GOOD GROOMING PRACTICES
I have not been inconsistent in keeping up with my Maltese Zoey’s brushing, so I had her trimmed short in her recent salon visit at The Wagging Tail. I WILL TRY HARDER. In-between baths, I use pet wipes and Pooshe to keep both Zoey and Ebby clean smelling.
The following is a step-by-step guide to follow when grooming your dog (or cat) from Family Dog Magazine. With some added tips from me. On dogs or cats that may have mats, it is best to get the mats out and brush the pet before bathing as the mats will just tighten more when wet.
Use only PH balanced pet shampoos. Human shampoos and dish detergents are too harsh. Thoroughly wet every part of your pet to the skin before applying shampoo.
If you dilute the pet shampoo a little before applying, the cleansing agents are better activated. It also helps to spread the shampoo more evenly over the coat and rinse out quicker.
Lather the entire body, armpits, under the body, between toes. If not using a tearless shampoo, add a drop of mineral oil or Safe Eye, to protect your pets’ eyes. This is especially true of flea and tick shampoo. If your purpose is to deflea your pet, always lather the head and ears first, then across body including tail and under tail, and then down the legs including the pads of the feet. The fleas move away from the shampoo on the pet, and you don’t want them running into the eyes. Two baths may sometimes be necessary for really “dirty” dogs.
Rinse thoroughly using warm clean water until there are visible suds. I usually do Zoey in the laundry sink so she can set her front paws on the edge. It helps to have a non-slip mat on the bottom like you would have in your tub. Since I don’t have a sprayer there, I use a large plastic container to rinse her off.
Using a conditioner may depended on the breed. Some breeds like Poodles don’t need it. But check with your breeder or use your own discretion. Conditioners may be very useful in detangling long, drop-coated breeds. Conditioners help loosen undercoat on shedding dogs.
Rinse out the conditioner and squeeze excess water from your pet or use a cloth chamois. There are ones specifically for pets. They are truly amazing-will practically dry any pet. In warm weather, short-haired breeds will dry quickly. Other pets may need the use of a hair dryer.
Brush your pet to remove excess loose hair or to complete grooming on dogs with longer or curly coats. A rubber curry (of which The Wagging Tail has a nice selection) is an outstanding tool for short-haired dogs, and great for bathing as well. Rakes are great for dense, double-coated dogs. Furminators are useful for shorter double coats. Just use with care.
When brushing it is suggested to start behind the ears and work down to the tail. Do one entire side before doing the other side. (I have never tried that.) I usually brush out the tail if there are feathers by holding the tail bone and using a soft slicker brush followed by a comb with rotating teeth or a greyhound comb.
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