How Important is Proper Dog Grooming?

Grooming your dog is a pleasant bonding experience that goes beyond making he or she look good - it is essential to good health. Your dog cannot tell you when things don’t feel right or beginning to go wrong. Grooming is a preventative medicine technique that will pay off with a healthy and happy pet. The essentials are regular brushing, bathing, dental and ear care, and toenail clipping.

What makes Brushing Essential? 

Your dog has an eventful life full of poking into bushes, digging up things, hopefully not the roses, and rolling in whatever! Brushing with a soft brush distributes lanolin through the fur and pinpoints any problem areas of matting. These mats need to be cut off with a clipper, then your pet should be rebrushed with a wire brush. This will remove ticks and any loose fur. A dog regulates body heat by perspiring just like a human an excess fur gets in the way of this necessary process.

Why is weekly bathing good? 

Aside from the obvious, a smelly dog, redolent of the compost heap he has just rolled in, bathing removes build up perspiration, loose hair and excess skin oils, all of which keep your pup’s coat healthy and prevent mange, an ugly and costly doggie affliction.

Why is dental care more than just chewing bones? 

Dogs can get cavities just like humans and are also subject to Gingivitis. They need yearly professional dental assessments and teeth cleaning. In-between, you should brush the teeth with a canine dentifrice and give bones, and chlorophyll chews to promote healthy gums and better breath.

Is it a good idea to clip a dog’s nails?

In a word, yes. It is essential. Regular clipping protects your floors as well as the pet’s feet and prevents nail splitting. Long toenails can actually get in the way when a dog walks and distort its balance. And while you are clipping with a quality clipper, check out the footpads and look for any cracking. If you find this, apply Vaseline and a sock to help keep the treatment on the foot, not your couch.

Is Pantene good for dogs? 

NO, NO. Your favorite shampoo is probably far too drying for a dogs skin. Please find a good dog shampoo formulated for the correct breed and use it weekly. Supplements such as olive oil, fish oil and brewers yeast added to the dog food will also help make the coat shiny and fresh.

Is it necessary to clean a dog’s ears? 

Most definitely, yes. Many breeds are susceptible to ear infections and can have hair grow into their ear canals. Gently pull any hair growing in the ear to the outside and clip away, if necessary. Clean your dog’s ears with a cotton swab and alcohol several times a month. Be on the lookout for an odor from the ear or excessive head shaking. If you notice either, head straight for the veterinarian.

Establishing a regular grooming routine will ward off many health problems and can become a fun time for you and your pet.

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A group of dog-lovers is asking for help caring for 70 ailing puppies and dogs that have been removed from a Manitoba breeder.

Dogs safe -- but help needed (Winnipeg Free Press)

About 70 puppies and dogs suffering from a list of ailments -- internal and external parasites, tumours the size of a fist and blindness -- have been rescued from a Woodlands breeder. The group of dog-lovers now looking after these neglected beagles and American cocker spaniels is desperately seeking help to cope with their care.

Canines need cleanliness, too (Burlington Times-News)

Hygiene: We know it's important. We bathe, dry and brush our hair every day. But how often do we bathe our dogs? It's true that dogs don't need daily bathing.

Bringing Harmony back into owners' life (Hollister Free Lance)

In our last column, we talked about Harmony, a hyperactive golden retriever who was digging everywhere and destroying furniture in the house. One reader, Joan, thought this dog should be walked regularly and given her own "digging sandbox."

Life-saving op for scissor-stab dog (Wandsworth Guardian)

A two-year-old miniature schnauzer dog was left fighting for her life after being stabbed by a pair of scissors at a grooming parlour in Chiswick.