Pet grooming is totally necessary. Not only because it makes your four-legged friend look super cute and dapper, but also because it brings with it many pet health benefits.
Sure, pet grooming has an aesthetic value, but let’s consider the myriad benefits it brings to your pet’s health and welfare. Here are a few of the noteworthy benefits of pet grooming.
Improved hygiene
There’s nothing better than snuggling up on the sofa with a freshly washed dog or cat. However, pet grooming isn’t all about cuddles and kisses, it’s important for your fur pal’s personal hygiene too. Cleansing away dead skin and build-up of grime will leave your beloved pet smelling sweet.
Flea, tick and mite spotting
Part of your pet grooming process should include checking the skin for fleas, ticks and mites. A regular check will help spot any telltale signs and, hopefully, prevent an infestation. What’s more, pesky parasites thrive on warm, dirty bodies—so keeping your pet clean is a great method of prevention.
Early detection
Regular pet grooming can help detect many pet health issues before they progress. For example, you may notice the early signs of a skin infection. Having this diagnosed and treated in a timely manner will help prevent the problem from escalating.
Prevents matting
Certainly, some dogs are more prone to matting fur than others. For example, dogs with long, thick-haired coats such as Collies, Cocker Spaniels and Poodles all tend to experience matting.
Regular grooming will help keep matting fur at bay, making your pooch feel a lot more comfortable.
What if my pet hates being groomed?
Yes, pet grooming is beneficial for our fur babies, but what if you just so happen to have a pet that loathes being groomed? I’m sure there are many pet owners asking this very question.
Indeed, it’s not uncommon for a pet to become incredibly stressed at the sight of a brush, let alone the bath or the noise of a dryer! The important thing is to take action to try to reduce your pet’s grooming anxiety. After all, a doggy bubble bath should be fun, right?
Sure, it’s totally understandable that a dog or cat might be scared when entering a pet grooming salon. There are loud noises from dryers and clippers, unusual smells and they might also sense the fear in the other pets around them.
However, pet grooming at home can be much more calm and relaxing—providing you take action to ensure this is the case.
4 tips for stress-free pet grooming
Firstly, it’s essential to recognise the importance of keeping your pet calm during pet grooming. Apart from the fact that managing a frightened pet can make grooming super tricky, severe anxiety can be bad for your pet’s health.
We know that grooming is necessary to keep our pets happy and healthy, so having a few tricks up your sleeve to evoke calm is really useful. Here are a few tips to help make grooming your pet easier and less stressful for all.
1. If possible introduce grooming when your pet is young
The earlier your pet familiarises themselves with the sound of the dryer and the unfamiliar space of the bathroom or laundry (of wherever it is you intend to bath your pet), the better.
Be sure to give your pet lots of attention, kind words, kisses and a few treats when gently introducing them to grooming-related tools and spaces.
2. Take the fear out of grooming tools
Hair dryers and clippers look alien-like to a dog, causing them to fear these items. They’re also noisy, which doesn’t help! To reduce your pet’s fear, try introducing them to the sight and sound of grooming tools little by little.
You might start by having the clippers present when you gently brush your dog’s coat. Let them smell and see the clippers, but don’t turn them on (not just yet!).
When it comes to hair dryers, these can really frighten pets, especially those that are afraid of thunderstorms or fireworks. To help ease their anxiety, invite your pet into your bedroom when you’re using the hairdryer. Reward your pet with treats and cuddles.
The trick is to take gradual steps to help familiarise your pet with the sight and sounds of your grooming tools. This should help reduce their anxiety when the time comes for the tools to be used on them.
3. Distract with treats
While it might sound obvious to suggest having treats on hand, it’s surprising how easy it is to forget the treats. Before you know it, you got the dog in the bath but the treats are still on the kitchen bench — and you can’t leave the dog. To avoid this dilemma, DON’T FORGET THE TREATS!
A few small chews, a doggy biscuit broken into small pieces, or even some peanut butter on a spoon make for the perfect distraction, particularly when you’re attempting to trim your dog’s nails.
4. Baby steps to the bubble bath
Not many dogs like being bathed. In fact, I think most dogs would prefer to smell fausty than fresh-as-a-daisy, much to our dismay! The key to giving your pet a bath is to start small.
You might begin by washing Fido’s paws with a cup and a bucket of water or the hose (only on a gentle setting). Once Fido appears to be A-okay about having his paws washed you can move to his legs. Next comes his body and then, finally, his head (with extra care).
To assist in easing your pet’s anxiety, you can try using a relaxing pet shampoo. For example, some formulas contain naturally soothing botanicals, such as lavender or rosemary.
As for cats, they’re pretty clever at grooming themselves so they don’t usually need to be bathed. However, if your cat comes home and is particularly dirty or stinky, why not keep a waterless cat shampoo on hand?
What tricks do you use to make bathtime enjoyable for your pet?
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