musk. If this happens, try to do the job out-of-doors. Put your dog in a metal or plastic tub and open four or five large cans of tomato juice. Work the undiluted tomato juice again and again
through the areas of the dog’s coat that have been hit. After you have saturated your dog with tomato juice, rinse it in tepid water. Shampoo the dog at least three times, preferably with a heavy-duty
bar of yellow laundry soap. Then rinse thoroughly, towel your pet with dry old towels.
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