When it comes to the pet’s health, it is very important to do regular grooming to maintain their overall health. No matter whether your groomer is quite busy with other clients or the salon environment is too stressful for your pet, or you find a groomer near you quite expensive, you can provide pet grooming at home.
Due to the pandemic, when you don’t feel safe visiting the pet’s grooming salon, you will definitely think once or twice about grooming your pet at home as the safest side. Are you thinking of the same?
You must know that for your furry friend, it is essential to give proper grooming to maintain your pet’s health and wellness. To make sure that your pet’s health is in good condition, we have also collected some do’s and don’ts recommended by the experts until you feel it safe to take your pet to your favorite groomer without any worry.
Whether you want to learn how to tackle your pet’s hair, ears, teeth, or nails, we have covered everything for home grooming for pets.
As we are talking about pet grooming at home, all pet owners love to find new ways to keep their furry family members safe, happy, and healthy. If you have a pet with longer fur, you can’t wait for things to get normal outside as your pet needs a groomer every 6-8 weeks.
What will you do to make things smoother? Obviously, many of you will look for easy and safe ways to groom your pet at home. Let’s have a look at some points that can help you to safely take care of your pet at home and groom him easily.
Home Grooming For Pets Tips
How to Brush Your Pet Properly
You must start with picking the right dematting brush and isolate small tangled hair clumps on your pet. You must use the brush gently to make the hair detangle properly. Being a pet owner, it is very important to know that removing mats must be done as soon as possible as it can result in discomfort, irritation, and even infected lesions. Moreover, tangled hair can become a breeding spot for fleas and ticks.
Always remember that brush should not be used when your pet’s hair is wet as it will make the mats worse. Also, make sure not to brush the mats directly or also don’t cut the mats from the fur, because a pet can unexpectedly get hurt. If you find large mats, it can be difficult to handle yourself at home. So, it is better to leave this task to a professional.
To make the pet grooming at home smoother, you must use a deshedding tool to remove the extra hair of your friend. This tip is quite helpful for breeds having thick undercoats or those who are more prone to shedding. Never use this tool to tackle mats.
One of the best tips for home grooming for pets is to brush your pet’s coat every day. When you brush their hair, make sure it should be done in the direction the hair naturally grows.
When to Brush Your Pet
When and how often to brush your pet completely depends on the pet’s hair type and length. If you don’t brush your pet, you must make a habit of monitoring the skin for signs of any irritation or other abnormalities. Always keep in mind that healthy skin means a healthy coat.
Some pets, like dogs and cats, require more frequent brushing than others. If you notice that even after brushing your pet regularly, your pet’s frequent shedding continues, you must talk to your vet as it can cause a serious health problem.
Make sure that during home grooming for pets, you must make your pet safe and comfortable. This can only be done if you make this a daily routine. You can start with once a week or a daily or thrice a week brushing for pets with a heavy coat as they are more prone to mats. You can gradually move to the recommended frequency.
How to Bathe Your Pet
Always remember that if your pet is curious and playful; he may get easily mixed up in all types of messes. It can make you think about how to bathe your dog or cat without getting scratched.
You can start with filling the tub with warm water and also keep an on-slip mat on the bottom of the tub. Firstly, wet your pet’s coat down to the skin. Then, take a small amount of shampoo and apply it all through the body. At the same time, you must also know that scented shampoo or non-vet approved scents can make your pet’s skin irritated, so avoid them.
Never forget that pets are extremely sensitive to fragrance, so similar products are harmful to them. While bathing your pet, be careful and make sure that shampoo must not get into their eyes or ears. So, make sure to rinse him until the water runs clear.
Make sure to pay extra attention to your pet’s ears as it can cause fungal and bacterial infections. If you don’t know how often you should bathe your pet, you must check this with your vet. The bathe time varies from one breed to another, any medical conditions, lifestyle, and length of the coat. The vet will analyze all these conditions and will tell you the optimal bathing frequency of your pet. Generally, most breeds need to bathe every 5-7 weeks.
Many pet owners ask whether their self-grooming cars need a bath or not. They think it is ok to pet grooming at home, especially for cats. If your cat is overweight and struggles hard to reach certain areas, he/she may find it hard to groom themselves. It means such cats need assistance.
You must bathe your dog and cat regularly by making it a part of pet grooming at home. It helps in preventing their coat from becoming greasy or sticky. If you notice too many hairballs on your cat, you must contact the vet as soon as possible.
Also Read: Basic Guide On How To Groom Your Dog At Home
How to Cut Pet’s Hair
No matter whether you want to cut the hair of your dog, cat, or any other pet, it is important to have a professional show you how to cut your pet’s hair properly before you do this task yourself at home. Trimming your pet’s hair is also a part of pet grooming at home that requires certain techniques to perform everything safely.
