If you have a four-legged friend in your family, then we sincerely congratulate you and want to tell you about one of the important aspects of caring for him – a hygienic complex. This topic is always relevant, because its regular implementation allows you to avoid many problems:
First, you prevent the development of various skin diseases that can be provoked by insufficient attention to bathing, cleaning ears, teeth, and wiping eyes.
Secondly, you minimize the unpleasant smell that occurs due to the irregularity of these procedures. Also, the smell can be a sign of inflammation and infection, and timely diagnosis and consultation of a veterinarian will save your nerves, money and the health of your pet.
Thirdly, you take care of the dog’s comfortable life. Lumps, hair loss, problems with the spine and joints can only be a “horror” if you are responsible for performing hygienic procedures.
If you are ready to regularly take Khvostyk to the grooming salon and trust the professionals – you can not read further… No… of course, we are joking.
Familiarization with the stages of the hygiene complex will increase the efficiency of home care and allow you to take care of the dog wherever you are.
What is included in the hygiene complex for dogs?
To the main components of the hygienic complex, we include claw clipping, ear cleaning, wiping the area around the eyes, combing, bathing, hair drying and a hygienic haircut. You can also add brushing your teeth to the list. Below we will analyze each component in detail.
Claw trimming
Many owners are faced with the fact that the Pet has long nails, and the groomer or veterinarian refuses to cut them short. This is due to the location of the blood vessels, hitting which bleeding begins. The dog may permanently react aggressively and painfully to this procedure. To prevent this from happening, the nails should be cut regularly every 2-3 weeks. Thus, the blood vessel will not grow further along with the claw, the length can be gradually reduced, and the dog will not be injured and will maintain normal mobility of the spine. To cut nails at home, use a special tool – a nail clipper, as ordinary scissors can chew, split the nail or cause bleeding. Always keep stop powder in your first aid kit just in case.
Ear cleaning
This manipulation will prevent the development of otitis and other inflammations. At a pet store or veterinary pharmacy, you can purchase a spray or lotion for the ears that will help safely clean the required area. It is not necessary to pour the product directly inside, it is enough to apply it to a cotton pad and carefully wipe the outer part of the ear. You can use ear sticks for detailed study. Only a veterinarian is competent to dig deep into the ear hole, because you can damage the eardrum. Pay attention to the smell, change in the color of the ears, increase in temperature. If you notice any signs of infection, contact your veterinarian immediately.
Wiping the area around the eyes
You can remove mucus and dirt from the coat after each walk or as needed. Thus, you will reduce the risk of inflammation and be able to monitor the presence of a reaction to any allergens. For example, if the tear has a color that changes the color of the fur under the eyes, this can be a bell to contact the veterinarian to determine the factor that provokes an allergic reaction (food, clogged ducts, pollen, etc.). To wipe the area around the eyes, use special wipes that are already soaked in the solution, or lotions/sprays that you apply directly to cotton pads. Remember to use a separate tissue or cotton pad for each eye to prevent infection and contamination of the healthy eye.
Grooming the dog
Both short-haired and long-haired animals need regular grooming. It is necessary to improve blood and lymph circulation, to facilitate seasonal shedding and to avoid skin diseases. If your Tail has a curly/long/thick coat, brushing also helps to control the mange. Cockroaches are very dangerous, they can form a solid shell that does not allow air to pass through, pull on the skin causing severe discomfort, and in extreme cases can cause sores, redness, peeling and rashes. For effective combing, use special silicone brushes (for short-haired dogs) and fluffers, combs (for long-haired dogs). Make this routine almost a daily routine and use positive reinforcement to keep your dog calm and uncomplicated.
Brushing teeth
Daily brushing is important for maintaining your pet’s health, preventing gum and tooth disease, and reducing bad breath. Do not use human toothpaste as it may contain ingredients that are harmful to dogs. Instead, choose special toothbrushes and pastes, a large selection of which is presented in veterinary pharmacies or pet stores. Visit your veterinarian once a year for a professional ultrasound teeth cleaning.
Dog bathing
This stage causes a lot of debate among pet owners, because opinions about the regularity of bathing differ. Someone bathes the Pupil every week, someone monthly, and someone twice a year. And every owner will be right, because he knows his dog best. We can say that frequent bathing with professional cosmetics does not harm the animal’s health in any way, but, on the contrary, helps to improve the condition of the coat and skin, will eliminate the unpleasant smell and, in some cases, will have a therapeutic effect. In today’s world, all shampoos and conditioners are absolutely safe for frequent use. Cosmetics are selected according to the type of wool, the presence of allergic reactions and skin diseases is also taken into account. Special means have been developed that have an anti-parasitic effect or reduce itching. The key is to consider your dog’s individual needs and bathe him in warm water. As for the features of bathing, you should focus your attention on the following. Avoid getting water or shampoo in the eyes and ears of the dog, for this use cotton pads. Apply all the products with massaging movements, because when the wool is rubbed, it can become tangled. When using any cosmetics, it is necessary to thoroughly wash off its residues from the fur of the animal, because failure to observe this rule can cause skin irritation and allergic reactions.
Drying wool
After bathing, make sure to dry the dog’s coat well. First, remove excess water from the dog’s fur with a towel, avoiding excessive friction. And then use the hair dryer on the lowest heat and power setting. Long-term drying of wool at high temperatures can lead to overheating of the skin and overdrying of the wool. Be sure to use brushes and combs during the procedure. If you don’t do this, you may not dry the wool completely, cause it to become tangled and not achieve the aesthetic effect that you normally expect to get. Not every dog likes to dry off, so allow your Pet to rest and move periodically.
Hygienic haircut
When all the above procedures are completed, the wool is clean, dry and combed, you can proceed to a hygienic haircut. It can be performed more often than a full-fledged one, because its purpose is to help the owner maintain the hygiene of the animal. At this stage, we trim the fur near the eyes, trim the pads of the paws, trim the edging of the paws and remove excess fur in the area of the tummy, bottom and genitals. Each component is important and has its own purpose.
In particular, cutting the hair near the eyes allows you to remove excess hairs that can get into the eyes and provoke excessive lacrimation.
Shaving the pads of the paws minimizes the risk of injury and the occurrence of fungus, because sand and dirt can accumulate in the fur, and with high humidity or sweating, the paw pads are always wet and the fur can change color due to the increase in the number of bacteria.
The edging of the paws has an aesthetic effect, because a neat round paw looks much more attractive. However, if this is not done, the hair can grow in whole strands, which can interfere with the dog’s movement.
Shaving excess hair in the area of the tummy, bottom and genitals is aimed at reducing the unpleasant smell and simplifying care after defecation, urination and marking the territory with the Lover. For this, you should use a machine with a special knife or nozzle, so as not to provoke skin irritation due to the tingling of small hairs.
Here we have analyzed all the stages of hygienic care. You can easily perform most of them at home, without the need to consult a specialist (combing, bathing, drying, brushing teeth, wiping the area around the eyes). And some without specialized knowledge and professional tools are better entrusted to a groomer (claw trimming, hygienic haircut, ear cleaning).
Regular hygiene is just as important a part of pet care as walks, games, balanced nutrition and visits to the vet. All this affects the comfortable life of the dog and its health.
If you are afraid, do not have the knowledge, time and ability to perform a hygienic complex at home, the “V.O.G. DOG” network of grooming salons will gladly help you. Our specialists will advise you in detail, you will be able to stay during the grooming to see with your own eyes the execution of all the procedures, and the duration of the procedures will be much shorter due to the experience and availability of professional tools of our groomers.
