The Fine Details of Dog GroomingOne of the things I notice first in dog grooming is a dog with those red tear stains under their eyes or around their mouths. Many people are quick to assume that it is always a red yeast bacteria infection that is feeding on the moist areas of your dog. However, the cause of this “tear staining” can actually have many origins. The symptom of “tear staining” can be induced by poor health, bad diet, flea infestation, excessive tearing or even a genetic condition.
It's extremely important to understand exactly which condition your dog is suffering from so that they are treated correctly. Some vets will assume it is a common yeast infection that causes the red yeast color around the eyes. If your dog is suffering from an eye condition, it may be well worth your time and money to see a veterinarian ophthalmologist who specializes in your dog's eyes. It will save you an extra appointment at the vet and continually treating the same problem with the wrong treatment and dealing with it during your dog grooming routine each time. It's also possible that your dog's tear ducts could be completely plugged off. If this is the case, it will take a veterinarian, at the very least, too irrigate them so that they are draining again. It's also possible that your dog could be born with a condition where his tear ducts have never been open. If this is the case, then your dog will need to have their tear ducts surgically opened up so that they function normally.
Keeping your dog's nails maintained at healthy length is extremely important to prevent a painful condition of the nail curling back up into the pad, creating infections and serious pain. It will absolutely affect the way they walk and perhaps even prevent them from walking. Depending on whether your dog is a full time house dog, full time outside, farm dog or a city dog will determine how often you need to groom your dog's nails. For example, a dog that spends all of their time indoors will need regular nail care, at least once a month, because they are always on soft surfaces and not wearing their nails down. Probably around once a month but always monitor them and if they grow faster or slower then adjust your schedule. On the opposite end of the spectrum is a dog that is around asphalt or concrete on a regular basis. When your dog walks and runs on these types of hard surfaces, it naturally wears the nails down.
When you are trimming or grooming your dog's nails, you only want to remove the clear or transparent part of the nail. If you clip too far in, you will cut into the “quick” which is filled with nerves and blood vessels, and your dog will definitely feel the pain! If you are uncomfortable with this dog grooming chore, have a vet or professional groomer show you how. My personal preference is the newer battery operated filing tools. They work sort of like a dremel tool by filing down a little bit of your dog's nail at a time. One example of this new tool is the PediPaws Pet Nail Trimmer. They are so smooth and gentle, I don't worry anymore about hurting my dog. My dog Rodeo, just sits on the couch next to me, while I file his nails. Great invention! You can also use the traditional tools like scissor type nail clippers, guillotine type nail clippers and a regular nail file. You also have the option of taking your dog to a professional groomer or your local veterinarian and they will gladly do the trimming for you.
I also suggest you include cleaning your dog's ears on a regular basis in your dog grooming routine. Not only are ear mites a common problem but often your dog's ears just need a good cleaning. My Rodeo goes “cow-boying and cow-herding” with his Dad almost every weekend. When he gets home he is usually pretty dirty. Most of the time it's just a good old fashioned thick coating of dust but boy does that dirt make his ears itch like crazy. He does not like it if I directly pour the drops of ear treatment into his ears and he will just shake it all over the place anyway if I put it in like that. So I have found that If I first clean his ears with a clean cotton swab a couple of times and then pour the ear treatment onto the cotton swab and apply the treatment that way, he is much more agreeable. It's fast and easy. Just be sure not to reach too far in with your cotton swab because you could damage their inner ear.
You bend down to snuggle with you furry friend, only to get blasted by the lovely odor of “bad doggy breath”. So how do you freshen up a dog's breath? There are actually several things you can do. The first is to simply brush their teeth. They even make toothpaste that is specifically designed for dogs to add to your dog grooming kit. I personally like to use more natural methods. I give Rodeo pressed bones and dental bones to chew on everyday. This emulates how a dog would eat in the wild when catching prey. When they chew on the bones it cleans the tarter and plaque off of their teeth. I also keep plenty of heavy duty chew toys around. Clean teeth and healthy gums results in better breath. If the foul breath continues, take your dog to the vet and have their teeth cleaned and their tonsils checked for infection.
There are various other categories of dog grooming tools and items but these are the basics. You will be the one who knows your dog best and will be able to spot any further dog grooming maintenance that is necessary. If you see something that needs tended to, then by all means add it to your grooming routine and don't forget you can have a little fun with grooming too. It's always fun to paint your dog's nails some crazy color or how about coloring your dog's fur a different color? You can join the growing trends of shopping for dog clothes and fancy collars and accessories. The possibilities are endless, so have fun with dog grooming tools.
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