kerry's dog grooming

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Gerneral | Coat | Nails | Ears | Teeth | Bathing | Dental Care | Obedience

Proper grooming is an important part of pet care. It not only makes a companion animal look better, but contributes to his or her physiological and psychological health.

Brush your pet thoroughly every day. This helps keep his or her hair in good condition by removing dirt, spreading the natural oils throughout the coat, preventing tangles from forming and keeping the skin clean and free from irritation.

It is best to start brushing your pet at an early age, but do not despair if he or she is an older animal. It is possible to train one to enjoy grooming. Proceed slowly, and be sure to use treats and plenty of praise to make the experience fun!

Trim your pet's nails about once per month. You'll need a clipper designed specifically for the kind of companion animal you have. Either a scissor- or guillotine-style clipper can be used. You should also purchase a small bottle of blood-clotting powder.

How to Cut Your Pet's Nails

Have your companion animal sit beside you. Then place one of his or her paws in your hand and gently pull it forward. If your pet dislikes being handled this way, slowly accustom him or her to it by offering treats and praise.
Gradually shorten one nail. Be sure to stop before you reach the quick, which is the part of the nail that contains nerves and blood vessels. If you cannot see the quick clearly, stop cutting just behind the point at which the nail begins to curve downward.
If you cut into the quick, do not panic. Put some clotting powder on a moist cotton swab and press it firmly against the nail for several seconds.
Repeat the process until all of your companion animal's nails have been trimmed.
Do not forget to trim the dewclaw, which is located on the inside of each front leg just above the paw. (Some dogs do not have dewclaws.)

Ear care is an important part of grooming. Ear infections can not only be painful, but lead to permanent hearing loss. The signs of a problem with a companion animal's ears include redness, constant scratching, head shaking and odor.
How to Clean Your Pet's Ears

Check your companion animal's ears twice per month. The skin inside and on the flaps should be pale pink. If there is a foul odor and/or any red, brown or black skin, have a veterinarian examine your pet's ears.
Moisten a cotton ball with warm water or a little mineral oil and use it to clean the opening into the canal and the flaps. Do not probe too deeply into the canal.

Bathe your companion animal once every two months or as often as needed. Be sure to brush him or her before each bath in order to get all of the mats out of his or her coat.

How to Bathe Your Pet

Place a rubber mat in your bathtub, or a towel in your sink, for secure footing. Then place a cotton ball in each of your companion animal's ears to prevent water from entering.
Rinse your pet with warm water. Use a spray hose if one is available, but be sure to keep the nozzle very close to your companion animal's body. Never spray him or her in the face.
Apply a shampoo designed especially for pets in small amounts, working from the head to the tail. Be sure to clean the rectum, between the toes, behind the ears and under the chin. Try to avoid getting shampoo in your companion animal's eyes.
Thoroughly rinse your pet with warm water.
Dry your companion animal with a towel and/or hair dryer.

Dental care it's not just for people
Over time, a dog's teeth accumulate tartar, just like our teeth do if not cleaned regularly. This can cause tooth deterioration, and infection, gum disease, and tooth loss. In turn this causes pain and difficulty in eating and grooming.

It is important to know dental disease can spread to other organs of the body, causing serious and dangerous illness to your pet.

Regular preventive dental care will keep your pet's teeth and gums healthy, and protect your pet's long term health.


Can you brush your pet's teeth?
You sure can! Special brushes that fit over the index finger, and pet dental paste are available for cats and dogs, and are available from your veterinarian or local pet store.

However, it will take time and patience for your pet to become comfortable with this procedure:

Time and patience are the key:

1. Start with gently teaching your pet to be accustomed to your placing your finger in his mouth, on his / her teeth.
2. Then accustom your pet to the toothbrush - for cats, try using water-pack tuna juice on the brush.
3. Then begin to use pet dental paste.
   Be sure to only use pet dental paste, NOT human toothpaste!
4. If your pet does not take to tooth brushing, or you just don't have the time or patience plan on taking your pet in for regular dental care!
   

Obedience School: Dog's Best Friend

Imagine you are in a foreign country. You can't speak or read the language. The people seem nice enough, but you have no idea what "good manners" are in their culture.

Sometimes they seem to be just delighted with you. But other times, they become stern and even angry at you, but you have no idea why.

Sometimes you manage to figure out what they like and don't like about your manners, but a lot of the time you are confused.

A stressful way to live, you'd say. That's a lot of what life can be like for an "untrained" dog.

Just like us, dogs like being praised for doing the right thing. But they need to know what the right thing is.
Obedience school is a great way to help you and your dog speak the same language.

Benefits include:

1. Your dog will gain confidence both in you and in himself
2. You and your dog know each other better, and bond more closely
3. Obedience workouts are fun for your dog
4. You can train your dog on your own, but a class helps you to focus on the training regularly, and can provide helpful tips and info.