COOL TIPS FOR SUMMER GROOMING
Bathe your pet only when you notice dirt or odor.
Frequent bathing dries a dogs skin and can leave
susceptible to unwanted medical problems.
If your pet needs more frequent baths because of
increased outdoor activities, use a mild shampoo to
avoid over drying the skin. Hypoallergenic or soap-less
shampoos work well for frequent bathing.
During grooming, check for medical conditions that are
more prevalent during hot weather, such as hot spots,
hyoderma and ear infections.
Maintain your flea and tick preventative program to guard
against flea infestations and Lyme disease.
If you decide to have your pet clippered, watch carefully
for signs of sunburn or clipper burns.
HOW TO HELP YOUR DOG BEAT THE HEAT.
Turn on the fan, stand in the shade and swat those insects. The dog
days of summer are here, and they aren't particularly kind to dogs.
Excess heat and humidity are just as hard on your pets as they are on
you. Perhaps even more so, because you pets depend on you to keep
them cool and comfortable. You can remove layers of clothing as the
thermometer rises, but your pets aren't so lucky.
BRUSHING and TRIMMING
Because most dogs shed hair faster during the hotter months, it's
important to regularly brush dead hair before it mats. Because you dog
will be spending more time outdoors during the summer, make sure to
remove ticks, fleas and burrs from your dog's coat during grooming. And
don't forget to use a monthly parasite-control treatment to help protect
him from flea infestations and from ticks that may carry Lyme disease.
Usually, the extra activity during the summer helps keep a dog's toenails
shortened naturally, but every grooming session should include checking
and trimming the nails as necessary.
For dogs that are regularly groomed with clippers, keeping cooler in the
hot summer months may be as simple s asking the groomer to use a
longer numbered blade than usual. The larger the blade size, the
shorter the hair. For example, a #40 blade gives a surgical shave, a #4
blade leaves hair 3/8 inch long. Before cutting off all of your dog's hair,
remember that a dog's skin helps regulate its body temperature.
One mistake dog owners often make during hot summer months is to
shave the coat of a normally long-haired dog, thinking this will make the
dogs more comfortable.
NOT TRUE.
Hair is an insulator, and the lack of it overburdens the skin's ability to
regulate body temperature and can lead to heatstroke. It's more
important to provide plenty of shade and cool water for your pet during
the hot months and keep him groomed as usual. If you shorten a dog's
coat for the summer, be sure that you tell your groomer what shorter
means to you. If your dog's normal coat length is several inches long,
short to you may mean scissored to an inch or so all over. To another
person, short may mean clippered to the canine equivalent of the buzz
cut.
Dogs that are not accustomed to being shaved down are susceptible to
sunburn (especially dogs with lighter colored skin) and clipper burns.
Treated early, neither condition causes a severe problem; however,
leaving either condition untreated can lead to serious complications.
Contact your veterinarian if you see any rash or skin redness.Do not
shave dogs with double coats (like Chows, German Shepherd Dogs,
Siberians, Malamutes, Collies and Shelties) unless brushing out the
dead hair is the undercoat is impossible. It's better to groom your dog
correctly throughout the year, allowing the natural insulation of the coat
to do its work year-round, rather than letting it go until the only alternative
is to rev up the large animal clippers. Few pet clippers can cut through
the dense undercoat of an adult double-coated breed.
TACKLING SKIN PROBLEMS
Skin problems that are dormant through cooler moths come out in full
force when heat and humidity rise. Breeds with deep skin folds around
their face are susceptible to skin-fold infections. Pyodermas involving lip
folds is common during summer months in spaniels and sitters that have
heavy flews. Dogs with curly tails, such as the Bulldog, can have this
problem in the skin folds surrounding the tail. Clean these areas daily
with medicated shampoo or treat with benzoyl peroxide. Make this part
of your grooming ritual throughout the year and avoid problems before
they begin. Dogs with lop ears, such as spaniels, hounds and retrievers
and dogs that spend a lot of time in the water, are prone to ear infections
during the summer months. It's important to keep the ears clean and dry
to avoid a chronic problem. Despite the name, hot spots don't just occur
during the summer months, though they are more prevalent the
When grooming your dog, check for an inflamed areas and contact your
veterinarian, if you see any. Moist dermatitis can quickly spread from a
quarter-sized spot to a major portion of a dog's body if not taken care of
quickly.
