Spa for your dog
Cosmetic and medical procedures: what does your dog need.
Fur and skin
Brushing
for dogs with curly hair or hair prone to tangling: at least once a week
for dogs during shedding: every other day
other than that: when you notice dirty or tangled hair; more or less once a week
Washing
as seldom as possible, unless your dog has any skin condition that needs to be treated
if your dog needs to be washed, remove dirt with water only if possible
Grooming (haircut)
for dogs with curly hair: monthly; full body
for dogs with long hair around eyes: as often as needed to keep their eyes clear
for other dogs: no grooming is required but may help you during shedding season
Wrinkle cleaning and creaming
certain dog breeds that have many wrinkles (like French Bulldogs or Shar Peis) may require regular care. Contact your veterinarian to create the routine your dog needs
Paws
may need creaming when it’s especially cold or hot outside
hair between paw pads may be cut short in order to help keeping paws clean, avoid bacterial infections development in case of injuries and to provide your dog a better grip on slippery floors
Eyes and ears
You should not touch your dog’s eyes or ears unless it’s recommended by your veterinarian. Those areas are extremely sensitive and have a self-cleansing mechanism as long as complex microbiome that should not be unnecessarily influenced.
If you notice excess scratching, redness or an unusual discharge, consult your veterinarian.
Teeth
Facts you need to know:
High quality dog food helps to protect your dog’s teeth but is never a guarantee of healthy mouth area — the same as with humans, dogs have various bacteria in their mouth, and whilst one dog may have a lot of tartar, another will have none, even if both dogs are on the same diet.
Dry food does not help to clean your dog’s teeth because dogs don’t chew kibbles — they simply crack them into smaller pieces and swallow.
Special food additives can help to reduce tartar forming and unpleasant mouth smell though. Consult your vet for more information.
Teeth cleaning
as often as possible
food leftovers can be removed with a finger-cleaner (special tissue you put on your index finger) and dog toothpaste
tartar can me removed with an ultrasound toothbrush (check my recommendations here) or mechanically
chewing items help reducing tartar forming
Nails
Nails should not touch the ground when your dog is standing straight on a flat surface. Some dogs manage to shorten their nails by themselves when walking on asphalt, in this case you may need to shorten only the dewclaws (the ones positioned higher on the leg). In case your dog has very strong nails or do not get enough asphalt walks, you need to shorten their nails approximately once a month.
You can use a nail grinder or a nail clipper to do that.
Your dog doesn’t allow you to do necessary procedures? Are you not sure how to build this training up? Book your lesson today.
