Posted by Jess Saba on Thu, Oct 29, 2009 @ 03:30 PM
Groom your dog to maintain health and appearance
Grooming your dog is an important way to maintain your dog’s health and appearance. Clipping nails and frequent ear inspections help prevent in-grown nails and ear infection while dogs who are brushed often tend to have healthier and shinier coats.
Each time you groom your dog be sure to look at his skin for cut, red or dry skin, check for unusual smells that may point to infection and check his paws for abrasions or cuts.
Each dog breed has different grooming needs. Breeds with longer hair require more frequent brushing to prevent knotted or matted coats while dogs with short hair may need to be wiped down daily with a damp cloth.
Train your dog for grooming
It is much easier to groom an older dog if he was trained to enjoy being groomed as a puppy. Start grooming your dog when he is young in order to help him become comfortable and familiar with nail clipping, brushing and bathing.
Brushing
Many dogs enjoy being brushed as much as they like to be pet. Brushing your dog's fur removes dead hair and dry skin which makes the coat appear shinier and healthier. If you have a dog with long fur be sure to brush it a few times each week while dogs with short hair may only need to be brushed a few times each month.
Bathing
Dogs can be bathed from once a week to once a month depending on how badly he needs a bath. Be sure to only use dog shampoo which is formulated to work specifically with the natural oils and should not dry out or irritate your dog's skin. Ask your veterinarian which shampoo might be best for your dog.
Nail Trimming
It is important to trim your dog's nails once a month. Be sure to ask your veterinarian to teach you how to correctly trim your dog's nails in order to avoid painfully cutting the nails too short.
Ear Care
Dogs can easily develop ear infections since they have hair in and around their ears, they roll around in the dirt and floppy ears hold in bacteria. Although it is important to clean and inspect your dog’s ears, most dogs do not like ear cleaning and medicating. If you are uncomfortable taking care of your dog’s ears it may be best to bring him to your veterinarian.