Bathe your pet only when you notice dirt or odor.
Frequent bathing dries a dogs skin and can leave
susceptible to unwanted medical problems.
If your pet needs more frequent baths because of
increased outdoor activities, use a mild shampoo to
avoid over drying the skin. Hypoallergenic or soap-less
shampoos work well for frequent bathing.
During grooming, check for medical conditions that are
more prevalent during hot weather, such as hot spots,
hyoderma and ear infections.
Maintain your flea and tick preventative program to guard
against flea infestations and Lyme disease.
If you decide to have your pet clippered, watch carefully
for signs of sunburn or clipper burns.
HOW TO HELP YOUR DOG BEAT THE HEAT.
Turn on the fan, stand in the shade and swat those insects. The dog
days of summer are here, and they aren't particularly kind to dogs.
Excess heat and humidity are just as hard on your pets as they are on
you. Perhaps even more so, because you pets depend on you to keep
them cool and comfortable. You can remove layers of clothing as the
thermometer rises, but your pets aren't so lucky.
BRUSHING and TRIMMING
Because most dogs shed hair faster during the hotter months, it's
important to regularly brush dead hair before it mats. Because you dog
will be spending more time outdoors during the summer, make sure to
remove ticks, fleas and burrs from your dog's coat during grooming. And
don't forget to use a monthly parasite-control treatment to help protect
him from flea infestations and from ticks that may carry Lyme disease.
Usually, the extra activity during the summer helps keep a dog's toenails
shortened naturally, but every grooming session should include checking
and trimming the nails as necessary.
For dogs that are regularly groomed with clippers, keeping cooler in the
hot summer months may be as simple s asking the groomer to use a
longer numbered blade than usual. The larger the blade size, the
shorter the hair. For example, a #40 blade gives a surgical shave, a #4
blade leaves hair 3/8 inch long. Before cutting off all of your dog's hair,
remember that a dog's skin helps regulate its body temperature.
One mistake dog owners often make during hot summer months is to
shave the coat of a normally long-haired dog, thinking this will make the
dogs more comfortable.
NOT TRUE.
Hair is an insulator, and the lack of it overburdens the skin's ability to
regulate body temperature and can lead to heatstroke. It's more
important to provide plenty of shade and cool water for your pet during
the hot months and keep him groomed as usual. If you shorten a dog's
coat for the summer, be sure that you tell your groomer what shorter
means to you. If your dog's normal coat length is several inches long,
short to you may mean scissored to an inch or so all over. To another
person, short may mean clippered to the canine equivalent of the buzz
cut.
Dogs that are not accustomed to being shaved down are susceptible to
sunburn (especially dogs with lighter colored skin) and clipper burns.
Treated early, neither condition causes a severe problem; however,
leaving either condition untreated can lead to serious complications.
Contact your veterinarian if you see any rash or skin redness.Do not
shave dogs with double coats (like Chows, German Shepherd Dogs,
Siberians, Malamutes, Collies and Shelties) unless brushing out the
dead hair is the undercoat is impossible. It's better to groom your dog
correctly throughout the year, allowing the natural insulation of the coat
to do its work year-round, rather than letting it go until the only alternative
is to rev up the large animal clippers. Few pet clippers can cut through
the dense undercoat of an adult double-coated breed.
TACKLING SKIN PROBLEMS
Skin problems that are dormant through cooler moths come out in full
force when heat and humidity rise. Breeds with deep skin folds around
their face are susceptible to skin-fold infections. Pyodermas involving lip
folds is common during summer months in spaniels and sitters that have
heavy flews. Dogs with curly tails, such as the Bulldog, can have this
problem in the skin folds surrounding the tail. Clean these areas daily
with medicated shampoo or treat with benzoyl peroxide. Make this part
of your grooming ritual throughout the year and avoid problems before
they begin. Dogs with lop ears, such as spaniels, hounds and retrievers
and dogs that spend a lot of time in the water, are prone to ear infections
during the summer months. It's important to keep the ears clean and dry
to avoid a chronic problem. Despite the name, hot spots don't just occur
during the summer months, though they are more prevalent the
When grooming your dog, check for an inflamed areas and contact your
veterinarian, if you see any. Moist dermatitis can quickly spread from a
quarter-sized spot to a major portion of a dog's body if not taken care of
quickly.
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| " Summer Grooming Musts " |
by Bab Lands, USA
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