The summer is notorious for the “summer clip,” but not all breeds of dogs benefit from shorter hair styles. When deciding whether to shave your pet or seek an alternative cooling method consider the following points. Coat Type Nature has given your pet an amazing bit of technology in their coat design. The coat acts as an insulator in the winter, but also regulates temperature during the summer. Many animals benefit from an undercoat which circulates cool air near the skin and rejects hot sun-rays. Undercoat that is not maintained restricts the flow of cool air, so brushing and cleaning your pet’s fur is even more important in the hot summer months. When shaved, some double-coated breeds are incapable of recovering from the damage caused by…
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Four Reasons Grooming is Not a Haircut
“It is cheaper to do my hair than my pet’s!” There are a lot of people who shy away from professional grooming because they believe it is extremely expensive. Often owners compare their own haircut cost to the cost of pet grooming, but that is not entirely fair. Your groomer does much more than trim and shampoo the hair on your pet’s head. You Stay Still After you understand a haircut, you stop squirming and crying in the barber’s chair. Your pet, even if well behaved, does not always behave on the grooming table; they often wiggle, duck away, and sometimes nip or scratch. Your groomer knows how to trim, shave, and handle your pet so they are not harmed during the grooming session and…
Expectations for Your First Appointment
You have chosen a groomer and have scheduled your first appointment. What should you expect? Some Nerves Not just your nerves because you are leaving your puppy or kitty in the hands of a stranger, but your pet’s first trip to the groomer is a new situation for them. You should expect them to be nervous. To help keep your pet calm, you may try to brush him at home in short spurts. Make these small, quick grooming sessions are positive with rewards and treats. If you have a boisterous puppy, take him or her for a long walk before their appointment. If you have a shy kitten, try to bring something that smells like you to help calm her. (Read this post for a…
Pet Massage
We have long understood the benefits of massage to relieve stress after a long week, but we rarely consider the massage benefits to our furry family members. Some pet owners believe that petting and massaging are similar in their benefits; however, this belief is incorrect. Pets can benefit physically and mentally from massaging just as we do. Physical A quick massage after heavy physical activity will help your pet recover quicker. Massaging increases lymph and blood circulation. The increase in lymph circulation means waste and toxins are removed from the muscle tissue, allowing the muscle to accept more nutrients for growth and repair. With all these free-flowing nutrients, Fido or Fluffy will begin to have more flexibility, more range of motion, and even more toned…
Maintenance Grooming
After a grooming session, your pet will be soft, tangle-free, and clean. A week later, you will notice your fingers don’t run through his coat as well and the smell has faded. It is about time for you to do some grooming maintenance on your furry family member. Depending on your pet, the amount of at-home grooming required will vary. Yet, the basics are the same: weekly brushing, check their ears, and a quick hygienic check-up. Weekly Brushing Brushing prevents tangles from forming into mats, which can cause skin irritation, could hide fleas, and can be extremely difficult to remove. Doing this weekly allows you to find health problems before they can become serious issues. Brushing reduces the amount of dead fur in the pet’s coat…