Grooming is an opportunity to inspect your pet for anything needing veterinary attention. It also lets you clean your pet’s ears, preventing moisture and earwax buildup.
Grooming is a time-proven technique for relaxing animals. Animals groom themselves and each other as a natural way to build soothing social bonds.
Prevention of Infections
Dogs constantly battle germs and infections throughout their body, especially regarding their ears, eyes, and skin. Even the most seemingly mundane grooming tasks, such as brushing their fur or trimming their nails, can prevent various health issues.
For example, brushing prevents matting and tangles, which can lead to skin infections. In addition, expressing glands and trimming toenails keep the nails from getting too long, which can cause pain for pets and snag on items around the house or outside.
Unfortunately, societal factors that impact human health and well-being, such as transportation, neighborhood characteristics, income, education, and discrimination, can affect pet owners’ ability to groom their animals. As a result, they may omit essential grooming tasks from their animal’s health care routine.
Prevention of Ear and Eye Issues
Some wax is essential to prevent ear infections, but excessive wax or an odor could indicate a problem. Trimming ears improves air flow and helps to prevent buildup. Head shaking and scratching can also signal ear problems.
Grooming also allows us to feel for abnormalities like lumps and bumps, fleas, ticks, and other external parasites. Detecting these issues early can help to ensure your pet’s quick and successful treatment.
Proper eye care is also essential for your pet. Keeping the area around their eyes clean can prevent hair from getting in them, impairing their sight. This is a common cause of blindness in dogs.
Prevention of Teeth Issues
Pets that don’t receive proper dental care can develop bacterial infections, bad breath, and loss of appetite. These issues can also seriously damage the kidneys, heart, and other organs.
Grooming using the suitable materials at Activedogs.com helps prevent these health problems by removing tangled fur and particulate from areas that aren’t frequently brushed. This prevents bacteria buildup that can trigger periodontal disease, gingivitis, and abscesses.
Brushing your dog’s teeth at least once a day with a toothpaste specially formulated for pets will help reduce the need for yearly dental cleanings. It can also reduce the likelihood of tooth and gum loss. Regular nail trimming can help prevent overgrown nails that snag or rip on clothing and can cut into the pads of the feet, leading to infection.
Prevention of Skin Issues
Grooming removes dirt, debris, and dander from your dog’s coat, keeping it healthy. Regular brushing also stimulates the production of natural oils, preventing tangling and matting. This allows your dog’s skin to breathe, reducing the risk of hot spots and other irritations. In addition, thorough grooming sessions will familiarize you with your pet’s body and spot any changes that could indicate an infection, parasite, or allergy.
If your pet develops irritated skin after a grooming session or bath, try switching to a gentler brush or shampoo, or use an ointment designed to help with itching.
Prevention of Nail Issues
Nails are essential to a dog’s ability to walk, run and play, so they must be kept healthy. Overgrown nails can cause problems, including pain, abrasions, and injury to the pads of your dog’s feet.
Overgrown nails can also create a space for bacteria and fungus to grow, which may lead to painful nail infections.
Routine nail trimmings will help prevent the nails from becoming quicked, a condition wherein blood vessels develop in the dog’s nail and can cause it to bleed. Groomers can use a soft touch and verbal praise to encourage nail trim without causing fear or anxiety.
Prevention of Weight Gain
Grooming is a natural, self-soothing behavior animals use to build social bonds. Keeping your dog’s coat free of mats will help them feel better and look great.
Regular grooming helps dogs maintain their ideal weight. Overweight pets are more susceptible to diseases and may have a shorter lifespan.
During a grooming session, our groomers can spot the signs of a problem like hot spots. These itchy lesions are caused by acute moist dermatitis and are often the result of constant biting or scratching. Providing a suitable ointment will prevent itching and alleviate the condition.
Prevention of Allergies
Grooming removes loose hair from your pet’s coat, preventing matting and tangling. It also promotes healthy skin and reduces shedding, reducing the allergens it creates in your home. In addition, grooming allows you to inspect your dog for early signs of infection, parasites, and allergies. Skin lumps and bumps can be identified early, allowing for prompt veterinary intervention.
It may indicate food or environment allergies if your dog is itching excessively. Bathing them with a natural, nourishing shampoo can help alleviate these allergic reactions. Similarly, regular grooming can prevent snarls in long-haired breeds that actively trap and press allergens against the skin, triggering itching.
Prevention of Stress
Pets reduce stress by providing a feeling of safety and comfort. People who work with dogs experience reduced blood pressure and reactivity to stressors, even by touching them.
Grooming helps a dog’s coat breathe by spreading its natural oils and removing clumps of fur that can cause itchiness. It also prevents matting, which can be painful for the dog and lead to serious health issues if left unchecked.
During grooming, a dog owner can feel for bumps, bald spots, or overly sensitive areas that need monitoring. This can alert them to problems like an external parasite, injury, or a potentially cancerous lump before it worsens.
