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Helpful Pet Grooming Tips

Daily grooming is essential to the health and maintenance of your cat or dog.

Brushing and Dematting
Begin by brushing with the slicker brush in the same direction as the grain of the hair a few times first to loosen most of the tangles, then brush backward in the opposite direction. It is best to always brush in this manner before and after bathing to loosen dead skin and hair. It also helps remove loose hair, tangles and debris before the bath.

A slicker brush is effective in brushing out tangles and debris and it penetrates the coat all the way down to the skin. You can then use a steel comb to smooth out and style the hair. Also, try using a matt splitter to split and cut through stubborn matts making them easier to remove. Sometimes it is helpful to use a detangler or creme rinse after the shampoo if hair is extremely coarse or too hard to manage. It prevents static and further tangling between baths. Bathing a tangled or matted dog without first brushing or dematting will cause the tangles will become tighter and create heavier matting.

Unfortunately, there are no magic products available on the market to spray on your pet to magically remove matts; you almost always have to work them out. You can start the matt removal process by first, with a pair of scissors, taking a chunk of the mat and splitting it with the grain of the hair, then working with a comb and slicker brush on the pieces that you've cut. It may take a few times of splitting to actually break up the matt and begin to brush it out.

Shampooing Your Pet
Place a cottonball in each ear after cleaning to protect them from water during the bath. After soaking the dog completely with water, fill the palm of your hand with shampoo. In a scrubbing motion, apply shampoo starting with the neck area, chin and behind the ears and then move down the body and legs in the same manner. Save the face for last. It is smarter to use a small towel and blot and clean the face area with shampoo solution, and then start rinsing immediately to avoid getting shampoo in the eyes if the pet starts shaking. Applying eye ointment or lubricant before bathing is a perfect way to protect the eyes from getting shampoo in them.

When bathing cats, you may be able to use a towel to partially cover the cat to provide them with a feeling of stability in the tub. Use gentle streams of water and a large container for rinsing, if necessary. It also helps to try to clip the toenails with a small nail trimmer before bathing.

Make sure that all of your pet products are always rinsed from the coat before letting your cat or dog dry. Leaving residue on your pet after a bath is the cause of a high number of skin rashes, and dull coats that seem tog grab dirt and smell from the environment.

Cutting toenails is a delicate process because it is easy to accidentally clip into the vein that runs through the toenail. To avoid doing this- remember it is better to cut less than more. Use the bottom of the paw pad itself as a guide to the length that needs to be clipped off with the nail clippers (it shows what will be hitting the floor when they are walking). This is especially useful as a guide when the toenails are completely black and the vein (quik) is not visible. If you do accidentally "quik" the nail (or clip it too close), it will be very hard to stop the bleeding.

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