Before you start trimming your dog’s hair, make sure that he must be cleaned and dry. You must start at the neck and move further down his body. Be careful about the blade and keep it flat against the skin as it helps in preventing any injury.
You must use the right and appropriate trimming tool that is not only safe on your pet’s skin but also makes home grooming for pets job stress-free. Keep your dog at a safe place, something like an ordinary table, as it helps in keeping your dog secure. If you have a tool that makes noise, the best idea is acclimating your dog to this noise before his first cut.
Your dog may have excessive hair between his toes. So, if it is the case, you must trim that hair to make it even with the paw pads. You must also handle ears, face, and a private area with extra care. When it comes to the time for home grooming for pets, always remember that a pet with long hair may take a longer time to trim. No matter what you are doing, never be in a rush.
How to Clean Your Pet’s Ears
Do you know pets have L-shaped ear canals, and the wax and debris can easily be seen on the outside of their ears? To clean your pet’s ears, take a cotton ball or any soft cloth and wipe the ears gently. At the same time, you must also know that most pets are fine if you don’t clean their ears frequently, while they may get irritated if cleaning is done too frequently.
Never use a cleanser or flush without approving it from the vet. It is so because some of these cleaners may damage their eardrum or may also cause hearing loss. If you notice a strong odor or discharge from your pet’s ear, you must not attempt to clean his ears. Also, if the ear is swollen or red, you must contact the vet immediately to diagnose the possible signs of ear infection.
How to Clean Your Pet’s Teeth
When it comes to pet grooming at home, and you are looking for how to clean your pet’s teeth, you may find this job a little challenging. It can be difficult when your dog or cat refuses to have a toothbrush in their mouth. Some pets do not allow this even when you use pet-friendly toothpaste.
The best alternative to clean your pet’s teeth is to use cleaning toys and dental chews that work great in making the cleaning job fun and easier. Another way is to use a plaque-blocking water additive as they are a great option to improve your dog’s or cat’s dental care without them even knowing.
Doing these activities helps in boosting your pet’s oral health. In addition to this, it also helps in preventing bacterial infections. Make sure to clean your pet’s toys from time to time.
Read in more detail about Dog Dental Cleaning
How to Trim Your Pet’s Nails
When it comes to home grooming for pets, you must also learn how to cut your pet’s nails properly. For dogs, you have to cut a small amount of his nails from the bottom. Always make sure to clip the nails little by little, especially if your dog has black nails, and you find it difficult to see the quick.
Cutting the nails of cats is more accessible than dogs. For cats, you just need to trim the thinner sharp end. Make sure not to cut the thicker portion containing the quick.
It is recommended to avoid this grooming task because if you go close to the quick, it can hurt your pet. Always make sure to ask your professional to show you first before you try pet’s nails trimming at home.
Even if you are assured that you can safely trim your pet’s nails within 2 mm of the quick, you must have a styptic pencil or powder with you if any accident may occur while cutting. If the quick of your pet is exposed, you must check this concern with the vet. If your pet is not satisfied with this job, simply take a break and continue your job another time.
Whenever you see that your pat’s nails are curling into the paw pads, it means you need to trim them. You must also know that nails on the rear feet are less required to be trimmed frequently than those on the front feet. You must cut your pet’s nails every 3-4 weeks.
Dog Grooming Tips – What Not to Do
Let’s have a look at some of the dog grooming tips that include what should not be done.
- Never use human beauty and hygiene products, like shampoo, soap, toothpaste.
- Never try to trim your dog’s nails if you are not taught the proper nail trimming technique. You must do this job only if you are comfortable doing so. Also, make sure to use the right clipper.
- If you see any kind of fog injury, sore, laceration, or wound on your dog, never try to treat him at home. You must schedule an appointment with your vet.
- Never try to trim your dog’s hair by yourself if you don’t have proper training. A grooming professional uses safe tools and techniques to trim hairs from sensitive areas.
- Never attempt to cut the mats of your dog’s coat with household scissors. It is not the right tool to perform this task. A single wrong move can result in serious injury.
- Never use non-vet approved scents on your dogs as they contain dangerous ingredients and can cause respiratory problems.
- In cold temperatures, never try to bathe your dog outdoors as it can cause a drop in your dog’s temperature.
- While pet grooming at home, if you see any foreign object in your pet’s ear, eyes, nose, or mouth, never attempt to remove it yourself. You must consult a vet first.
Read More: Learn All About Dogs Grooming – Facts, Dos & Don’ts
Final Words
Going through this guide while performing home grooming for pets, can make this job easier and smooth for you with these dos and don’ts. Make sure that if you are not confident enough to trim your pet’s hair or nails, you must skip this job unless you get the proper training from a professional.
Keep these grooming tips in your mind to make your fur friend look and feel good. Don’t forget to give him a treat at the end.
